Masalai Press is a small publisher of folklore and language books. If you have a book that you would like to have published, feel free to contact Masalai Press by e-mail). Masalai Press is especially interested in publishing books on Papua New Guinea. See also the Amazon Masalai Press Store.
One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights: Folktales Stories from Wantok Newspaper. Volume 2: Tales from 1986-1997, Indices,
Glossary, References, and Maps. Edited and translated by Thomas H. Slone. 613 pages, 8-1/4 by 11 inches, trade paper. List price: $44.95. ISBN 0-9714127-1-5.
One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights. Two-volume set. ISBN 0-9714127-2-3.
Feminist Folktales from India. By Qiron Adhikary (2003). Oakland, CA: Masalai Press, 97 pp., 6 by 9 inches, paper. List price $9.95. ISBN 0-9714127-3-1.
Prokem: An Analysis of a Jakartan Slang. By Thomas H. Slone (2003). Oakland, CA: Masalai Press, 95 pp., 5 by 8 inches, trade paper. List price $9.95. ISBN 0-9714127-5-8.
One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights is a two-volume collection of folktales that were published in Papua New Guinea’s Wantok newspaper. The folktales were originally published in Tok Pisin, the pidgin English language of Papua New Guinea. The two-volume collection presents the complete set of 1047 folktales that were originally published from 1972 through 1997 in Tok Pisin. This collection is one of the largest general collections of Papua New Guinean folktales; all of Papua New Guinea’s provinces are represented and approximately 35% of Papua New Guinea’s 700 language/culture groups are represented. The first voluem presents 500 folktales. The second volume presents the 497 folktales, indices, a glossary, references, a gazetteer and maps.
The folktales have been extensively indexed in the volumes and the indices are presented in this volume. Indices are given for author, village, original language (or culture group), province, flora and fauna, and folklore motif.
Look here for further information on this book, including the on-line indices.
Geoff P. Smith, author of Growing Up with Tok Pisin (2002): “Monumental”
Rundbrief (February 2002): “Zunächst einmal ist die riesige Arbeitsleistung bemerkenswert.” [First of all, this enormous work is remarkable.]
Swag of Yarns: Australia’s National Storytelling Magazine (Winter 2002): “A parcel of gold”, “This remarkable collection of ancestor stories from Papua New Guinea’s oral tradition is for serious collectors and lovers of oral stories-gold to the storyteller.” “Amazing”
Pacific Affairs, vol. 75(3), Fall 2002; Eric Kjellgren: “a welcome addition... the richness of the tales themselves shines through... an ultimately satisfying feast... remarkable breadth and diversity”
Ellen Daltrow, The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror: Fifteenth Annual Collection (2002), “an exhaustive collection”
Henry Berry, The Small Press Book Review, 2003, “Adhikary renders the tales in simple language with footnotes to explain locations, certain Indian objects and foods, and in some cases concepts or traditions helping the reader to fully appreciate a tale. The tales about women are intended by the author to present examples to Indian girls of woman who are capable, brave, smart, thoughtful, etc. as individuals, not seen primarily in terms of stereotypes of Asian or Indian women. The tales serve this purpose, but they are charming in their own right with the simplicity and directness of the author’s rendition of them.”
Your local book store should be able to special order it from the distributor, Ingram.
For libraries, bookstores and established institutions, a purchase order can be sent with prior arrangement. Please send email to Masalai Press for details.
