16 Aug2026

Fa’alogo Mai!

By TalaSamoa August 16, 2026

Are you an audiobook listener? We are excited to announce that audiobooks are coming to Tala Samoa. Starting with children’s books and then expanding to poetry and novels, audiobooks are a vital way to make our stories more accessible and available to a much wider audience. We started this week with founder Lani Young’s children’s book HALU BONGO. Working with Wayfarer Studio Productions was an amazing learning experience, with Lani able to narrate her own book in both English and Samoan. We can’t wait for you to hear the final product. This is going to be a great resource for use in the classroom and also for parents wanting to encourage their children’s confidence and enjoyment of our Gagana Samoa.

The next step is to help connect Tala Samoa authors with audiobook production experts and share the pathways they can use to make audio versions of their books. Just like with all the books and paintings that we promote here on Tala Samoa, we discourage the use of AI to create art and this applies to audiobooks. Part of our mission is to help support Samoan and Pasifika artists with pathways for earning an income with their art and that goes for audio/music producers too. While we know there are AI tools for quick and cheap conversion, it’s important to us that we use human narrators and creatives from Oceania to read and produce our audiobooks, especially for the bilingual stories on Tala Samoa. And an AI voice can’t adequately capture the pronunciation of our Gagana or convey our stories with the heart and soul that make them so unique.

Narrating an audiobook takes a LOT of hours, a LOT of reading and then a LOT of editing and fixing up the final audio file. Which is why we will tackle the children’s books first! As we look to the novels next, tell us what novel by a Samoan author do YOU most want the audiobook for?

09 Jul2026

Tala Samoa

Today I am happy to share that my book AFAKASI WOMAN is now available in paperback print format from our Tala Samoa store

By TalaSamoa July 9, 2026

Today I am happy to share that my book AFAKASI WOMAN is now available in paperback print format from our Tala Samoa store. I only recently got all my rights back for this book and it’s a huge relief to be able to be the #BigBoss of this collection.

I spent the last week working on the print layout and cover design, and marveling all over again at the stunning artwork of Nikki Mariner. It’s a real gift and privilege for me to be able to know an artist like Nikki who lives and creates right here in Samoa, and who is willing to let her paintings be used for a book cover. I love that this collection is 100% Samoan and #madeInSamoa, by Samoan women, right from all the words to the layout formatting, to the gorgeous cover art.

It’s been quite a journey getting here with this book. The fifteen stories were woven together over many years as I worked as a school teacher, raised our five children, then left teaching to be a fulltime stay-home mum and homeschooler, then moved into working as a sort-of ACEO for Young Steel – all while I blogged, wrote books and stories in my ‘spare time’.

I first put a bunch of my stories together back in 2010 to submit to the USP Press writing competition, organized out of Fiji. That first collection was called ‘Sleepless in Samoa’ which was the name of my blog, and it won the prize for Fiction. I then renamed it A REAL SAMOAN WOMAN, and published it in 2012 through Amazon as an ebook only. I never got around to making a paperback version or getting books printed. I was too busy writing more books and stories! In 2018 I signed a contract with a publisher in New Zealand, giving them, giving them the worldwide distribution print rights only, for the collection. I added a bunch more stories to it, titled it AFAKASI WOMAN, and asked my friend Nikki if we could use her painting ‘Paddle Me Tausi’ on the cover. The final product was beautiful. In 2019, the collection won a Storylines NZ Notable Book Award and it was shortlisted in the 2020 NZ Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction.

Ongoing challenges with the publisher though, meant that I really wanted all the rights to my books back. Thanks to assistance from great legal counsel, I am now back in charge of ALL the rights for ALL my books. It’s a good feeling. I learned a lot from the experience though, including that I will never sign a contract with a publisher ever again! It’s certainly helped re-spark my writing fire as I remember why it is that I loved writing books AND publishing them myself.

To celebrate AFAKASI WOMAN going out into the world (again), Tala Samoa is having a celebration sale. Now is the best time to grab a print paperback copy of the collection. Use the discount code FIAFIA at the Tala Samoa checkout – and get 10% off your purchase!

Get Afakasi Woman Paperback version with 10% discount on limited time only!

Featured

PRINT BOOKS

Afakasi Woman – Print Book, Paperback

Author: Lani Young

Highlights:

Only $18 USD (approx currency conversion). Postage included.

The joys, trials, tragedies, and the sensibilities of being a woman of Samoa are highlighted in this superb collection. Afakasi Woman is a collection of 15 short stories, written by 2018 Pacific Laureate Lani Wendt Young. Originally released as a digital collection that won the University of the South Pacific fiction prize, this revised edition includes previously unpublished stories.Each story is brimming with emotion, offering a unique, engrossing glimpse into the lives of women of the Pacific, as Wendt Young takes readers from tears of laughter to tears of sorrow from one story to the next.

A 2020 winner of a Notable Book Storylines Award and shortlisted in the 2020 New Zealand Book Awards (NZCYA).

T49.95

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18 Jan2026

Tala Samoa

Samoa Arts Fono to help empower local creative industry

By TalaSamoa January 18, 2026

Monday 19 January 2026
Apia, Sāmoa –

First of its kind, artists, creatives, researchers, business entrepreneurs, and policymakers across the Sāmoan archipelago and the Moana Pacific will gather for a three-day fono held on 4/5/6 March this year. Presented across Upolu Island, Sāmoa, the fono will discuss how the local creative industries can leverage their strengths to address local and regional challenges.

