Samoan literature can be divided into oral (pre-colonial and post-colonial) and written literatures, in the Samoan language and in English or English translation, and is from the Samoa Islands of independent
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
and
American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internationa ...
, and Samoan writers in diaspora. Samoan as a written language emerged after 1830 when Tahitian and English missionaries from the London Missionary Society, working with Samoan chiefly orators, developed a Latin script based Samoan written language. Before this, there were ''logologo'' (tapa signs) and ''tatau'' (tattoo signs) but no phonetic written form.
Pre-colonial and post-colonial Samoan oral literature includes ''solo'' (poetic narratives), ''fa'alupega'' (genealogies), ''tala'' (histories and mythologies), ''fa'agogo'' (folk tales), ''pese'' (songs), and ''faleaitu'' theatre. Important solo were collected and published in Samoan and in translations by German scientist
Augustin Kraemer Augustin Friedrich Kraemer or Krämer (27 August 1865 – 11 November 1941) was a German naturalist and ethnographer. Kraemer was a navy surgeon who worked in the Polynesia in 1893–95 and 1897–99.
Research
Kraemer wrote the Palau sections o ...
working with
Tofā Sauni and other Samoan orator chiefs, and English missionary scientist
Thomas Powell from Tauanu'u of Manu'a, in the 19th century; and in the 20th century a major collection of fa'agogo or
Fagogo were recorded and published by New Zealand based ethnomusicologist
Richard M. Moyle from faagogo storytellers throughout the Samoa Islands. Other collections of traditional Samoan stories were published in the 20th century by
Teo Tuvale
Teo Tuvale (26 August 1855 – December 1919) was a notable Samoan historian who served terms as Chief Justice and Secretary to Government in Samoa during the era of colonialism.
Tuvale is the author of ''An account of Samoan History up to 1918' ...
,
Gatoloai Peseta Sio
Gatoloaifaana Peseta Siaosi Sio (15 July 1910 – 2 July 1990) was a Western Samoan chief, musician, writer and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1950 to 1951, and again from 1954 to 1957.
Biography
The son of ...
, Seiuli Le Tagaloatele Fitisemanu, and Daniel Pouesi.
The emergence of
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
n
written literature (as distinct from
oral literature) took place in the context of the development of indigenous
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
literature in the Pacific region as a whole, beginning in the late 1960s.
Albert Wendt's novel ''Sons for the Return Home'', in 1973, was one of the first novels published by a Pacific Islander. Wendt subsequently published
a number of novels, poems and plays—including ''Leaves of the Banyan Tree'' (1979) and ''The Songmaker’s Chair'' (2004)--and has become one of the South Pacific's best known writers. He was invested as a Companion of the
Order of New Zealand for his services to literature in 2001. In 1980, Wendt edited ''Lali'', the first anthology of South Pacific writing, which included works from fifty writers from the region.
The
South Pacific Arts Society, founded at the
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the go ...
in 1973, published Pacific Islander literature (poetry and short stories) in the magazine ''
Pacific Islands Monthly
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', commonly referred to as "PIM", was a magazine founded in 1930 in Sydney by New Zealand born journalist R.W. Robson.
Background
''Pacific Islands Monthly'' was started in Sydney in 1930. The first issue ran in August ...
''. In 1974, the Society founded the publishing house
Mana Publications, followed in 1976 by the art and literature journal ''
Mana
According to Melanesian and Polynesian mythology, ''mana'' is a supernatural force that permeates the universe. Anyone or anything can have ''mana''. They believed it to be a cultivation or possession of energy and power, rather than being ...
''. Samoan poets
Savea Sano Malifa, the founder of the award winning
Samoa Observer
The ''Samoa Observer'' is the largest newspaper group in Samoa published in both English and Samoan. The ''Samoa Observer'' is published Monday to Friday, the ''Weekend Observer'' on Saturdays and the ''Sunday Samoan'' on Sundays with all editi ...
newspaper, and artist
Momoe Malietoa Von Reiche, first published their works through the Society. Other notable Samoan writers of their generation include poets
Sapa'u Ruperake Petaia, and
Eti Sa'aga.
Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi was the prime minister of Samoa and later the head of state, and holds several royal chiefly titles of Samoa, but is also an important writer of Samoan culture and traditions, both in Samoan and English. His writing are widely read in the Samoan and Pacific Islander communities internationally in print and online.
Emma Kruse Va'ai, Pro Vice Chancellor at the
National University of Samoa
The National University of Samoa (''Lē Iunivesitē Aoao o Sāmoa'') is the only national university in Samoa. Established in 1984 by an act of parliament, it is coeducational and provides certificate, diploma, and undergraduate degree programs, as ...
is a poet and published writer. Dr
Sina Vaai is an established Professor of English Literature at National University of Samoa and a notable critic-writer, researcher, academician and published poet. Her published PhD research ''Literary Representations in Western Polynesia: Colonialism and Indigeneity'' (Samoa: National University, 1999) examines the postcolonial literature from Samoa, Tonga and Fiji; and there is a collection of her poems ''Lavoni Rains''.
Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard is another poet from
American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internationa ...
based at University of Hawaii, who made a study of faleaitu plays.
Novelist and poet
Sia Figiel
Sia Figiel (born 1967 Apia, Samoa) is an American contemporary Samoan novelist, poet, and painter.
