2001 NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER
FREEDOM BOOK OF THE MONTH
JG has been selected the September Book of the Month by Free-Market.Net of the Henry Hazlitt Foundation. According to Thomas L. Knapp:
“Every month we award the Freedom Book of the Month to one work of fiction or non-fiction that we judge to be the most valuable, interesting new contribution to the literature of liberty…
“The average reader is simply not going to wade through ‘Human Action,’ at least without first being provided with a good reason to do so. There exists a great need for books that introduce the basic concepts of capitalism in a friendly, unthreatening, but logical manner. ‘The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible’ is such a book, and it has the virtue of being an entertaining yarn as well…” I recommend their website for more of a superb review: http://www.free-market.net/features/bookofthemonth/schoolland.html
NEW JG WEBSITE
Jonathan Gullible now has his own spectacular website, covering virtually everything on the project–past, present, and future: http://jonathangullible.com/ . You can find links for ordering copies in all 23 existing languages or you can find the latest news about more than 20 new language projects. Those affiliated with the various existing or current projects are invited to contact our miracle performer, WebMistress@Fornits.com (Ginger Warbis), to request links to other relevant sites or to arrange for presentation of sales information.
KOREAN EDITION GOES TO PRESS
Progress in Korea has been truly amazing due to the efforts of a wonderful young woman, K-mee Jung. In September K-mee wrote a message that has really struck my heart:
“I’m done with my work and sent the Korean translation to my publisher (Moonwhamada Publishing Co.) in Korea. My publisher liked my work. I’m looking forward to working with you again, sometime soon. My publisher would definitely love the idea.
“Now, I’m flying with the great condor. In this book, I heard your voice. Sometimes it was a mischievous kid, and sometimes it was a grave old man. Finally, I feel your sorrow, pitiful heart, and love for the world and people. I can find my way like Jonathan. I hope a lot of Korean young men could find their vision and free way through this book. I am sure that your book will be a great present to my country’s people. Sincerely, K-mee from Saipan.”
FRENCH EDITION AWAITING PUBLISHER’S CONTRACT
The arduous task of preparing an outstanding translation of JG was accomplished by Louise Zizka. And we may now be nearing an end to the arduous task of finding a French publisher. While the search is not final, it looks promising. Louise commented:
“Through Xavier Collet, one of the young French Libertarians I met in Dax, I may have found a publisher for digital and printed versions of JG in French. It is an Internet outfit,…they would publish it digitally and in print…If this deal eventually goes through…I am working every day to update my translation, and it is almost as much work as the first time. I hope to be finished by the end of the year…I am really enjoying doing it again, particularly the new chapter about doctors.”
PIEDMONTESE TRANSLATION & COMICS EDITION IN ITALY
This summer I received an email from Mauro Tosco saying that he was already preparing a Piedmontese edition of JG for local consumption in Northern Italy. Comments Mauro:
“As for now, my translation of the old edition is in progress, and I know for sure that it will definitely be published. As you may know from my original message to ISIL, the ultimate goal is to have the book used as part of the reading material for the language courses of Piedmontese. These are ‘free’ courses which many schools offer to their students at the primary and junior high level. Starting this schoolyear, Piedmontese is also taught as a free subject in a few high schools.. I am quite confident that JG will be accepted, it is mostly (as always here in state-ridden Europe!) a matter of bureaucracy and time. And I must confess that having libertarian issues get spread by the Regional Government kind of amuses me…
“Another goal is to have more good-quality material in a minority language, but this is something more interesting to us linguists and minority-language activists than to libertarians….By the way, as you maybe know, work is in progress on an Italian cartoon version of JG (based upon the Italian translation), to be published by ‘Leonardo Facco’ (they also publish a libertarian magazine, ‘Enclave’).”
FIVE LANGUAGE EDITIONS PROPOSED IN SOUTH AFRICA
At the International Society for Individual Liberty this summer in France, I met several people who have offered to take JG into new lands via new languages. One who has done exhaustive research concerning the application of JG to the variety of language markets in South Africa is Jannette Eldridge. Says Jannette:
“What a brilliant book you have written! I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is so cleverly done. I especially liked all the subtle innuendoes…I am still tentatively processing my thoughts towards having it translated for you into some South African languages (we have 12 official languages – and the Canadians think they have problems!)…You’ve created such a clever book. The more I deal with it, the more I admire it. I advertised on our SA Libertarian e-group newsletter and have gotten the following response:
Terry Markham from the Free Market Foundation has offered their assistance.
Two others have offered publishing contacts
If we decide this is necessary for the market at which we are aiming, and in case I can’t find a publisher who will do the translations, then another Libertarian has offered to translate it into
1. Afrikaans and 2. Xhosa. 3. Zulu shouldn’t be too much of a problem as I live in Kwa-Zulu Natal, 4. Venda – I can probably get someone to do this as I grew up amongst them 5. South-African-colloquial-English / UK English (that’s five to seven to go!)”
