Re-righting the iTaukei Narrative

Have you picked up a book written by Fijian, Pacific and international writers lately? Have you critiqued how they are depicting indigenous or other characters of other ethnic origins lately? How many fictional books are written by indigenous Fijian writers? Do you know our iTaukei fictional writers?

I read a line on Facebook the other day and it hit me like a thunderbolt. It was penned by one of our own home-grown talent but world-renowned short-story writer, Mary Rokonadravu who said that "Fiji severely lacks indigenous writers, indigenous voices in the literary landscape." The word severely did not fade at that instant, in fact, it was one of those cold sores that refuse to heal. I remembered in our postgraduate Literature classes how I would continue to sigh at the Nadi mountainous range in those Satendra Nandan-facilitated classes at Unifiji of how glaring this reality is compared to the other written stories by other ethnicities in Fiji.

I do know that a writer and facilitator like Mary Rokonadravu is a national gem, who is building a platform for exciting young writers, who are ready to ride on that wave which will transform the Fijian literary landscape with writings so we may be richer in hearing more voices of Fiji's people in both indigenous languages and dialects, and in English. She joins other established writers and there are a number from Fiji in carrying the mantle forward in the literary field. I too would very much like to be part of that wave of writers in writing, re-writing/re-righting our narrative for the 'others' as well as indigenous Fijians out there to read our very own stories.

"It takes stories to change the world, to change the narrative - by reclaiming intellectual independence that is needed to firm the ground for change in society"......Mary Rokonadravu

I was interested in writing for many reasons and like any writers out there started out as a 'bookworm' voraciously feeding on books in my childhood years, that were eclectic or random whichever came my way from my varied childhood setting till now. I was more interested on what is not talked about in our society and there are some subjects that are too sensitive in my iTaukei background that I would like to flash that literary torch in order to dialogue about it in a creative manner but always framed on a boundary of respect for our people. It is from this perspective that I wrote the short story, 'A Rose in Her Hand' which earned a place in a Guamanian anthology.

What is it about?

In that story I tried to 'speak the unspeakable' and share some of those silences that surround or affect a married couple. I was more interested in telling the story about this female character, who faced alienation and uncertainties in her life because she could not deliver what is expected of her as a Fijian woman. Why would I write on that subject? It interests me to write on that line and yes there were political stories I have written but for now, my interest is focused on the ordinary indigenous Fijian- what makes us tick?

Another story I wrote was based on a professional, who was perpetually broke because of his cultural affiliations and obligations set in Fiji, of course. This story could be you or me depending on how you relate to it. That piece also appeared in a Guamanian journal. There is something about Guam and I am incredibly appreciative to this nation as the first medium and place to publish some of my works.

A writer merely tells the story and it is his/her culture that the artist must use his/her art to examine it with sensitive eyes. The thing about writing is that too many a times, we are forced to view this ugliness of reality and look away and yes, no one wants to talk about it because it is taboo. It is what I call a euphemistic culture, where we look for words to accessorise or lessen the brutality of things or issues (in other words the harsh reality) that are happening herein lies the responsibility of the writer- to examine traditions critically and leave it to the reader to decide.

"To see yourself in books is to see yourself in a future" -Will Walton

The other piece centres on my other passion for indigenous themes titled 'Indigenise me,' a poem that I shared a lot in some of my blogs. I felt it deserved a worthy place in a publication in book form, which is why I sent it to be considered too.This is not the first time some of my creative pieces have been considered as I sent some to the Samoan Tusitala competitions, who also accepted them in their publications for 2015 as well as the 2017 competition and for that I am humbled that my writings resonated with them too on a literary level. Though it has been published, I intend to revise it for my upcoming collection of literary writings, cut off excess fats, work on a tight script as well as double check on those foxes that come prey in our backyard- the grammar errors that slips in unannounced, yuck!

I love to complete a short story in one sitting when I am inspired and it might take one to several hours to write a complete plot for the first draft. I take longer on weeks or months to refine the plot and somehow get the voice right in what I envisioned it initially. This process may be varied and can take months to even pen a story, I am a bit overwhelmed now with work so creativity takes a back burner for a while.

