|
Major book writing contest announced
2006-12-20 09:40:16
By Guardian Reporter
Swedish Ambassador to Tanzania Torvald Akesson has launched a book writing contest dubbed ”The Adventure Book Writing Competition,” which is open to local authors only.
The envoy told scores of local authors and publishers in a brief ceremony on Monday in Dar es Salaam that the writer of the best manuscript will be awarded 34m/-, out of over 46m/- to be released for the top three manuscripts.
The competition will be held over the next four months under the supervision of the Children’s Book Project (CBP).
”As a contribution to fostering a reading culture in Tanzania, the Embassy of Sweden invites Tanzania authors to compete in producing the best manuscript of a book about Tanzania,” said the envoy.
The book should give insights into the life of Tanzanians from historical, geographical, economical, social and ethnic point of view, as well as botanical and zoological, he said.
”The competition will serve, as an inspiration to creative writing in Tanzania.”
Akesson said basing on the experience in his home country of the impact of Swedish school children’s learning about the understanding of their own country from reading the book about Nils Holgersson, the embassy wished to create an opportunity for Tanzanian children and youth to reading a similar adventure book about their own country.
He noted that lives of many Swedes have been transformed by the Book, which acts as an important part of literature that increases further understanding of the country and encourages further reading among children as well as the general public.
He said his embassy was sponsoring the competition as part of the celebrations to mark 100 years of reading the book written in his home country a century ago.
CBP Secretary General, Pili Dumea said after the competition being advertised through a consultative meeting with publishers and authors in the mainstream media in Dar es Salaam, writers will be required to submit manuscripts by April 30, next year.
”A panel of 5 judges will evaluate and select three winning manuscripts and winners will be announced through print media during the Swedish Day, on June 6, 2007,” said the CBP secretary general.
”After the best manuscript has been selected, the author will be given a grant of 8,550,000/- to cover travel expenses in part where he/she is less familiar to improve upon the manuscript,” she said.
|
