Papua New Guinea — books & literature

The story of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea holds one of the longest continuous human stories on Earth: people first settled the island roughly 40,000-60,000 years ago, and the highlands around Kuk Swamp are one of the world's earliest known independent centres of plant agriculture, with taro and banana cultivation dating back to circa 7000 BCE. European contact began in the 16th century, when Spanish navigator Yñigo Ortiz de Retez named the island "Nueva Guinea" in 1545, but the rugged interior kept most communities isolated for centuries, giving rise to the extraordinary diversity of languages and cultures found today. In the 1880s the eastern half of the island was split between Germany in the north and Britain in the south; Australia took over British New Guinea in 1902 and the German territory after World War I. World War II brought brutal fighting along the Kokoda Track as Australian and Papua New Guinean forces halted the Japanese advance toward Port Moresby. Self-government arrived in 1973 and full independence from Australia followed on 16 September 1975, under founding Prime Minister Michael Somare. Today Papua New Guinea is a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth, home to more than 800 languages and a still largely rural, village-centred way of life.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 40,000-60,000 years ago

   First human settlement of the island of New Guinea.

2. circa 7000 BCE

   Early independent agriculture develops at Kuk Swamp in the highlands (taro, banana) , now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

3. 1545

   Spanish navigator Yñigo Ortiz de Retez names the island "Nueva Guinea".

4. 1884

   The island is divided: Germany claims the north, Britain proclaims a protectorate over the south.

5. 1902

   British New Guinea is transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia as the Territory of Papua.

6. 1942-1945

   World War II , fierce fighting on the Kokoda Track as Australian and PNG forces repel the Japanese advance on Port Moresby.

7. 1949

   The Territory of Papua and New Guinea is formed, uniting the two territories under Australian administration.

8. 1973

   Papua New Guinea becomes self-governing (1 December).

9. 1975

   Independence from Australia, 16 September, under founding Prime Minister Michael Somare.

Top 10 things to know about Papua New Guinea

1. Papua New Guinea has more than 800 distinct languages , the most linguistically diverse country on Earth, roughly 12% of all languages spoken worldwide.
2. It comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea plus hundreds of offshore islands across the Bismarck and Solomon Seas.
3. It is home to 33 of the world's 45 known bird-of-paradise species; the Raggiana bird-of-paradise is the national emblem, featured on the flag.
4. The Kokoda Track, a 96 km trail through the Owen Stanley Range, was the site of a pivotal WWII campaign and remains a famous trek today.
5. The highland site of Kuk Swamp is one of the earliest known independent centres of agriculture in the world, dated to circa 7000 BCE.
6. PNG has three official languages: English, Tok Pisin (an English-based creole), and Hiri Motu.
7. It became fully independent from Australia on 16 September 1975 and is a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth.
8. Rugby league is the de facto national sport and unites the country like nothing else.
9. The currency is the kina, subdivided into 100 toea, introduced at independence in 1975.
10. PNG remains one of the most rural nations on Earth, with most people living in traditional village communities and practising subsistence farming.

Famous people from Papua New Guinea

Say it in Papua New Guinea's language

Did you know?

• ★Papua New Guinea alone accounts for close to 12% of all languages spoken on Earth, packed into one country.
• ★Agriculture at Kuk Swamp in the PNG highlands is among the earliest independently developed farming systems ever found, predating many well-known ancient agricultural centres.
• ★The Raggiana bird-of-paradise's spectacular plumage made it a national symbol long before independence , it has appeared on the flag since 1971.

Papua New Guinea culture

• Village and clan identity remains central to daily life across PNG's hundreds of distinct cultural groups.
• The "sing-sing" , large gatherings where communities perform traditional dance, song, and elaborate body decoration , is a defining cultural showcase, most famously at the Goroka and Mount Hagen shows.
• Rugby league is followed with near-universal passion and functions as a unifying national identity across otherwise very diverse regions.
• Traditional wantok (kin/clan) networks of mutual obligation still shape social and economic life alongside modern institutions.

Why read Papua New Guinea's books

Papua New Guinean literature is young in print but old in oral tradition , its first novel was published only in 1970 , and it carries the voice of a nation with more languages than almost anywhere on Earth finding new ways to tell its stories.