Three books by writers from Vanuatu, set there, that give a real sense of the place, starting with Beyond Pandemonium: From the New Hebrides to Vanuatu and Black Stone.
Grace Mera Molisa, author of the poetry collection Black Stone, is among the best-known writers of Vanuatu, which became independent in 1980. Stories and songs in more than a hundred local languages form a deep oral tradition, while Bislama, an English-based creole, is the national language and English and French are also official. Much published writing appeared after joint British and French rule of the New Hebrides ended. Kastom, meaning traditional custom, is a recurring concern.
Molisa's poems in Black Stone look at colonial legacy and the place of women in the early independence years. Walter Lini, the country's first prime minister, recounts the independence struggle in Beyond Pandemonium. Lissant Bolton's Unfolding the Moon describes the mat-making and weaving traditions that women keep up across the islands.
The country's first prime minister gives a first-hand account of the independence struggle and the end of Anglo-French rule in the New Hebrides.
Poems by a leading ni-Vanuatu woman writer on colonial legacy, kastom and the place of women in early independence-era Vanuatu.
Poetry on post-independence Vanuatu, covering colonial aftermath, gender, and the tension between kastom and modern politics.
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