Quote by Sia Figiel: “The past lives within us, a drumbeat in our bones.”

Figiel vividly portrays how history and ancestry are deeply ingrained within individuals, not just as memories but as an intrinsic part of their being. This quote emphasizes the enduring legacy of the past.

Her debut novel, 'Where We Once Belonged,' delves into the complexities of growing up Samoan, grappling with colonial influences and the powerful presence of ancestral heritage within contemporary life.

Samoan novelist and poet whose debut novel Where We Once Belonged won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for the South East Asia and South Pacific region in 1997. Her work explores the lives of young Samoan women navigating tradition, sexuality, and colonial legacies. She is one of the most prominent Pacific women's voices in literature.