Sia Figiel
Encyclopedia
Sia Figiel is a contemporary Samoan
novelist, poet
, and painter
.
Sia Figiel grew up amidst the traditional Samoan singing and poetry which heavily influenced her writing. Her formal schooling was conducted in Samoa and New Zealand
where she also began a BA which was completed at Whitworth College (United States
). She has travelled in Europe and completed writers' residencies at the University of the South Pacific
, Suva
, and University of Technology, Sydney
.
Sia Figiel's poetry has won the Polynesian Literary Competition in 1994 and Where We Once Belonged was awarded the 1997 Commonwealth Writers' Prize
for fiction, South East Asia/South Pacific region. Her work has been translated into French, German, Catalan, Danish, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and Portuguese.
Poetry & Stories
Anthologies
Samoans
The Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group of the Samoan Islands, sharing genetics, language, history and culture. Due to colonialism, the home islands are politically and geographically divided between the country of Samoa, official name Independent State of Samoa ; and American Samoa, an...
novelist, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
Sia Figiel grew up amidst the traditional Samoan singing and poetry which heavily influenced her writing. Her formal schooling was conducted in Samoa and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
where she also began a BA which was completed at Whitworth College (United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). She has travelled in Europe and completed writers' residencies at the University of the South Pacific
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
, Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, and University of Technology, Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...
.
Sia Figiel's poetry has won the Polynesian Literary Competition in 1994 and Where We Once Belonged was awarded the 1997 Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
for fiction, South East Asia/South Pacific region. Her work has been translated into French, German, Catalan, Danish, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and Portuguese.
Works
Novels- Where We Once Belonged (New Zealand: Pasifika, 1996) ISBN 0908597274 Review
- They Who do not Grieve (1999) ISBN 1740510100; Kaya Press, 2003, ISBN 9781885030337
Poetry & Stories
- The Girl in the Moon Circle (1996) ISBN 2742723722
- To a Young Artist in Contemplation, Pacific Writing Forum, USP, 1998, ISBN 9789823660059 Excerpt
Anthologies
External links
- A Conversation with Sia Figiel at Frigatezine
- Between the steel bars poem at nzepc
- They Who do not Grieve recording of excerpt
- Songs of the fat brown woman poem
- A Garland of Exile and Belonging Time Pacific
- Bibliography to 2002
- Sia Figiel profile at The South Project