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Four authors selected for the exclusive writing residency in Polynesia!
In 2025, four authors have been selected for the prestigious writing residency in French Polynesia to promote their projects.
Four authors selected for the exclusive writing residency in Polynesia!
The South Pacific Islands literary world has heated up in recent days as the results for the 2025 residence d’écriture (writing residency) have been announced. The Association of Editors of Tahiti and Islands announced that the program will now host not just three, but four selected authors due to additional support. They are supposed to advance their literary projects during their two-month stay in Polynesia.
This year's winners are a colorful mix of international talents:
- Wardley D. Barry-Igivisa: Ein Poét aus Papua-Neuguinea, der bereits mit seinem Buch “ABC Dreams” Anerkennung gefunden hat.
- Nilima Rao: Eine Australierin mit indo-fijianischen Wurzeln, die leidenschaftlich den Straßen Melbournes nach Geschichten nachspürt.
- Briar Grace Smith: Die neuseeländische Autorin, die mit ihren Theaterstücken und Filmen zahlreiche Auszeichnungen erhalten hat, ist zudem 2019 zur Officier de l’Ordre du mérite ernannt worden.
- Célestine Hitiura Vaite: Eine bekannte Stimme in der polynesischen Literatur, die die Bestseller-Trilogie “L’Arbre à pain” verfasste und leidenschaftlich Jüngere im Pazifik unterrichtet.
Importance of writing residency
This initiative, which has been supported by the AETI for 25 years, is not only a shelter for creative minds, but also a place for intellectual exchange between authors and readers. Staying in a guesthouse allows writers to concentrate fully on their works while at the same time entering into dialogue with the local population. The exchange with students and encounters with the locals during the stay are central points in strengthening literary life in the region. The program also offers workshops and cultural projects designed to give students insight into the world of literature, such as lireenpolynesie.fr reported.
The selection of laureates was anything but easy, especially as 18 applications were received from various Pacific countries. The selection committee, which included the renowned writers Chantal Spitz and Paul Léandri, is very satisfied with the selected authors. The residency will take place in fall 2025, from September to December, and ends with a meet & greet at the Salon du livre de Tahiti, October 16-19 - an event not to be missed.
Literary life in Polynesia
The importance of this residence for literary creation in Polynesia and Oceania cannot be overemphasized. The exchange between the authors themselves and with the audience is crucial to stimulate literary life and promote a reading culture. The collaboration with partners, including the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Haut-Commissariat, is no coincidence and ensures that cultural diversity and creativity continue to flourish in the region.
Overall, the 2025 writing residency seems to be an exciting chapter for literature in the Pacific. It remains to be seen what inspiring works will emerge from this period.