'Princess', 'Prince' for bookworms

'Princess', 'Prince' for bookworms

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian bookworms will soon have a "prince"
and a "princess".

The prince and princess will be selected by the Indonesian
Readers Society from among unmarried book lovers aged between 18
and 27 in a competition held from July 10 to Aug. 18.

The Society will crown Indonesia's first Prince and Princess
of Books '96 on Sept. 14.

The society's chairman Jimly Asshiddiqie said competitors will
be assessed for their general knowledge, self confidence,
communication talent and reading skills.

"Their physical attributes won't count," Jimly was quoted by
Antara as saying on Wednesday. The participants should also be
able to communicate in English or other foreign languages.

The prince and princess are expected to become exemplary
figures for book lovers, he added.

They must be Indonesian youths who love reading, are well-
versed on Indonesian culture and have extensive general
knowledge, he said.

Jimly, who is a Ministry of Education and Culture expert staff
member, said that the contest will be held in the provinces
before a showdown at the national level is staged.

Participants are required to send summaries of the last 20
books they read, mention the number of books in their collection,
how often they buy books, their library membership and family
background.

Jimly said that the books can be about religion, philosophy,
social sciences, natural sciences, language, literature, history,
biography, science and technology, the arts, recreation and
sports.

The association's coordinator on foreign cooperation, La Rose,
said that the winners will have the opportunity to visit the
International Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany.

In addition, the prince and princess will be involved in
national events related to books. (31)