'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)