# Borneo Literature Bureau

Borneo Literature Bureau (abbreviated BLB) (15 September 1958 to September 1977) was a government agency sponsored by the Crown Colony of Sarawak in local literature publishing and supporting the government release of documentation to indigenous people in Sarawak and Sabah. The bureau publishes principally in English, Iban, Chinese and Malay languages, followed by other indigenous languages.$^{:51}$

## History

Borneo Literature Bureau was set up by the colonial officials of Sarawak on 15 September 1958.$^{:2}$ BLB started books publications in 1960. In 1961, an Iban book named Rita Tujoh Malam authored by Anthony Richards was sold for 1,765 copies. A religious text named Jerita pasal Daniel was also published in the same year. In 1962, Benedict Sandin's Duabelas bengkah Mimpi Tuai Dayak-Iban was published, which recorded dreams from Iban chiefs that had historical significance. In 1964, Dilah Tanah, the first Iban novel, written by Andria Ejau was published.$^{:51}$ In 1968, Janang Ensiring published his poem named Ngelar Menoa Sarawak which showed great love for Sarawak and the five-year-old Malaysia.$^{:53}$
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.$^{:51}$ In 1970, BLB included the new objective of promoting the use of the Malay language.$^{:2}$ In 1972, BLB open a branch office in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.$^{:2}$ After the formation of Malaysia, BLB magazines included stories and pictures from Peninsular Malaysia and created a section dedicated to the Malay language.$^{:5}$ BLB also organised literary competition every year.$^{:5}$

## Publications
### Books

From 1960, Borneo Literature Bureau (BLB) started systematic publishing and printing of literature books in Sarawak. Genres of books include folklore, short stories, poetry and novels. BLB published 577 books in various languages from 1960 to 1976. A total of 271 (58%) books were in English, 125 (30%) books in Iban language, 99 (15%) books in Chinese, 53 (8%) books in Malay, and 29 books in other languages.$^{:99}$
Publications of books according to languages from 1960 to 1976$^{:99,100}$ :
| Year | English | Iban | Chinese | Malay | Others | Total |
| 1960 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 10 |
| 1961 | 15 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 37 |
| 1962 | 21 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 41 |
| 1963 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 38 |
| 1964 | 30 | 8 | 2 | 3 | - | 43 |
| 1965 | 20 | 14 | 4 | - | 1 | 39 |
| 1966 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 38 |
| 1967 | 34 | 26 | - | 6 | - | 66 |
| 1968 | 33 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 56 |
| 1969 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 29 |
| 1970 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 36 |
| 1971 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 31 |
| 1972 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 24 |
| 1973 | 6 | - | 6 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
| 1974 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | - | 14 |
| 1975 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 3 | - | 22 |
| 1976 | 9 | 5 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 38 |
| Total | 271 | 125 | 99 | 53 | 29 | 577 |

### Magazines

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 the Malay language as Perintis magazine (started in June 1970).$^{:2}$ 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.$^{:100}$ BLB magazines introduced local stories, cultures of different races, folk tales, historical figures, Borneo tropical rainforests, animals, and plants.$^{:5}$

## Closure and aftermath

BLB ceased operations after it was taken over by the Malaysian federal language body Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) in 1977.$^{:59}$
In 1990, Otto Steinmayer published a bibliography of BLB books in Iban and other Bornean languages which was compiled from catalogs and annual reports of BLB, books inspection in DBP Kuching branch, Sarawak Museum, University of Malaya, Kuching public library and private collections.

## Reception

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.