It is important to me that characters appear normal to readers, like somebody whom you can meet on a hallway in Fiji, somewhere on the streets or the village or anywhere. Let me pause and say I am NOT perfect nor an accomplished artist yet as I see a lot of flaws in my writing voice or in my style of writing but I am a quick learner and am eager to refine my craft as I go along. I accept that my plotting needs improvement or the narrative be changed or double check the grammar now and then to deserve that storyline.

What inspired you to write these pieces?

I wanted to write more of the indigenous people in my stories as a lot of their stories are pushed to the margin or periphery in many of those literary pieces that are out there in the canon of Pacific literature and I understand this happens because these are imaginings of writers, who are not iTaukeis.

What do we expect? What can we expect?

I felt the characters have been dehumanised, stereotyped or it just seemed fake to me as a reader because that is how I interpreted some of these iTaukei characters in these literary fictions. I am not rubbishing some of those former works written by early writers (they are fine writers by the way) but what I am saying is that for an iTaukei to read something of herself in a literary work- it has to be real or authentic in some level and it needs to be written by them.

I believe that fictional representation is important. Reading, watching, or listening to people who are unlike the people we meet in our day-to-day lives is a way to gain understanding and empathy for them, and to understand that the world is more than what we encounter within the borders of our own experience- Kelly Dunagan

I am quick to point out a gap if the only thing I see of myself in a book is a toothless smiling indigenous Fijian dancing here and there cracking jokes along the way exhibiting the periphery of that story and of course, they got to, I mean they are not the protagonist of that story. They are not the subjects that is written about, they are merely accessories to the story or the extras to a plot machinations created by the writer. This is where the indigenous voice or any other ethnic writer comes in; to balance the arrayed of voices in that literary landscape, to balance the truth of that narrative and representations on that white paper.

If the only thing characters can do is provide comical relief, that is not FAIR to a people, to a culture, to a proud culture, to my culture. Here is a bone that I have with all those literary works coming out because they do not exhibit the centre of the narrative and I have shared the reasons to this. An invisible literary culture that has always been inhabiting a marginal corner is why I sit my butt on that chair to write. I started with three short-stories that have so far, made the pages to some regional journals. I was surprised in a pleasant way and so I believe there is more waiting to be penned....

I wanted to write a true story eventually something I can relate to as a reader or as a iTaukei. I felt it is about time someone write our story properly and authentically even if it begins from short-stories or poems. Representation matters.

Please bear in mind, there have been indigenous creative Fijian writers like Raijeli Racule and Joseph Veramu for short stories, Pio Manoa for poetry dreaming and Jo Nacola for playwriting, apart from other indigenous writers, who have written short creative works and for that I acknowledge them (I may not recall all of them but I honour their writings nonetheless).

Why?

Because they did something to our literary imaginings and they point the way for us novice writers, who are teetering and tottering on the edge of the craft.

It is important that my heritage is represented authentically in any writing whether it is fictional or non-fictional pieces. It is important to read a fleshed-out character that is complicated in many layers and someone, whom you cannot just write off as a stock or comical character in your fictional narrative. I believe the comical relief type of characters is a thing of the past.

But I digress and ask: have we even picked up materials to read about ourselves? Do we even buy books on Fiji or the Pacific to read?

The very act of writing and sharing is one of catharsis. It’s important to remember the sharing part too - poetry made for the page tends to stay there. Work written to be shared helps us rehumanise the dehumanised - whether it’s our own stories we share, or the stories of others- Candy Royalle

It is time we see an authentic character in action inhabiting and breathing in those black and white words on the pages. To me, we are not doing justice to the iTaukeis if we cannot portray them truthfully and I would like to strive to create a character that is true to form that would not contend with sitting on a margin. I feel my Literature background has scaffolded and assisted in noticing these gaps in representations.

Then you ask- Who writes then? I will answer- ANYONE, who has the TIME and PASSION to ink a story to immortality. Anyone can be a businessman, a student, an academic, a poet, a Maths teacher, a nurse, a doctor, it is anyone who feels a fire in their bones to share a story with the world. We might probably not have it together in terms of style, grammar or genre finesse, but what is important here is the desire to make a start. And finish it till the end.

Have you always had a passion for writing?

This writing journey was realised fully when I left Fiji to come over to Mexico. Yes, I was writing some odd poems and some scant literary materials were borne from those Baka Tree Creative writing days from LTC/FNU but I guess the distance from my motherland made me more determined to write something tangible and meaningful. I believe the distance forced me to actually write with a sense of detachment and clarity over my subject in a conscious short fictional forms.

