Monday, September 29, 2008

Se mak Ami?/ Who are we?

Kompetisaun Hakerek Istoria Sira Timor Nian ne'e patrosina husi Timor Aid no Fundasaun Alola ne'ebe konesidu liu iha Timor Leste ho nia programa ne'ebe foka liu ba Edukasaun no Dalen Nasional.

Istoria Timor Short Story Competition is sponsored by Fundasaun Alola and Timor Aid, leading NGOs in Timor Leste with a focus on Education and National Language.

The Project/ Informasaun Projectu/ Informasi Proyek

For Indonesian please see below - sorry, no Tetum yet.
Untuk Bahasa Indonesia silahkan lihat di bawah - maaf, belum ada Bahasa Tetum.
Atu lian Indonesia, haree iha okos - deskulpa, sidauk iha lian Tetum.

In a nutshell, Istoria Timor hopes to publish the first novel ever written in Tetum. The project has two phases as follows:

Phase 1: Writing competition

We are running a writing competition accepting entries of between 10,000 and 15,000 words. The winner will receive US$500 and the chance to have their story published and distributed nation-wide. There are also five US$100 prizes available to runners up. This phase of the project is fully funded.

Phase 2: Editing, publishing and distribution

If, in the opinion of Istoria Timor, the received stories are fit to publish, the project will edit and print 5,000 copies of the book and look to distribute them nation-wide. Istoria Timor are accepting pledges for this phase of the project but will not begin accepting cash donations until Phase 1 is complete and management are confident in the marketability of the product.

For more detailed information, please see our project concept note.



Secara singkat, proyek Istoria Timor bermaksud untuk menerbitkan buku roman pertama dalam Bahasa Tetum. Proyek ini ada dua tahap sebagai berikut:

Tahap 1: Kompetisi menulis

Kami mengadakan sebuah kompetisi menulis untuk menerima masukan di antara 10,000 dan 15,000 kata. Naskah terbaik akan terima hadiah uang sebesar US$500 dan mendapat kesempatan untuk melihat karyanya diterbitkan di seluruh negara Timor Leste. Selain dari hadiah pertama, juga ada lima hadiah sebesar US$100 untuk 5 orang finalis. Tahap pertama proyek Istoria Timor sudah mempunyai semua dana yang diperlukan.

Tahap 2: Penyuntingan, penerbitan dan pendistribusian

Jika, dalam pendapat Istoria Timor, naskah yang diterima siap untuk diterbitkan, proyek Istoria Timor akan menyunting dan mencetak 5000 buku dan mendistribusikannya ke keseluruhan negara Timor Leste. Proyek Istoria Timor tidak akan menerima sumbangan dalam bentuk tunai untuk tahap ini sampai Tahap 1 sudah selesai dan manajemen Istoria Timor sudah pasti bahwa cerita yang diterima cukup bagus untuk dipublikasikan. Kalau ingin menyumbang pada waktu kami sudah mulai menerima sumbangan, silahkan hubungi kami.

Untuk informasi lebih lanjut, silahkan membacadokumen informasi proyek (maaf, masih dalam Bahasa Inggris).

Kestaun Sira/FAQs

Karik Ita iha kestaun ruma, favor husik hela Ita-nia komentariu iha postu ne'e no tuirmai ami sei hatama ba lista.

1. Kona-ba Saida mak ha'u bele hakerek?

Saida de'it! Ami labele hatete ba Ita-Boot sira kona-ba saida mak Ita bele no labele hakerek. Durante hakerek ne'e ho dalen tetun no forma hanesan istoria (lahanesan ho artigu ka teze ruma) ami kontete ona. "Istoria" Iha kompetisaun ne'e lo'os Istoria (Ind. Sejarah maibe Cerita, Ing. La'os History maibe Story) ne'ebe hakerek maizoumenus tenki ho lifuan to'o 10,000.

2. Se mak seui korrizedor iha kompetisaun ne'e?

Sra Kirsty Sword Gusmao
Sr Joao Paulo
Sra Maria do Ceu
Sr Naldo Rei
Sr Nunu Belo
Sr Abe Baretto Soares

3. Oinsa mak Ha'u atu aprezenta Ha'u-nia istoria?

Favor haruka hela Ita-Boot nia istoria ba email: istoriatimor@timoraid.org

4. Saida mak vensedor sira sei simu?

Premiu dahuluk: $500
Premiu daruak: $200
Premiu datoluk: $100

Tinan dia ne'e mos sei iha premiu ida ho folin $500 ba istoria husi feto sira nian ne'ebe di'ak liu.

