National writing competition celebrates Vanuatu’s diverse cultures and identities

Jul 28, 2025 | Sot Sot Storian, News | 0

Culture and identity are an important theme for 2025. TAFEA Province’s hosting of the 10^thNational Arts and Cultural Festival next month and the second annual Sot Sot Storian micro-fiction writing competition highlight the continuing national attention to this theme after 45 years of independence.

“We received almost 80 submissions on themes of cultural continuity, diversity and identity,” says judge Rebecca Olul-Hossen, one of the co-founders of the annual national community-led writing competition that began in 2024.

“Changing cultures, whether through food, dress or values, were a big topic in the stories submitted,” another judge Ketty Dan Napwatt says, “Many were candid about the identity puzzle that Vanuatu finds herself in: we are a multi-cultural nation, yet we often struggle to adequately embrace the diversity that makes our country so special – discrimination is still prevalent.”

The Judges congratulated the many education institutions across Vanuatu that actively participated in the open competition: Lenakel Presbyterian College, Pikinini Playtime & Vanua Leadership Academy, Lycée Louis Antoine de Bougainville (LAB), Lycée français le Clezio, Port Vila International School, Luganville International School and National University of Vanuatu.

The multi-lingual competition, which encouraged written submissions in any of Vanuatu’s three official languages and vernacular languages, is organised by a volunteer-driven partnership between the Nabanga Pikinini (which comprises the members of the Haus Storian Vanuatu writing collective), Melanesian Women Today, Alliance Francaise and Sista Vanuatu. The competition recorded a national first in receiving several submissions in sign language this year.

“Several of the submissions shared stories about being marginalised because the colour of their skin, or their language was different,” says Catherine Lessa, the third of the four Sot Sot Storian judges alongside Christelle Thieffry who aided the judging of francophone entries. “Being open to include everyone who lives in Vanuatu, including all kinds of languages used here, as well as sign language, allows for wide expression of the different experiences of culture and identity in our country.”

Open expression of lived experience is a core tenet of literature, as Lessa and her late aunty, the renowned poet Mildred Sope, often discussed. The Sot Sot Storian prizes are sponsored by the International Women’s Day Mildred Sope award for Creative Storytelling. The inaugural 2024 winner and competition co-founder Anna Naupa donated the award funds to Sot Sot Storian prizes in its first year (2024), a practice that Mrs. Olul-Hossen has generously continued as the recipient of the award in 2025. “We believe in nurturing Vanuatu writing to provide avenues for public expression and creativity, and to document our experiences,” Ms Naupa and Mrs. Olul-Hossen say.

The Youth and Open category winners of 2025 were announced on 25 July 2025, as part of the 45^thIndependence Anniversary celebrations.

Youth winners are:

My Name, by Vepaiamele Grace Trief (First)
Lina’s Luganville by Noah Westra (Second)
Chinese Life by Taylor Yao (Third).

Youth High Commendations (in partnership with Alliance Française de Port-Vila, Leina Isno, Nabanga Pikinini and Sista! Stanap Strong): Mislin Wari, Lorenzo Lawac, Annaline Donald, Orihane Laloyer, Pascal Harry, Eltrisha Regenvanu.

Open winners are:

The Earth Held the Silence by Jennifer Nakou (First)
‘My Land, My Life’ by Jeliana Terangi Kalsrap (Second)
Melteto le batteur du nasara par Magalie Namol (Third).

Open High Commendations (in partnership with Melanesian Women Today, Alliance Française de Port-Vila, Baka Bina, Nabanga Pikinini and Sista! Stanap Strong): Talula-Fay Taribakeo, Donna Henry, Sarah Mecartney, Tracy Uvoi Namel, Marik Gardais, Eduard Tara, Cloe Ruth Tate, Rex Neribo, Trilby Hunter, Janessa Amos and Espellin Tom Banga.

Winners will have their stories published in the New Zealand-based Flash Frontier magazine. Winning stories and special mention poems will also be shared via the Sista website. The inaugural online Melanesian Women Today Kalja magazine will also feature several of the highly commended entries.

The competition is supported by a volunteer-run partnership between Nabanga Pikinini, Alliance Française de Port-Vila, Melanesian Women Today, Sista and the Vanuatu Writers Collective which includes writers from the highly regarded Sista, Stanap Strong! anthology and Taf Tumas children’s books.

SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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