I had been mentored by two Fijian writers of immense literary talent, Professor Satendra Nandan and Professor Subramani, who continued to encourage us, their students in their former postgrad group to write our existence. I am indebted to the much needed fellowship with other writers like Khemendra Kumar, Mary Rokonadravu and others, who critique and add in their opinions on written pieces. A love for writing is a lonely journey and now and then, we need opinions on issues regarding our work not that validation of our art is in question. Pretty much, when I went abroad, those words from my mentors resonated in my consciousness and I decided to pen a few pieces just so to see if I could do it. When organisations started accepting these submissions, I started taking this recreational activity rather seriously.

I still have a long way to go in mastering the craft of short-story and poetry writing but I am occupying my time in studying and reading a lot of novels, short-stories and poems to look at how the experts do it. Sometimes, I take Professor Subramani's advice on eavesdropping, which can prove very effective or read tonnes of short-stories out there. I get it, I cannot be like Poe or Nandan or Subramani or Hereniko or Grace or Wendt or Mansfield or Hemingway or Nabokov or Chekhov but I can be Kelera and I intend to write with a clear voice with a truthful style to adopt.

Moreso, I would like to adopt Fijian and Pacific imageries and allusions when it comes to my poetic imaginings. Why do we need to adopt the western way of doing things when we have our own connected imageries? I think it is also important to note here that my writings are framed and formed from my Christian upbringing therefore I focus only on the reality of life.

Coming up....

I would like to release my debut collection of literary writings made up of poems and short-stories later on in the year. I think there is something that we writers face all the time and that is credibility of our art and the fear of sharing it with the world. Many a times, I find myself at a space where I second-guess a piece and its worthiness to be read be it stylistically or the authenticity of the story itself.

Here is an example of a poem I penned about racism amongst ourselves...

'on double standards the brown brother speaks'

I had a friend who checked himself in

to a slick elite opulent hotel

only to be shown the icy shove so he-

waits.

He contemplates and surveils

the scene of his brown brothers and sisters

with alert eagle eyes amidst pink frangipanis or

the impeccable fragrant tekiteki smiling at the excited guests

while rustling around in starched pressed clothes with

well groomed sights punctuated by glistening bula faces

with hands so eager

hearts so open

tongues so ready

dripping with honey to

please the strange tongues and deathly pale skin

a ghostly sight from the winter icy cold caves while

the sunny brown skin brother- waits.

Why do we do this to

ourselves?

A brown brother may saunter in from

a garden or the market with Bata flip flops or

even his feet kissing the earth of his second self or the fact

he smells like day old meat pies or

probably he is a home-grown tavioka yet that still

spells no reason for your great divide.

So, here is what your action meant:

A brown man can't have the luxury to

check in to a deluxe room;

a brown man can't have the intellect and grace to

mingle with foreign kings;

nor dine at his table of royalty

nor check in to suite number 19;

a brown man can't speak words like honey

like the kaivalagi uttered so heavenly because

he cannot just simply have a voice that

slices a Rewa butter that cleanly;

a brown man can't have dazzling grey matter because

all he sees are the turquoise Pacifica seas and the

simplistic unadorned coconut trees nor

can have too much malafi to roll in fancy Prado wheels

though they pay the same room service simply-

oh snap out of it!

he deserves first class service

like any white dollar that floats this leaky touristy mothership.

But still-

a brown man can at least have the luxury of

witnessing his countrymen play

racist pigs on their own

home soil and not Sydney so

while he waits he sees another

pale skin wafted in and breathes in

the untouched edenic sights

sips a freshly pressed orange weleti juice and cries-

ahhhhhhh…...this is paradise!

If you soldiered on till the end of this rather long piece- vinaka and thank you!

You see I have come to a place now where I am eager to share my stories with whoever is ready to read it. The time to reflect, ponder and think is over, I believe it is time to act now.

I will leave with you something I read from Patti Davis- Author of Till Human Voices Wake Us:

As writers, we do write for ourselves, because we need to - because it's a burning desire inside us and we can't not write - but we also want to be recognised for our work, for our passion, for the journey of our imaginations. We all deserve the chance to step out into the world, where we will either succeed or fail. But at least people will have a chance to read what we've worked so hard to create.

So get out that pen and write!