Paga Hill Estate, CEO, Gudmundur Fridriksson attended the Crocodile Prize Award Ceremony where the 2016 winners were announced. Gudmundur Fridriksson noted Mary Catherine was very self-assured and impressive in her short acceptance speech for the Writing for Children’s award.

February 20, 2017

Source: Post Courier

The Crocodile Prize Organising Committee has announced the winners of Papua New Guinea’s national literary competition, The Crocodile Prize, in a ceremony at the Australian High Commission.

Speaking at the reception, Emmanuel Peni, author and chairman of the 2016 Crocodile Prize Organising Committee said that the Crocodile Prize is a powerful approach to promote literature overall, while also propelling development. “To write, you must be inspired by things and events around you –when you write from these inspirations, you inspire others to do something,” Mr Peni said.

Paga Hill Development Company’s CEO Gudmundur Fridriksson with Writing for Children winner Mary Catherine Tavore

The winners are:

  • Wardly D Barry-Igivisa – Kina Finance, Poetry Category;
  • Alison Kult – Kumul Petroleum Limited Holdings, Short Stories Category;
  • Theresa Gizoria – Cleland Family, Heritage Writing Category;
  • Mary Cathrine Tavore – Paga Hill Foundation, Writing for Children Category;
  • John Kamasua – PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, Essays and Journalism Category;
  • Roselyn Tony – Minerals Resources Development Corporations, Women in Writing Category; and
  • Peter Jokisie – Abt and Associates, Emerging Young Writer Category.

Australian Deputy High Commissioner Bronte Moules who spoke at the reception said: “Papua New Guinea has tremendous writing talent, and awards such as the Crocodile Prize ensure that emerging authors are recognised and heard, both by Papua New Guineans and the international community, on important cultural, historical and contemporary issues.”

The Crocodile Prize is Papua New Guinea’s only national literary competition. The 2016 contest received more than 550 entries from both male and female writers from all over Papua New Guinea.

The Crocodile Prize Writers Competition is named after the first novel written by a Papua New Guinean, The Crocodile by Sir Vincent Eri published in 1970.