GONDWANA Collection Namibia in cooperation with Nampost launched a book titled 'Stamps and Stories' on Monday evening.

The book contains 59 articles on Namibian postage stamps published by Namibian newspapers over the past year.

"Stamps tell of Namibia's history, its fauna and flora and its people. Namibia's postage stamps are without a doubt among the most beautiful in the world," said Mannie Goldberg, managing director of Gondwana Collection Namibia.

"This book is not an ordinary book. Written by several authors, this book combines past, present and future," he said.

Some of the stories are told from a different perspective to mainstream historical accounts, Goldberg said. One such is the story of German Lieutenant Kurt von Francois. Others include the 'White Lady' rock painting of the Brandberg, which was initially thought to be a female figure but has since been revealed to be a man.

"Every significant event in Namibia, before and after independence, has been commemorated with a stamp," said Festus Hangula, the managing director of Nampost.

Against this background, said Goldberg, it is obvious that the stories behind the postage stamps should be told and a partnership between Nampost and Gondwana seemed like the way forward for this purpose.