The Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association (MWJA) held a ceremony at the city hall here Sunday to pay respect to old-aged and doyen literati to mark the country's Sarsodaw Day (Poets' Day or Literati's Day)
Information Minister Brigadier-General Kyaw Hsan, leading the ministry's officials and younger literati, held the respect-paying ceremony, presenting 71 doyen literati aged over 80, with donations of 100,000 Kyats in cash and gifts each on behalf of the government and individual wellwishers.
The Poets' Day, which is falling on Monday, has been observed yearly since 1944, two years after the Myanmar Writers Association (MWA) was formed which was later re-established as MWJA in October 1989.
In their message and speech at the ceremony, MWJA Chairman U Hla Myaing and Representative of doyen literati Daw Kyan called on younger literati to make their efforts to contribute to the development of literature and create better works for the country and the people.
To encourage preservation and promotion of literacy and cultural heritage, Myanmar presents National Literacy Awards (NLA) to successful writers every year and in December 2005, Myanmar presented 59 national-level literacy awards for the year 2004 to winners
The awards included one life-long National Literary Award (NLA), 10 NLAs, 27 Sarpay Beikman (literature house) Manuscript Awards and 21 National Motto Literary and Photo Awards.
The NLA, the highest of its kind in the country, cover those in novels, short stories, poems, belles-letters, translation and literature.