PIDGIN ENGLISH EDITION PLANNED FOR NIGERIA
Also at the ISIL conference I met Agwu Amogu from Lagos, Nigeria. He is an amazing person who is the fountainhead of a rapidly expanding libertarian movement among young people in Nigeria. Concerning the publication of JG in Nigeria, Agwu wrote:
“I am already trying to translate it to PIDGIN ENGLISH. It is a corrupt form of the English language. We have over 250 languages here in Nigeria, but the major ones are Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo. I feel it is better if I start out with the language that is common to everyone here…pidgin English. I will keep you posted as I progress. As for publishers, I do not think it will be much problem as soon as the translation is ready.”
Agwu is very eager to receive book donations and a lap top computer, “no matter how old,” to help promote ideas on liberty and the free market through his organization: P.O. BOX 6535 SURULERE, LAGOS, NIGERIA, Fax 234 1 2665622, Phone 234 1 5834878., 5834998, email: amogu51@hotmail.com
P.O. BOX 6535 SURULERE, LAGOS, NIGERIA Fax 234 1 2665622 Phone 234 1 5834878 or 5834998
KISWAHILI & LOCAL ENGLISH SCOUTED FOR KENYA, UGANDA,
TANZANIA
Through the Reason Foundation representative in Hawaii, Cliff Slater, I was introduced to Shikuku James Shikwati, Director of IREN, the Inter Region Economic Network [IREN Kenya, www.irenkenya.org] of Nairobi, Kenya. We hit it off very nicely and he is in the process of contacting numerous translators and publishers with an impressive plan for editions in Kiswahili and localized English. James, one of the most energetic people I have ever come across, reported:
“Your book is expressing very serious concepts in a humorous way. I had to read the whole of it before leaving to meet a publishing friend at the university of Nairobi. ‘So what is the book all about?’ he asked I picked two stories about the arrested woman and the tax for tall people. The fellow was beside himself with laughter. He took me to his boss who sampled the book and asked about its content. I will keep you posted. A high school teacher commented, ‘Kenya has never seen such literature. Even George Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM cannot match it.’…
“The Kiswahili lecturer also mentioned something like the translated version should be made a must reader for Kiswahili students in the local universities. The high school commend should perhaps include the view that it should be a class reader…
“I took a copy to Book Villa a bookshop in the heart of the city. The manager called a few minutes ago saying people want to buy the book straight and is only one copy. She wants a hundred copies…I will use my own techniques to make sure that in two years two million copies are sold. My target.
“The last two weeks have had media stories petitioning legislators not to pass a bill that seemingly will muzzle the press and publishers. The church too added its voice. Plans are underway to ensure that publishers deposit their work to the Registrar of Societies for verification before being put to the public. Logically we know that means delay and another avenue for bribery. It will take years for new books to land in the market.
“At the moment, the censorship is so silent that what I see is actually self-censorship BUT for good reason. When the Thought Police decend they destroy all on their way. Magazines have gone under, radio and TV stations closed. Somehow the legal excuses will always come up. Bookshops have been taken to court and have had to pay millions for selling books talking about senior personalities. Newspapers have been stopped from serializing some books- powerful people always have means and ways.”
NEW ROMANIAN EDITION TO GO ON-LINE
Cris Comanescu has founded The Ludwig von Mises Institute of Romania and has established one of the finest centers of Austrian economics in Eastern Europe: http://www.misesromania.org/ver_engleza/index_e.htm We are also pleased to announce that one of the many book projects adopted by his Institute is the presentation of JG on line. First translated by Valentina Nicolaie, Cris has found another superb individual for updating to the current translation. Writes Cris:
“You’re very lucky, Ken. I got this guy to update JG for misesromania.org…He’s extremely well qualified, perfectly fluent in English, a doctoral canditate in political philosophy, libertarian, and very ISIL-compatible…you’ll like him more than you can expect. No kidding. His name is Sorin Cucerai.”
And from Sorin, one among many brilliant scholars who are gathering at Cris’ new free market institute:
“Abruptly speaking, I have only one word for you: congratulations! Your book is indeed a masterpiece in its own kind, and Jonathan – an unforgettable character…Why not post the Jonathan Gullible manifesto on JG website, asking people to subscribe to its statements? It would be like an international open letter in favor of individual liberty.”
BULGARIAN TRANSLATION UNDER CONSIDERATION BY PUBLISHER
Translation work on JG into Bulgarian has progressed steadily, with the early chapters being considered by a publisher, Iskra Petrova, who was introduced to us by Tomislav Krsmanovic. One very dedicated individual is responsible for this progress on the translation, Anelia Manova. She writes:
“I just received an e-mail from Iskra in Bulgaria. She writes me she has already recieved the first two chapters of the book, which she had asked me to send to her so she can have an idea of the style and quality of the Bulgarian translation.”
We are now hopeful that Iskra can make this book available for Bulgarians.