Early life
Sia Figiel grew up amidst traditional Samoan singing and poetry, which heavily influenced her writing. Figiel's greatest influence a ...
ushered in a new era of Samoan literature in the 1990s. Figiel's novel ''Where We Once Belonged'' won the
Commonwealth Prize
Commonwealth Writers (established in 2011) is the cultural initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation. It aims to inspire, develop and connect writers across the Commonwealth. Its flagship is a literary award for short stories, the Commonwealth ...
for best first book for the Asia-Pacific region in 1997. Followed by ''Girl in the Moon Circle'', ''Portrait of a Young Artist in Contemplation'', and other novels and poetry collections. She influenced new generations of Samoan women writers including poets
Tusiata Avia
Donna Tusiata Avia (born 1966) is a New Zealand poet and children's author.
Background
Avia was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her father is Samoan and her mother is Palagi (New Zealand European). Avia graduated from the Univ ...
and
Selina Tusitala Marsh
Selina Tusitala Marsh (born 21 April 1971) is a New Zealand poet and academic, and was the New Zealand Poet Laureate for 2017–2019.
Early life
Marsh was born in 1971 in Auckland, New Zealand. Through her mother, Sailigi Tusitala, Marsh is o ...
, and novelist
Lani Wendt Young.
Dan Taulapapa McMullin is a fa'afafine or LGBT writer and artist from
American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internationa ...
based in New York, whose collection of poems ''Coconut Milk'' was on the American Library Association's 2013 Ten Best LGBT Books of the Year. Other Samoan LGBT writers include
Victor Rodger in Aotearoa-New Zealand,
Brian Fuata of Australia and London, and lesbian playwright
Kiana Rivera based in Hawaii. Non-binary writer
Jenny Bennett-Tuionetoa was the winner of the 2018 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for the Pacific Region.
Further reading
There have been few publications in the
Samoan language. This is a list of the important publications originally written in Samoan, and published in Samoan and other languages, including English. Most were published in
Apia
Apia () is the capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga.
...
, independent
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
, and from urban areas of Samoan diaspora, including Auckland and Suva. Publications include important
indigenous language historical and cultural texts, part of the
Polynesian language system, which is often subject to
Linguistic imperialism
Linguistic imperialism or language imperialism is occasionally defined as "the transfer of a dominant language to other people". This language "transfer" (or rather unilateral imposition) comes about because of imperialism. The transfer is consid ...
,
Language shift
Language shift, also known as language transfer or language replacement or language assimilation, is the process whereby a speech community shifts to a different language, usually over an extended period of time. Often, languages that are percei ...
, and
linguicide.
;In Samoan:
* 18__. ''O Pese ma Viiga i Le Atua.'' (Samoan Hymnal.) 496 pages. Malua Press. Apia, Samoa.
* 1884. ''O Le Tusi Paia. O Le Feagaiga Tuai ma Le Feagaiga Fou Lea. Ua Faasamoaina.'' (The Holy Bible in Samoan.) 1,182 pages. Republished 1985 by The Bible Society in the South Pacific. Suva, Fiji.
* 1989. ''Ia Fa'agaganaina Oe E Le Atua Fetalai!'' Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Taisi Tupuola
Tufuga Efi. 201 pages. Malua Printing Press. Apia, Samoa.
* 2002. O Si Manu a Ali'i. A Text for the Advanced Study of Samoan Language and Culture.'' 'Aumua Mata'itusi Simanu. 681 pages. Polokalame o le Gagana Sāmoa, Iunivesitē o Hawai'i Mānoa. University of Hawai'i Press/Pasifika Press. Honolulu, Hawai'i.
* 2007. ''O Le Su'ega Faalumaga i Tu ma Aga, Tala o le Vavau ma le Tala Faasolopito e Faamautūina ai le Filemu ma Pulega Lelei i Aiga, i Nuu, i Ekalesia.'' Teuteuina e le Komiti Faatonu o le Tuufaatasiga o le Tusi (Pacific Regional Interreligious Colloquium on Indigenous Cultural and Religious Concepts of Peace and Good Governance). 226 pages. Samoa Distance and Flexible Learning Centre, University of the South Pacific, Samoa Campus. Apia, Samoa.
* 2008. ''Talanoaga na Ioma ma Ga'opo'a.'' Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Taisi Tupuola
Tufuga Efi. 175 pages. Continuing and Community Education, University of the South Pacific, Alafua Campus. Apia, Samoa.
;In Samoan and English:
* 1906, 1953. ''Alaga'upu Fa'a Samoa: Samoan Proverbial Expressions.'' Collected, translated and explained by Dr. E. Schultz. Translated from German by Brother Herman. 140 pages. Pasifika Press. Auckland, New Zealand.
* 1966. ''Samoan Dictionary. Samoan-English. English-Samoan.'' G.B. Milner. 465 pages. Oxford University Press.
* 1976. ''Tala o le Vavau. Myths, Legends and Customs of Old Samoa.'' Adapted from the collections of C. Steubel, A. Kramer, & Brother Herman. Illustrated by Iosua Toafa. 195 pages. Pasifika Press. Auckland, New Zealand.
* 1981. ''Fāgogo: Fables from Samoa in Samoan and English.''
Richard M. Moyle, Editor. 314 pages. University of Auckland Press. Auckland, New Zealand.
* 1904, 1994. ''The Samoa Islands.'' Translated by Dr. Theodore Verhaaren, from the German of Dr.
Augustin Kraemer Augustin Friedrich Kraemer or Krämer (27 August 1865 – 11 November 1941) was a German naturalist and ethnographer. Kraemer was a navy surgeon who worked in the Polynesia in 1893–95 and 1897–99.
Research
Kraemer wrote the Palau sections o ...
. Vol.1:
"The Samoa Islands, Vol.1"
/ref> 707 pages. Vol.2: 530 pages. Pasifika Press. Auckland, New Zealand.
References
{{Samoa topics, state=collapsed
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...