By Christine T
KUCHING, Oct 17: Miri must look beyond its oil and gas industry and build a stronger literary and creative culture if it is to become a UNESCO City of Literature by 2027, says Dato Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak said Miri has a wealth of stories, from the ancient heritage of Niah Caves to the diverse oral traditions of its indigenous communities, that could form the foundation of a thriving literary scene.
“By sharing these tales through print and digital platforms and treating our streets and traditions as living storybooks brought to life by local storytellers, becoming a UNESCO City of Literature is well within our reach,” he said during the Sarawak Folklore Writing Competition Awards Ceremony organised by DayakDaily at Imperial Hotel here today.
Citing Edinburgh in Scotland, the first city to be designated a UNESCO City of Literature, Abdul Karim said its publishing industry, print culture, and local folklore had helped establish its international literary reputation.
He said Miri could draw on its own cultural heritage and homegrown talent, including Sarawakian authors such as Kuching-born Nadia Mikail, the first Malaysian to win the United Kingdom’s Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2023, and Sibu-born Golda Mowe, known for bringing Dayak folklore into English fantasy fiction.
“Because of our vibrant traditions and multi-ethnic folklore, Sarawak has a rock-solid foundation for a blossoming culture of storytelling,” he said.
Abdul Karim also identified Miri’s ‘kopitiam’ (coffee shop) and cafe culture as potential spaces for literary discussions and exchanges, supported by institutions such as Curtin University Malaysia and Pustaka Negeri Sarawak.
To strengthen the city’s literary ecosystem, he proposed establishing a dedicated digital and physical repository for Northern Sarawak’s indigenous oral histories and modern literature, with universities, civic societies, and cultural institutions working together to preserve and promote these works.
He said his ministry was ready to support the development of Sarawak’s literary scene, citing its role in facilitating the production of the folklore book.
Abdul Karim stressed that Miri’s ambition would require collective effort from writers, institutions, and communities throughout Sarawak.
“Yes, we may be in Kuching today, but Miri’s dream is not a fight of its own. Sarawakians across the State will lend their support,” he said.
DayakDaily and Pertubuhan Wartawan Bebas Kuching (Pewarta) also expressed their full support for Miri’s bid to become a UNESCO City of Literature, pledging to help promote Sarawak’s literary talent and bring its rich cultural heritage to a wider audience. —DayakDaily