SOMALI, BENGALI, SRI LANKAN, MONGOLIAN, FINNISH, NORWEGIAN
I met several great friends at the ISIL conference in France and they have all assured me that other editions are in progress. Faisal Hassan stated that the Somali edition is coming soon. Barun Mitra indicates that there is still a plan for a Bengali edition in the near future. Fazal Kamaldeen expressed an interest in seeing an edition published in Sri Lankan.
D Khurelbataar from Mongolia also attended the ISIL conference, it was my first time to see him since my travels to Ulaan Bataar almost nine years ago. He passed JG along to his brother, the entrepreneur who introduced Nicolai Heering and me to the Mongolian countryside, and he replied, “Many people are interested in your book. It is being translated by Ms. Bolormaa. I will inform you after the translation is finished.”
A remarkable student at Hawaii Pacific University, and a very active member of Students in Free Enterprise, Siri Tulikoura, has offered to translate the book into her native language, Finnish. From Norway, Bent Johan Mosfjell and Linda Tjelta (the translator of the original edition of JG into Norwegian) have indicated that they may soon manage to publish the latest Norwegian edition of JG. This might be accomplished as a serialization as in Japan and Hong Kong.
STRIDES IN PHILIPPINE FREE MARKET EDUCATION
ISIL is surely the best network for people promoting free market projects around the world. From Vince Miller I received news of the great activities of Roman Dannug, Dean of the College of Economics, Finance and Politics at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. He has also indicated that JG may have a future in the Philippines:
“Sure, our economics and political science faculty and students would surely appreciate the book. In fact, I already shared and discussed the book with my core and junior faculty… initially as a possible required reading…I have some thoughts on how we can make copies available for everyone as I found out that local bookstores have no copies in their shelves…Please suggest if you already have standards/proposals in situations like us…you know, we have a foundation that can finance the local printing…or you may wish to just send copies and then the College will just sell them to the market here…please advise.”
Calixto Chikiamco is another person with whom I have long had correspondence with on the subject. As Chairman of the Foundation for Economic Freedom, Inc. located in Makati City, he has also indicated an interest in JG. This organization is dedicated to “pursuing fundamental reforms towards a freer market in the Philippines through advocacy.”
Hopefully, with the help of one or both of these two giants of free market activity, JG will find his way into the hands and minds of young people in the Philippines.
SPANISH: FIRST NATIONAL ESSAY CONTEST OF MEXICO
Edgar Pina has spearheaded the drive for the First National Essay Contest in Mexico. Thirty copies of both the Spanish and English editions of JG are in the process of being distributed to university and school libraries throughout Mexico in preparation for the ISIL conference that is scheduled next summer in Puerto Vallarta. Winning essayists on topics of liberty will be awarded scholarships for attendance at the conference. This will surely be an extraordinary activity to spark interest in free market ideas. This follows the pattern of the highly successful essay contests conducted by Tomislav Krsmanovic in Belgrade two years ago.
MONTENEGRAN, BOSNIAK, SLOVAKIAN, UKRAINIAN, RUSSIAN
Tomislav Krsmanovic surely must be acclaimed for the many editions he has been responsible for in the past: Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian, Slovenian, Gypsy, and Albanian. Despite extraordinary hardship and harassment, he is still working on new editions: Montenegran, Bosniak, Slovakian, and he has made important contacts in Bulgaria and the Ukraine.
Once again I have re-established contact with Dmitry Costygin and William Milonov, those responsible for the first Russian edition of JG. Dmitry can be reached through the JG website and William has indicated an interest in publishing a new edition of JG. Kenneth DeGraaf long ago provided an updated translation of JG in Russian, but we haven’t yet found a publisher or sponsors. I am also pursuing the possibility for a Russian edition in Belarus through Elena Rakova, Executive Director of the Institute of Privatization and Management in Minsk.
LITHUANIAN ENGLISH LIBERTY CAMP
Virgis & Ilona Daukas, Steve & Monika Browne, Vitas & Giedre Kvieskiene, Judith Hatton, Kevin Bjornson, John Clark, and so many others put together a fabulous English Liberty Camp this past summer. It was a terrific week in the woods at the coast of the Baltic Sea. But most of all, I’ll always remember the wonderful participants and the energy. I am very appreciative of the opportunity to use Jonathan Gullible in skits and discussions throughout the session. And then such a memorable bus trip across Poland and Germany to the ISIL conference in France. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Stephen and Monika are also doing their best to create potential young readers of JG–with the birth of their first baby. Congratulations!
CD AND E-PUBLICATION
Sieg Pedde of Phoenix Accrual Corporation has been developing a CD and e-publication of the English edition of the book. We hope to offer this on-line through our website when the updated version is completed.
SPECIAL THANKS
I am greatly indebted to the many individuals who have done much to promote JG projects globally. Several who come instantly to mind are Sam Slom, Susan Wells, Ralph Smeed, and Mel Aching. And for a fun reference to JG on the web, see Professor Glen Tenney’s website at: http://www.scs.unr.edu/~tenney/caltrail.htm
