Prisoners eager to write

Posted on The National

INMATES at Bomana Prison in National Capital District are keenly looking forward to share their experiences in book form through what is known as the Prison Writers Workshop.
A duo testified during the National Book Fair held at the National Library in Waigani last week that they would love to tell write about prison life like their colleagues at Buimo in Morobe and Kerevat in East New Britain had done already.
Dandan Tom from Waima Village in Milne Bay spoke about how reading and writing had liberated him while he was confined within four walls of a prison cell.
“I’m in prison but my reading has taken me out of prison to places all over the world,” Tom told attendees of the book fair.
For the past 20 years of a life sentence served in Giligili Prison in Milne Bay and Bomana, reading had taken him to fast-paced American cities, the expansive plains of the Africa continent and many other places in between.
Tom is a self-professed bookworm.
“I’ve read all of John Grisham and Wilbur Smith’s novels as well as other reading material in the prison library that caught my interest. Reading has freed my mind from stress and has given me much knowledge of the outside world.”
He not only reads but writes as well.
“I’m halfway through writing my own story using a computer in the prison library. Writing also releases stress and gives me ideas and broadens my mind. I’m also a song writer.
“Why can’t Bomana do the same as Buimo and Kerevat? We need people to mentor prisoners to write their stories and publish them.”
Fellow prisoner Paul Joe, who is also serving a life sentence, testified that he was illiterated when he entered jail but through a literacy programme, he was able to read.
“I now read the Bible which gives me hope in the prison,” he said.
The two were among a group of inmates let out to join students and a number of writers/publishers at the National Book Fair.
They spoke of their eagerness and desire to read books which has helped them escape the drudgery of prison life.
Organisers of the book fair had invited the prison management to take the prisoners on leave of absence to be part of the event.
Professor Steven Winduo of the University of PNG who has been a part of the Prison Writers Workshop and assisted in publishing the work of the Buimo and Kerevat inmates, took note of the Bomana inmates’ testimonies.
Inspector Eko Mangere, officer in charge of rehabilitation, parole and juvenile justice at the Correctional Service headquarters, said the department would like to see more inmates involved in literacy programmes as part of the rehabilitation process.
Poet and children’s book author Caroline Evari, who made a presentation at the National Book Fair, called for more Papua New Guineans to write to promote the country and also to help preserve cultures and languages that could be lost for good otherwise.
Evari said writing about different aspects of the country would helpd to cure the “disease of a single story.”
She explained that there were stereotypes because not much literature was out there for the rest of the world to read and understand PNG better.
Prison writers like Tom have been invited to be part of the book fair again next year.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/prisoners-eager-to-write/