CreateSpace makes it money from selling hard copy or digital copies through Amazon and that’s where the typically toea-less PNG author comes a cropper; often not having the means to buy even a single copy of own book.

So we order copies and have them mailed to the author, preferably to sell so a kitty can be built up to buy more books.

Hal Holman was a regular visitor to PNG until he was 90, painting, sculpting and visiting friends. He’d first gone there in World War II as a 20-year old soldier.

On his final visit, Hal bought a painting, Elekopta fly antap, by the famed Ignatius Kauage and now his wife Jo wants to donate this to enable the purchase of PNG-authored books. (That's Hal and Jo in the picture at the time of Hal's Order of Logohu award.)

I agreed with Jo that we would sell the painting through an auction on PNG Attitude. If that is successful, Jo says she will offer some of Hal’s own work to be disposed of in the same way.

So I’m announcing the Holman Book Fund which I hope will enable the new crop of PNG authors not just to have their work published but also sold.

Now you might not want to participate in the auction but still donate to the Fund, in which case you should deposit money in the following account (and make sure you email me here when you do):

Keith Jackson (Holman Book Fund)
BSB 082 302
Account No 50 650 1355

You can read all about the first Holman Book Fund auction in a follow-up story tomorrow.