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Athabasca University

Print Culture History

This website is concerned with print culture in both the colonial and independence eras in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The term print culture is a holistic description of practices and experiences generated by introduced literacy in European and indigenous languages.

We choose not to employ political independence as a marker for cultural independence. Instead, we treat print culture history as a continuum between the colonial and the national, focusing instead on those agents and agencies that were significant in the development of print culture from its inception to the present.

One general characteristic of colonial print cultures is that they are extensively mediated. The writing, production, dissemination, and consumption of print in colonies are not possible without a form of cultural mediation called sponsorship. What is more, the gradual and uneven change from colonial to national print cultures means that this sponsorship is necessary for some time after independence is achieved. These print culture sponsors can be categorized into eight categories or types:

Public Sponsors

Private Sponsors

administrations and governments

religious organizations

educational institutions

affiliated individuals

newspapers and magazines

publishers and presses

NGOs/foundations/associations

non-affiliated individuals

Periodicals and Anthologies

BW Black Writing from New Guinea
FNLN Friends of the National Library Newsletter
KOV Kovave
NGW New Guinea Writing
NL Niugini Lives
NLN National Library Nius
NNGW New New Guinea Writing
NW Night Warrior
PIM Pacific Islands Monthly
PNGW Papua New Guinea Writing
Times The Times of Papua New Guinea
VI Voices of Independence

 

Institutions and Agencies

Governmental:

ABC Australian Broadcasting Commission
CCA Creative Centre for the Arts
DES Department of Extension Services
DIES Department of Information and Extension Services
FNLS Friends of the National Library Service
GBS Government Broadcasting Service
IPNGS Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies
NAS National Arts School
NBC National Broadcasting Commission
NBW National Book Week
NCC National Cultural Council
NLS National Library Service
NRI National Research Institute
NTC National Theatre Company

Mission:

ACP African Christian Press
CAVA Centre for Audio-Visual Action
CPBA Christian Publishers and Booksellers Association
CCC Christian Communications Commission
CTC Christian Training Centre
CWAMEL Christian Writers Association of Melanesia
LMS London Missionary Society
MCC Melanesian Council of Churches
SIL Summer Institute of Linguistics
WEB Word Educational Books
Word Word Publishing

University/ College:

ERU Educational Research Unit
FESTAC World Black and African Festival of Arts and Cultures
GTC Goroka Teachers College
PPP Papua Pocket Poets
SPFA South Pacific Festival of the Arts
UPNG University of Papua New Guinea

Updated October 13 2016 by Library Services