Bishop Museum, located in Honolulu, Hawaii will be the sight of French Polynesia's first english language anthology. Featured at this event will be the official release of the anthology "Varua Tupu". Edited by Frank Stewart, Kareva Mateata-allain, and Alexander Dale Mawyer, this work showcases the cultural arts of French Polynesia.
A delegation, led by French Polynesia Culture Minister Tauhiti Nena will offer presentations on October 3rd at Native Books. A conference at the University of Hawaii and visits to Pacific Island literature classes at the University of the Pacific are also scheduled.
Varua Tupu is Tahitian for "The Spirit of the Ancient Ones" represents "a new writing from French Polynesia". Included are art works by such artists as Michel Chansin, the late Bobby Holcomb, Michel Ko, Claire Leimbach and Marie-Hélène Villierme. Writers contributing works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and memoirs were University of French Polynesia President Louise Peltzer, Flora Devatine, Taaria Walker, Rai a Mai, the late Henry Hiro, Patrick Araia Amaru, Bruno Saura, John Lind, Célestine Hitiura Vaite, Titaua Peu and Kareva Mateata-Allain.
French Polynesia President Oscar Temaru has written a preface for Varua Tupu, which he considers "a welcome sign that the obstacles dividing Tahiti from the rest of Pasifika are rapidly being overcome. Even the barrier of language no longer need divide us from one another. We all belong to the Pacific, as brothers, sisters and cousins, and it is significant that we are able to travel freely across the reef, physically and through the imaginations of our artists, and get to know one another again.
"For the first time, the voices of the Polynesian people can be heard in English, and the faces and the way of life in ours islands have been expressed in an artistic way. We wish that projects such as this one will strengthen the friendship that already exists between the islanders and bring us closer together."
More info at Tahiti Presse
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