Fijian Literature: Major Themes and Trends

Abstract

Literature is a creative skill that reflects on the values, beliefs, ethics, norms, traditions and cultures of different societies. It is a doorway through which we can explore new ideas. It has undergone numerous transformations over the years. In the post-colonial era, we can find a few writers who have tried to discover themselves in the mist of displacement or dislocation. Fijian literature has provided a platform for such writers. Fiji is a multi-racial, multi-lingual and multi-cultural nation. It was under the indenture system that the people were brought to Fiji. Land gained a symbolic significance in Fiji and became a major thematic concern for the Fijian writers. The indigenous oral tradition is the tradition that has given remarkable stimulus to the literature in English. The evolution of Fiji’s written literature corresponds with the country’s transition to independence in 1970. Raymond Pillai, Satendra Nandan, Subramani and Sudesh Mishra are widely regarded as prominent Indo-Fijian writers. Themes related to social injustice, economic loss, militarization, disease, tourism, urbanization, plantation, racism, migration, homophobia, and environmental degradation form an integral part of Fijian Literature.