Papua New Guinean literature is diverse. The emergence of written literature

Literature

Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...

 (as distinct from oral literature

Oral literature

Oral literature corresponds in the sphere of the spoken word to literature as literature operates in the domain of the written word. It thus forms a generally more fundamental component of culture, but operates in many ways as one might expect literature to do...

) is comparatively recent in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...

. It was given its first major stimulus with the setting up of creative writing

Creative writing

Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...

 courses by Ulli Beier

Ulli Beier

Horst Ulrich Beier was a German editor, writer and scholar, who had a pioneering role in developing literature, drama and poetry in Nigeria, as well as literature, drama and poetry in Papua New Guinea...

 at the University of Papua New Guinea

University of Papua New Guinea

The University of Papua New Guinea was established by ordinance of the Australian administration in 1965. This followed the Currie Commission which had enquired into higher education in Papua New Guinea...

 (established in 1966). Beier also founded a Papua Pocket Poets series, as well as the literary magazine Kovave, the first of its kind in the country. Some of Papua New Guinea's first noted writers, including John Kasaipwalova

John Kasaipwalova

John Kasaipwalova is an author of Papua New Guinea. He was born in 1949 of indigenous parentage in Okaidoka Village on Kiriwina Island of the Trobriand Islands, Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea...

, Kumalau Tawali, Apisai Enos and Kama Kerpi, were first published in Kovave.

In 1968, Albert Maori Kiki

Albert Maori Kiki

Sir Albert Maori Kiki was a Papua New Guinea pathologist and politician. He was one of the founders of the Pangu Party, which demanded 'home rule leading to eventual independence' for New Guinea...

’s autobiography Ten Thousand Years in a Lifetime

Ten Thousand Years in a Lifetime

Kiki: Ten Thousand Years in a Lifetime is the autobiography of Albert Maori Kiki, the Papua New Guinea pathologist and politician.The book, first published in 1968, describes the author's childhood as a member of a semi-nomadic tribe, with vivid descriptions of rituals and customs...

was the first major work of Papua New Guinean literature published outside a magazine. In 1970, Vincent Eri

Vincent Eri

Sir Vincent Serei Eri, GCMG was the fifth Governor General of Papua New Guinea and is often cited as being the first Papua New Guinean national to write a novel, The Crocodile in English...

 published the first Papua New Guinean novel, The Crocodile.

Notable Papua New Guinean writers also include Ignatius Kilage

Ignatius Kilage

Sir Ignatius Kilage, GCMG was the fourth Governor-General of Papua New Guinea and served from March to December 1989, when he died suddenly in office....

, Nora Vagi Brash, Steven Edmund Winduo and Loujaya Kouza.

Source

• "English in the South Pacific", John Lynch and France Mugler, University of the South Pacific
  University of the South Pacific
  The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...