Brunei Literature
The Language and Literature Bureau is the country’s main ministry in charge of the promotion and development of literature and folklore. This office produces a series of textbooks in both English and Malay for use by students. The most popular form of traditional writing is a form of poetry called sajak. Although a handful of local authors have become well known in the literary world, Brunei is not very prolific. The nation’s most famous piece of traditional literature is the epic poem Sya’ir Awang Simawn, which tells the story of a cultural hero.
Brunei has, however, been the setting for a few modern novels by Western authors. Dan Brown’s novel Armageddon takes place mainly in Brunei and details a fictional attack on the nation by the group of Islamic fundamentalists. Another famous story featuring Brunei is Devil of a State by Anthony Burgess. In this novel, the building of the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin’s mosque in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan is a major theme.
