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NATIONAL LITERATURE ON THE WORLD STAGE |
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PROMOTION OF LITERATURE AND PERSONALITIES
Southeast Asian Writers’ Meeting (SAWM)
The construction of the Southeast Asian Writers’ website is one of the resolutions made at the Southeast Asian Writers’ Meeting on 26-29 October 2001 at the Crown Princess Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The proposed website shall serve as a regional website for purposes of communication, exchange of information and archive of literary works.
It is hoped that the website will further foster closer relations, understanding and co-operation among the Southeast Asian literary community, expand the use of the Malay/Indonesian language as a means of communication, the medium of knowledge and the medium of speech at the regional and international levels
Kuala Lumpur World Poetry Reading
The Kuala Lumpur World Poetry Reading held in 2002 had as its theme, “Poetry in Our Lives Today”. Although relatively new, the event had already shown maturity in its progress and approach, thought and perspective. As a result, several internationally renowned poets recommended that Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka build a website for the event which was subsequently launched on 16 August 2004 by Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim.
 SEA Write Award
The SEA Write Award is bestowed on leading writers and poets from the ASEAN countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
In recognition of the literary tradition, the SEA Write Award was created in early 1979 to encourage writers in the ASEAN countries to practise their craft as well as to give due recognition to their talent and creative works.
INTERNATIONAL LITERARY EVENTS
International Seminar on Southeast Asian Literature (SAKAT)
International Conference on Literature and Islamic World Arts Festival
SOUTHEAST ASIA LITERARY COUNCIL (MASTERA)
Southeast Asia Literary Council (MASTERA)
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka is a national institution which has been entrusted with the responsibility to build and develop the Malay language and literature as the national and official language of this country. As an institution responsible for matters pertaining to linguistics and literature in the country, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka is also involved in activities at the regional level. In the field of literature, the formation of MASTERA or Southeast Asia Literary Council was agreed upon by the three founding countries (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia) at the Malay Language World Congress on 25 August 1995.
The establishment of MASTERA was inaugurated by the Deputy Minister of Education, Datuk Khalid Yunus, during MASTERA’s launching ceremony and its first conference at the Tun Syed Nasir Hall of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in Kuala Lumpur on 12 August 1996. The event was also witnessed by representatives from Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. On the historic day, MASTERA’s 5-year activity plan (1996-2000) for the three founding countries was discussed and approved.
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