Kiuj Semas Plorante

Due to changes in my personal circumstances I may soon be unable to produce any more articles for the Esperanto Topic. If anyone reading this would like to take over from me as Contributing Editor, I would be grateful if they could get in touch so that we can begin to consider how to effect a changeover if necessary. Thank you.

I would also welcome offers from anyone who would like to write, either wholly or in part, an article about something or somebody related to Esperanto. _________________________________________________________

In this Topic article, I want to draw together some loose threads which relate to matters raised during the previous two topics and the discussions to which they gave rise.

Rik Dalton let us know the title of his favourite Esperanto novel and requested some more information about the authors and the prize it received. So let's deal with those questions first and, as you will see, other bits of interesting information will pop up during my protracted answer.

In 1980, my association with Esperanto was still on hold. (I had a "MALgranda silento" between 1974 and 1983 although I didn't "do a Kabe." See: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/1146... But, from what I can gather, it appears that the decade of the 80's began with a surge of activity intended to ensure that when the 100th anniversary of Esperanto came along in 1987, various plans, intended to present Esperanto to the rest of the world in the best possible light, would have come to fruition.

Part of the planning related to cultural activity and the theme of the 66th UK (International Conference) which took place in Brazil in 1981, was "Kulturoj kaj lingvoj: pontoj kaj baroj." A special book on the subject was projected to appear in the series Esperanto-dokumentoj. And the international association (UEA) and many national associations planned major publications to be ready by 1987. (In Australia, for example, several people slaved away like First Fleet convicts to produce La Australia Antologio.

Every year, since I don't know when, UEA awards prizes in what is known as "La Belarta Konkurso." Contestants submit works in various categories...prose, poetry, drama and so on...and, provided that there are entries of sufficient merit, prizes are awarded to the best entries in each class.

Because my file of Esperanto does nor not go back beyond 1982, I can't be wholly sure, but I think that in 1980 a special prize...the Raymond Schwartz prize...was offered as a one-time event to the author(s) of the best original Esperanto novel. I don't think it was ever offered again because if it had been my friend and samlandano, Trevor Steele, should have won it for his long and widely acclaimed novel Sed Nur Fragmento. (Selling for only $25.00 in Australia).

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