Borneo Literature Bureau

• Name — Borneo Literature Bureau • Formed — 15 September 1958 • Dissolved — c. 1977 • Superseding — Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) • Jurisdiction — Sarawak and Sabah • Headquarters — Kuching, Sarawak • Chief1 Name — Douglas Pearce (1959–1965) • Chief1 Position — Director • Chief2 Name — Leo Moggie (1966–1967) • Chief2 Position — Director • Chief3 Name — Edward Enggu (1967–1976) • Chief3 Position — Director • Agency Type — Encourage local authorship and local book trade

Borneo Literature Bureau was set up by the colonial officials of Sarawak on 15 September 1958. BLB headquarters in Kuching started construction in October 1960 and was completed in May 1962. The initial aims of the establishment of BLB were: to encourage local authorship, build up the local book trade, and assist the government departments in publishing technical, semi-technical, and instructional documents. BLB started to organise literature competition every year starting from 1960. After the formation of Malaysia, BLB magazines included stories and pictures from Peninsular Malaysia and created a section dedicated to the Malay language. In 1970, BLB included the new objective of promoting the use of the Malay language. In January 1972, BLB open a branch office at Jalan Maktab, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. By 1976, there were only four employees in the Kota Kinabalu office.

Mr Douglas Pearce was the first director of BLB from 1959 to 1965. He was succeeded by Mr Leo Moggie from 1966 to 1967. Mr Edward Enggu was the last director of BLB from 1967 to 1976. BLB had four departments, namely administration, publishing, production and distribution departments. PROD

BLB works as a publisher and book wholesaler. BLB sourced its materials from literature competitions, literary agents, and research. It also hires book authors, translators, and illustrators. Manuscripts are then sent to the printer. BLB also purchases books from other commercial publishers. Printed books are distributed through direct mail (to domestic or foreign markets), subscription sales, mobile showrooms, book clubs, retail booksellers, and school libraries.

BLB also published magazines in several languages such as English Dolphin magazine (started in July 1960), Chinese Dolphin magazine (started in November 1960), Iban Nendak magazine (started in April 1967), and in Malay language as Perintis magazine (started in June 1970). However, the Dolphin magazine catered to the general audience. Therefore, in 1974, the Pelita Pelajar magazine, which was a continuation of the Dolphin magazine, was established which catered specifically to children.In 1962, BLB sold 120,094 English magazines and 33,900 Chinese magazines. In 1970, the Perintis magazine sold 16,973 copies. In 1976, BLB sold 40,815 English magazines, 166,130 Chinese magazines, 18,086 Iban magazines and 74,149 Malay magazines. BLB magazines introduced local stories, cultures of different races, folk tales, historical figures, Borneo tropical rainforests, animals, and plants.

In 1960, the Sabah and Sarawak governments gave $140,000 and $28,000 to BLB marketing unit. In 1965, BLB publication fund received $115,000 from the Sarawak government. In 1966, BLB fully utilised the distribution fund in which Papua New Guinea order 1,000 books for each of the 13 titles of BLB books, totalling 13,000 books. This is the first and only large book order from a foreign country. In 1965, BLB received from The Asia Foundation, Sarawak and Sabah governments $140,000, $69,000 and $46,000 respectively, totalling $255,000 for its publication fund. Gross profit from book sales • Year — Total ($) • 1961 — 172,157.53 • 1962 — 116,611.17 • 1963 — 348,528.43 • 1964 — 128,209.03 • 1965 — 381,249.05 • 1966 — 400,262.29 • 1967 — 465,758.18 • 1968 — 315,733.78 • 1969 — 324,849.78 • 1970 — 321,045.63 • 1971 — 269,429.27 • 1972 — 314,034.43 • 1973 — 297,611.29 • 1974 — 311,799.72 • 1975 — 400,362.22 • 1976 — 337,499.89

In April 1972, the government of Sarawak invited the director-general of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), Tuan Haji Sujak bin Rahman to visit the BLB. Haji Sujak discussed with several officials during that visit for closer liaison between the two organisations. An arrangement was made for one of the BLB's Assistant Editorial Officers to be attached at the DBP in May 1972. On 18 October 1976, a delegation led by Federal Deputy Works Minister Abdullah Majid arrived in Kuching to sort out the combination of DBP and BLB. The final settlement was the total absorption of BLB properties and staff into DBP by "lock, stock, and barrel". BLB staff were given a choice to either join DBP or resign to look for a new job. Sarawak branch of DBP was formally established on 1 January 1977 and BLB ceased to exist after that.

In 1990, Otto Steinmayer published a bibliography of BLB books in Iban and other Bornean languages which was compiled from catalogues and annual reports of BLB, books inspection in DBP Kuching branch, Sarawak Museum, University of Malaya, Kuching public library and private collections. Since 2022, several groups had called for the revival of BLB. In 2024, Abang Haliman Haji Abang Julai, the director of the Sarawak branch of DBP stated that the implicit motive of colonists to set up BLB remained a mystery and requires further research.

The following is established of the heading itself. The record continues: borneo Literature Bureau is associated with Malaysia. It is also recorded that borneo Literature Bureau is recorded from 1958.