By Naw Liang (London, United Kingdom)
Mai soong kha.
Summer is in full swing and, for the first time in months, I am back into my Shan research, renewed by the sunny weather and slower work schedule. Most of all, I am loving the long, bright nights that make reading - done in the back garden overlooking green hills - that much more enjoyable. A cold beer or glass of wine also helps.
I've been eager to write more about Shan literature - what is available online and, limited by my poor Shan language skills, in English - especially folklore, myths and legends. Then, a few weeks back, a Shan friend passed along a wonderful tidbit of information. It was so good it is only right to share it with the rest of you. Enjoy.
The Gutenberg Project: Uploading Shan folklore online for free and for all
The Gutenberg Project, the first and largest collection of free electronic books (ebooks) online (mainly for books whose copyright has expired), has recently expanded its catalogue to include a number of specialty texts. One such book will be of keen interest to All about Shan Studies and other Shan enthusiasts - William C. Grigg's "Shan Folk Lore Stories from the Hill and Water Country" (1902) (also see here, though Amazon.co.uk should be informed of the spelling mistake in the title - Lore not Lord). This author has yet to look through the book (whichever title), but the fact that the Gutenberg Project has now posted the entire book online, I have no excuse, but to dig in and learn. I hope that each of you will also, at the very least, give this text a glance and let us know what you think whenever.
While the free online offering is sure to have many supporters (who can complain about free?), it also highlights recent debate - led by corporate actions by Google from 2008 onwards - on copyright laws, gaps in international legal systems concerning the internet and the rights of authors before, in the process of and after literature is uploaded to the internet. An fledgling author myself, I sympathise with both sides: while having your work read is not only critical, but very complex and ultimately satisfying, the fundamental desire to retain rights to one's literature cannot be ignored. And, while I am sure that Mr. Grigg's would have appreciated the publicity, I also know that he would have liked to receive something in return for his hardwork to put the book together. This is certainly a complex issue that will, with the increasingly use and spread of portable readers, will only grow over time.
For now, however, we should count ourselves lucky to not only be given a free peek, but the ability to download and own - albeit only digitally - a copy of Grigg's text to enjoy again and again. I wonder ho you say "Happy reading" in Shan? Any suggestions?
Jom lii kha,
Naw Liang
