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Francophone Writing from the South Pacific

Picture of Moorea's mountains and sea.

Photo by Vilallonga, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

This collection includes prose and poetry by writers from French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and New Zealand.

A picture of Moorea's mountains and sea.

Photo from Pickpic

The Flip Side of the Postcard: Francophone Pacific Writing

By Jean Anderson

In this introduction to our collection of writing from the Francophone Pacific, Jean Anderson advocates for a view of the region that encompasses both its linguistic diversity and its interconnectedness.

A canoe sits in a bay in French Polynesia.

Nico Smit, via Unsplash

The Lagoon of Languages

By Flora Aurima Devatine

Combining poetry and critical theory, esteemed Tahitian poet Flora Aurima Devatine creatively navigates the symbolic relationship between water and language.

Translated from French by Jean Anderson

A merry-go-round spins in the darkness.

I Shall Live in the Night

By Olivia Duchesne

In this monologue from New Caledonian playwright Olivia Duchesne’s I Shall Live in the Night a man’s release from prison spurs reflections on a violent family conflict.

Translated from French by Siân Robyns