Born on a remote island to a migrant Chinese father and an indigenous mother, Sir Julius Chan overcame poverty, discrimination and family tragedy to become one of Papua New Guinea’s longest-serving and most influential politicians.

His 50-year career, including two terms as Prime Minister, spans a crucial period of the country’s history, particularly its coming of age from an Australian colony to a leading democratic nation in the South Pacific.

Playing the Game is an important autobiography by one of most prominent and influential founding fathers of modern Papua New Guinea. The book provides a nuanced account of the complex cultural milieu that informed Sir Julius’s early life and the impulses that lead him into politics. Sir Julius gives us rare insight into the individuals and influences that shaped his sometimes controversial decisions as a leader and also offers his passing reflections on life after politics and his enduring vision for the nation.

This book launch was presented by the Development Policy Centre at Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University, in partnership with The Pacific Institute and The State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program, ANU College of Asia & the Pacific.

Playing the Game is published by University of Queensland Press.