Pitcairn, the UK's smallest territory revitalises its Miscellany
The Pitcairn Miscellany began publication in April 1959 and with few interruptions has been published monthly since its first issue.
Jacqui Christian, Pitcairn Island native, new Editor of the Pitcairn Miscellany
Its precursors include the Monthly Pitcairnian (1892) and Pitcairn Pilhi (1956). The Pitcairn Miscellany (TPM) could be described as a contemporaneous account and chronicle of life on one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world.
Coupled with Pitcairn’s Bounty heritage TPM has provided readers with a unique insight to the culture and ways of life of Pitkerners. As an archival record, TPM has been used by academics, historians, writers, newspapers, government organizations and NGOs, documentary and film-makers, and web-based media. Such repositories are valuable not only to researchers but also help preserve Pitcairn’s cultural capital through a form of oral history. Thus, TPM has socio-cultural value to community members and the wider Pitcairn Diaspora.
As of December 2012 the future of TPM was reviewed by the Pitcairn Island Council. In March 2013, a native of Pitcairn Island, Jacqui Christian, was appointed the editor instead of annexing the role to that of the expatriate school teacher. Ms Christian hopes to build the publication readership up once more from its current 248 subscribers to the 2000+ subscribers it had in the past with the objective of using this historical asset to produce revenue for the Pitcairn government. Pitcairn currently receives budgetary aid from the UK as a result of declining demand for stamp and coin sales and increased operating costs for the island.
The Pitcairn Miscellany annual subscriptions can be purchased via the website: www.miscellany.pn for just $15 USD. The web site is updated every month with the latest issue keeping readers up to date with current affairs and life on Pitcairn Island, the UK’s smallest overseas territory.