5. Bainhira mak aprezentasaun Istoria sira ramata?

Aprezentasaun istoria sira sei remata iha 30 fulan Junu 2010 no anunsiu ba vensedor sira iha fulan Agostu 2010.

If you have more questions, please leave a comment on this post and we will add it to the list.

1. What should I write about?

Anything! We don't want to tell people what they can or can not write about. As long as it is in Tetum and is structured like a story (as opposed to an article or an essay) then we're happy. "Istoria" in Portuguese means "history" while in Tetum it has two meanings: "history" and "story". We mean "story". Remember, the story must be at least 10,000 words.

2. Who will judge the competition?

The judging panel, appointed by Timor Aid and Fundasaun Alola, is:

Sra Kirsty Sword Gusmao
Sr Joao Paulo
Sra Maria do Ceu
Sr Naldo Rei
Sr Nunu Belo
Sr Abe Baretto Soares

3. How do I submit my story?

Please email your story to istoriatimor@timoraid.org

4. What does the winner receive?

First prize is $500
Second prize is $200
Third prize is $100

This year, there will also be a prize of $500 for the best story from a female entrant.

5. When do entries close?

Entries close on Wednesday 30 June with the winners to be announced in August.



Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Related news

The story below came through the ETAN mailing list while I was away.

Northern Territory News

August 26, 2008

Gutsy novel wins top prize

By ALYSSA BETTS

THREE women waded through blood and guts to their waists, picking through gore and slimy tubes as they wiped their brows.

They peeked in diaries of soldiers, pages aged brown and burnt by shelling.

They visited the seaside for a break, sand grains rubbing under the pads of their fingers.

And then Darwin City Councillor Robyn Lesley, Territory librarian Iris Beale and student teacher Penny Cameron chose the Young Territory Author Awards.

``I didn't have very high expectations and I was really blown away by the standard,'' Ms Lesley said.

``Some students put in an inordinate amount of effort into the visual side of the book -- others were word craftsmiths.

``It must've taken some of the kids months to do it.''

The Darwin City Council awards, open to all Territory students, attracted 102 entries and were held last Wednesday during Children's Book Week.

Fourteen-year-old Rosanna Cameron was the overall winner and pocketed $500.

Her slim 5000-word novel -- entitled Found -- is told through the eyes of two main characters, a 10-year-old village girl and a soldier, living through the crisis of East Timor's struggle for independence.

The story unfolds as the girl's brother is killed by the soldier.

When the soldier is wounded in a revenge attack by a second brother, the parents -- horrified by the violence -- take in the soldier and care for him.

The three judges gave the Kormilda College student the gong for Found's originality, ``pertinence'' to the Top End, and evocation of emotions.

``The story's main point is that you can find some good in every situation -- one of the key things about it was compassion and kindness,'' Rosanna said.

It took her more than a year to finish; she started in early 2007 and promptly came down with a case of writer's block.

``One of the most difficult things was not knowing where the story would go next. There was also the ending -- I was stuck on it,'' she said.

She admitted it was also tricky getting into the head of her male soldier, but had help from family and friends who loaded her up with opinions.

Rosanna -- who won Kormilda's Elly Angel poetry prize last year -- said she was ``staggered'' to win the award.

Ms Lesley said it was almost too hard to say there was a best book in this year's pickings.

Entries ranged from the fictitious soldier's diary -- which had been aged and burnt around the edges -- to pop-up picture books full of flowers, and stories with collages of sea and sand.

``There were a couple of sci-fi novels by young fellows -- some of them with lots of blood and guts,'' Ms Lesley said. ``There were quite a few books that had an environmental twist.

``I wasn't expecting that level of creativity and skill from the younger ones.''

The books submitted for the awards, and suitable to be placed in a library collection, will be kept at Darwin's Casuarina Library for the public to read.

AGE GROUP WINNERS

AGE 16-18: Timothy Hansen for The Daughters Of Edgar Raven; AGE 13-15: Angie Ng for Wanda's Curse; AGE 9-12: Tisha Tejaya for Mysterique; AGE Under 8: Alfio Dilettoso for The Mean Queen.

HiGHLY COMMENDED

AGE 16-18: Jarod Laskazeski for Sea Creatures Watch Out; AGE 13-15: Jack Williams for A Soldier's Diary; AGE 13-15: Sean Guy for The Legend Of Hathor; AGE 9-12: Dylan Hage-Grey for Battle Of The Bands; AGE 9-12: Darren Brown for Battle Of The Bands; AGE Under 8: Analese Richards for What Was In The Garden; AGE Under 8: Brighid Goodbun for The Book Of Secrets; AGE UNDER 8: Caitlin Cuff for Circus Fun.

ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD

AGE 16-18: Nyrssa Fitzallen for My Brother Shannon And Other Stories.