KEITH JACKSON
THE PNG ATTITUDE WRITERS FELLOWSHIPS ARE UP AND RUNNING – STRONGLY.
The first eight of 11 writing fellowships provided by sponsors under the auspices of PNG Attitude have been awarded to selected writers, including some familiar names.
They include Captain Manuai Matawai (pictured), about whom more below.
Other awards will be announced in the near future as the designated writers are signed up.
The $A500 fellowships, which will be tenable for 12 months, were established to encourage freelance writing in Papua New Guinea and to reward writers for their work.
Fellowship recipients are expected to contribute regular articles and other work to PNG Attitude, which will guarantee them publication.
The writers are not prevented from using the material in other ways or having it reproduced elsewhere.
The eight awards made so far are to:
Martyn Namorong | Supported by the Chalapi Pomat Writing Fellowship
Nou Vada | Supported by the Lance Hill Writing Fellowship
Leonard Roka | Supported by the Jeff Febi Writing Fellowship
Joe Wasia | Supported by the Bob Cleland Writing Fellowship
Sil Bolkin | Supported by the Phil Fitzpatrick Writing Fellowship
Charlotte Vada | Supported by the Abel Family Writing Fellowship
Ganjiki D Wayne | Supported by the Bea Amaya Writing Fellowship
Manuai Matawai | Supported by the Chalapi Pomat Writing Fellowship
Writers and their sponsors are being encouraged to correspond with each other, and this process has already begun.
PNG Attitude will introduce you to the writers and their sponsors over the coming days. But let me start with someone you may not know a lot about – but you should – Manuai Matawai.
Manuai is 42 and was born in Pere village in the Manus Province. He is the community conservation coordinator with The Nature Conservancy, which he joined in 2006. In this role, he works with communities which have an interest in managing their marine and terrestrial resources so they can be more resilient to climate change.
Manuai is currently skippering the 48-ft open canoe Climate Challenger on an epic 70-day, 3,200 km voyage around PNG and the Solomons and the Pacific atolls of Micronesia.
On board are 10 Manus navigators, dancers and musicians who are sharing their culture and bringing an awareness of climate change and a clean environment to the many islands they are visiting.
Currently they’re nearing Honiara and later they will make their way to Nauru, Kiribati (Tarawa), Marshall Islands (Majuro and atolls), Kosraie, Ponape, Truk, Puluwat, Soral, Yap, Palau, Wuvulu, Aua (Manus), Ninigo Group, Hermit and finally back to Lorengau, where the voyage began.
You can keep in touch with this great endeavour at http://climatechallengervoyage.net – and read Manuai’s thoughts in PNG Attitude as the demands of the voyage allow.
For now, here’s his latest dispatch as Climate Challenger approaches Honiara:
We reached the Arnavon Islands yesterday (Sunday 14th Oct) and had a meal of taro, fish and rice before accompanying the rangers on their turtle monitoring followed by our awareness raising performance afterwards.
Today (Monday 15th Oct) will set sail for Kia where we will meet the The Nature Conservancy team including Willie Atu (Solomon Islands Country Director for The Nature Conservancy) and his son who will join the canoe on the trip to Honiara.
The sea has been very calm and very good sailing conditions.
PNG Attitude wishes our writers fellowship recipient Captain Manuai Matawai, and his bold crew, manageable seas, receptive audiences and, of course, good writing.
If you wish to become a sponsor of the PNG Attitude Writers Fellowships, contact Keith Jackson here
Well done KJ. Good so far for the crew of Climate Challenger.
Looking forward to some Manus garamut drum beat and Manus dancing on their next voyage to Sydney.
If you have not seen or heard - they are very special.
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We're looking forward to a Sydney visit by Climate Challenger, Captain Manuai and the dancers. And I will make the offer now for Jackson PR to provide free media and public relations assistance before and during the visit - KJ
Posted by: Chalapi Pomat | 16 October 2012 at 10:55 AM