Quote by Sia Figiel: “Stories are maps. They show us where we've been, and where to go.”

Figiel compares narratives to essential guides, illustrating their power to illuminate history and provide direction for the future. This quote highlights the crucial role of storytelling in understanding one's path and purpose.

Her work continually emphasizes the cultural importance of oral traditions and narratives in shaping identity and conveying intergenerational wisdom within Samoan communities, particularly in times of change, as seen in 'They Who Do Not Grieve'.

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.