| By Rosli Abidin
Yahya
Talented national literary
writers who are able to produce quality literary works may find
themselves winning a few prizes, provided they submit their
works to a literary writing competition being held in
conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Asterawani, the
Association of Literary Writers.
The competition - comprising of
short stories, poems and articles in Malay language - is also
organised to commemorate the 19th National Day of Brunei
Darussalam next month.
Prizes ranging from $800 to
$1,500 would be provided for competition winners, depending on
the categories they enter.
According to the Secretary II
of the association, Awg Mohd Zefri Ariff bin Mohd Zain Ariff,
the writing contest is meant to encourage and stimulate literary
writers to contribute visions, ideas, views and critics through
their beautiful arrangement of words.
He said the theme of their
writings must concentrate to focus towards race and nation
building as well as contributing towards the development of
Muslim community in line with the national concept of Melayu
Islam Beraja (MIB).
"The competition is open
to citizens and permanent residents of this country of age not
less than 18 years.
"Their contributions must
be their original works and not adaptation, copy and translation
of other literary materials.
"They must also ensure
that their works have never been published before in any
form," he said.
He said the length of short
stories should not be less than 1,500 words while the poems
should comprise of verses of not less than 15 lines.
Writers of literary articles
must ensure their works should contain not less than 3,000 and
up to 5,000 words.
However, he said articles must
focus to discuss, compare or evaluate the status and the
literary works of a local Muslim writer who is considered a
national figure.
"An article can also focus
on discussing, comparing or evaluating a work or several works
of such figure.
The literary work of a literary
figure can be poems, short stories or novels.
"Apart from that writers
can evaluate the development of Islamic literature in this
country," he said.
Forms towards participating in
the competition can be obtained from the reception of the
Language and Literature Bureau (DBP), Brunei, the Department of
Malay Literature, Universiti Brunei Darussalam and the premise
of the national library, DBP in the capital.
Literary works must reach the
competition secretary by February 27.
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