The Sāmoa Arts Fono, organized by the Talanoa Arts Forum (TAF) will serve as a vital platform for fostering collaboration and tackling critical issues within the local and regional arts sector. Participants will include a diverse array of stakeholders, such as artists, musicians, writers, poets, choreographers, heritage artists, curators, producers, researchers, scholars, museum officers, art educators, business entrepreneurs, and policymakers to name a few. Read more at Talanoa Arts Forum

07 Nov2025

Artist Spotlight

Artist Spotlight: Jasmine Koria

By TalaSamoa November 7, 2025

“You better be lightning.” That’s the mantra that drives poet Jasmine Koria — a writer who finds inspiration anywhere and everywhere: from airport lounges to quiet moments between meetings. In this Artist Spotlight, Jasmine shares how poetry became her lifelong art form, the spark that started it all at just 12 years old, and why she believes language has the power to move worlds — even from the stillness of a page.

Watch her story and feel the rhythm of her words. #ArtistSpotlight #JasmineKoria #PasifikaCreatives #PoetryInMotion #OceaniaVoices #IslandStories #CreativeJourney #YouBetterBeLightning

30 Oct2025

Author Spotlight

Author Spotlight! Audrey Brown Pereira

By TalaSamoa October 30, 2025

Audrey was born on the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Her Mum and Dad were factory workers, who raised her in South Auckland with her sisters. Adopted as a baby, her birth parents were students at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. A graduate of Auckland University and the National University of Samoa. She is the published poet of three poetry collections and contributor to several anthologies.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I don’t have a favourite place – I can write anywhere and often do. I like to write when I am alone with music around me.

Favorite writing snack?

Dark chocolate and coffee

Why poetry?

Why not!

A poem that had a big impact on you and why?

To be honest it was contemporary Pacific art that had the biggest impact on informing my poetry. Artists such as Fatu Feu’u and Lily Laita who I studied as a high school student at Epsom Girls Grammar. Their work. The colour. The patterns. Movement, expression and form!

Share about the first time you read poetry by a Pacific Islander.

I didn’t read any Pacific island poetry until I was at university. The first ones would have to be Alistair Teariki Campbell and Albert Wendt.

Favorite book when you were a teenager? why?

I grew up in New Zealand so for me it was Alex by Tessa Duder. Accessible. Easy to read. Alex as a character is strong and wilful. An individual who is not a conventional beauty, but nonetheless beautiful. I was never a swimmer, but as a reader I was swimming in those heats with Alex, cheering her on to win.

Your answer/advice to someone who says, ‘Poetry is too hard to understand’

Poetry comes in all forms, so find what suits you. I think of art and music as poetry. In multiple forms that can transcend words on the page.

Whats your writer dream goal?

Answer: So many!
To write more poetry as digital art in moving images with sound and voice that feature in art galleries and in the virtual world. To write a novel, a feature film and a book of poetry that are biographies of people I want to celebrate.

Buy Audrey’s a – wake – (e) nd ebook

Audrey Brown-Pereira

Vaivase Street,
Apia,
Samoa, Samoa
7634778

29 Apr2025

Tala Samoa

Tala Samoa: A Digital Marketplace Celebrating Samoan Art and Culture

By TalaSamoa April 29, 2025

In the heart of the Pacific, where tradition meets innovation, Tala Samoa emerges as a beacon for Samoan artists and cultural enthusiasts. This online platform is more than just a marketplace; it’s a vibrant community dedicated to showcasing and preserving the rich tapestry of Samoan heritage through digital art and literature.

Embracing Samoan Creativity

Tala Samoa offers a curated selection of digital artworks and eBooks that reflect the diverse narratives of Samoa. From surrealist collages to poignant literary works, the platform provides artists with a space to share their stories and visions with a global audience.

Featured Artist: Lani Wendt Young

One of the prominent contributors to Tala Samoa is Lani Wendt Young, whose works delve deep into Samoan experiences and folklore. Her eBooks, such as Pacific Tsunami Galu Afi and Mata Oti, offer readers a profound insight into the resilience and spirit of the Samoan people.

Supporting Local Artisans

By purchasing from Tala Samoa, customers directly support local artists and writers, ensuring that the cultural wealth of Samoa continues to thrive. The platform’s commitment to local talent not only empowers creators but also fosters a sense of community and shared identity.

Seamless Shopping Experience

Tala Samoa prioritizes user experience, offering secure payment options and 24/7 customer support. With a user-friendly interface, customers can easily navigate through various categories, including:

Artworks: Explore a range of digital art pieces that capture the essence of Samoan life and landscapes.
eBooks: Dive into stories that weave together tradition, history, and contemporary issues.

Join the Tala Samoa Community

Whether you’re a Samoan expatriate longing for a taste of home or an art aficionado eager to discover new perspectives, Tala Samoa welcomes you. By engaging with the platform, you become part of a movement that cherishes and promotes the unique cultural narratives of Samoa.

Explore, Support, and Celebrate Samoan Culture at Tala Samoa

Note: For more information on Samoan culture and traditions, visit the Samoa Tourism Authority.

Author Archives: TalaSamoa

Fa’alogo Mai!

Today I am happy to share that my book AFAKASI WOMAN is now available in paperback print format from our Tala Samoa store