The prize winners of the International Samoan Short Story Writing Competition will be awarded in January next year. 

The prize-giving ceremony was moved from July 31 this year to January, 2020 with the organisers of the literary competition saying the non-availability of judges to go through the submitted literary work was a major factor behind the delay.

Apulu Lance Polu, who is a member of the organising committee, said the 2019 Pacific Games and the current measles epidemic were the major reasons behind the deferral.

“The prize giving for the competition still push through as a lot has happened this year, we had two judges who were fully occupied during the Pacific Games and now it’s the measles outbreak,” he said. 

“We thought it was late for the prize giving to take place this year so we will be hosting it in January next year.”

The short story writing competition was launched in February this year by well-known Samoan author, Afemata Tunumafono Apelu Aiavao, former Vice Chancellor of the National University of Samoa, Fui Le’apai Tu’ua Ilaoa Professor Asofou So’o and Mr Polu.

The objective of the story writing competition was to encourage Samoans to tell and write stories in the Samoan language. 

The competition is also significant in that it creates new resource material for the teaching of the Samoan language, added Mr Polu. 

He said the best stories will also be published in a book and will be used to develop audio material for a popular radio series called Leulupani.

The competition was put together by the Talamua Media in Samoa with partnership with the National University of Samoa, Radio Samoa, Samoa Times & Samoa MultiMedia Group (New Zealand), Talamua.com and Samoa FM Radio.