MIRI: Karambir Singh was elected to lead the Society of English Writers Northern Zone (SOSWE) at its annual general meeting (AGM) on Saturday at Gymkhana Club here.
Others elected to the exco are Jennie Soh as secretary and Helena Henry as treasurer), followed by committee members, Faizul Mansoor, Pehara Singh, Joyce Siaw, and Jamila Basha, with Bharati Anand as the internal auditor.
During the 1990s, many people came from Kuching, Sibu and Bintulu to Miri because of job transfers or to join the SHELL workforce.
Twelve individuals from different backgrounds were invited by a journalist from the Borneo Post in November 1997 to form an English writers’ platform.
Through this writing platform, members were able to share their stories as most research and books were written by foreigners.
This marked the birth of SOSWE, which is the initials for the Society of Sarawakians Writing in English then.
The Society of English Writers Northern Zone (SOSWE) was officially approved and registered with the Registrar of Society on August 28, 2002.
The society’s vision is to establish a platform for writers in and outside of Malaysia, while its mission is to achieve a high standard of excellence of English.
It aims to cultivate a general interest in the art of writing of any genre, and encourage local writers to write through activities like writing contests, workshops, seminars and talks.
It promotes research activities with special emphasis on the socio-cultural aspects of Sarawak, publishes works written by local writers, and fosters closer relationship among local writers.
The society is also building a network of writers within and without Malaysia to raise funds for the attainment of the above aims and objectives with the permission of the Registrar of Society and approval of the authority concerned.
SOSWE has, so far, successfully published ‘Hornbill Flavours: To know Sarawak is to love Sarawak’ in 2008, and 10 years later, in 2018, ‘Miri then and now’.
Through this platform, some of the members have already published their own books.
They are Dr Faizul Mansoor on ‘A Community Doctor in Miri’, Jennie Soh on ‘Frolic Fantasy versus Facts of Life’ and ‘Memoirs of Z Special Unit in Bario’, and Dr Loh Yunn Hua on ‘Women and Tea bags’.
Karambir, the new president, and his exco look forward to organising enriching workshops, literary events and initiatives that celebrate the power of the written word.
He acknowledges the great efforts of all past presidents and committee members.
He hopes SOSWE will continue to inspire and connect writers from all walks of life.
For further inquiries, the president Karambir Singh can be contacted at 0168785500 or the secretary at 0168883679.
