New poetry anthology puts Pacific languages and stories centre stage

For many Pacific people, language is more than words. It is identity, memory and a connection to those who came before.

A new multilingual poetry anthology, The Ocean Remembers, is celebrating that connection by bringing together poems in Cook Islands Māori, Niuean, Sāmoan, Tongan, and Solomon Islands Pijin.

The book is one of the first major publications supported through Tala: Sharing Pacific Stories, an initiative that aims to encourage more Pacific people to write and publish in their own languages.

Launching the programme, Secretary for Pacific Peoples, Gerardine Clifford-Lidstone said investing in Pacific language literature was also an investment in culture.

“By investing in Pacific language literature, we’re helping to keep those connections strong and ensuring Pacific peoples can continue to share their stories in the languages of their ancestors,” she said.

Published by Mila's Books, the anthology features the work of 29 contributors with emerging writers receiving mentoring and support throughout the publishing process.

Dahlia Malaeulu, the founder of Mila’s Books, said the anthology shows Pacific storytellers that their voices belong in books and deserve to be heard.

“It's really about showing our Pacific storytellers, our community, our wider community, what's possible,” Malaeulu told Tofiga Fepulea'i on PMN's 531pi.

“It’s also the power our voices and stories have and that they really do matter, and the world needs them.”

Dahlia Malaeulu says The Ocean Remembers shows Pacific storytellers that their voices matter and encourages more writers to share stories in their own languages. Photo/writersfestival.co.nz

The collection explores themes including identity, family, migration, resilience, language and belonging, inviting readers to reflect on the stories carried across generations and the deep connection Pacific people have with the moana.

Among the featured writers is Tongan poet Sarah Afeaki Finau, who hopes readers will feel that connection through every poem.

“I hope that they can feel the mana in the words and in the stories that are being told within these mau,” she told Tofiga.

The Ocean Remembers brings together poetry in Cook Islands Māori, Niuean, Sāmoan, Tongan and Solomon Islands Pijin, celebrating Pacific languages, identity and storytelling across generations. Photo/Mila's Books

“We are tangata moana, and the tauhi vā [concept] that we hold for each other in Pacific peoples and our Pacific cultures must be maintained with the moana.”

The book includes work by Danika Thompson, Henrietta Makatogia, Dr Ramona Tiatia, Sandra Tisam, Jonjon Tolovae, Ziu Freshwater, Finau and Henry Taripo, alongside other Pacific writers.

Watch Dahlia Malaeulu, Dr Ramona Tiatia and Sarah Afeaki Finau's full interview with Tofiga Fepulea'i on Island Time below.

More than a collection of poems, The Ocean Remembers reflects a growing movement to ensure Pacific stories are told by Pasifika, in their languages, for future generations.

The paperback copy of The Ocean Remembers can be bought from Mila’s Books here: https://milasbooks.com/products/pre-order-the-ocean-remembers

Maeva Moelagi Becerra-Jackson is completing a journalism internship at PMN as part of her studies at Auckland University of Technology.