Saufo`i Press

Books are both an expression of, and a way-finding tool for cultural identity. Saufo`i Press is a new poetry press dedicated to publishing Moana Pacific voices.

It's a fan-girl for the multitude of poetry from the Moana Pacific and a passion project by writer and editor Faith Catherine Saufo`i Wilson. Saufo’i Press is built on a community of Moana Pacific writers who have something to say.

Our story.

We empower our communities by connecting and publishing Moana Pacific and minority writers and artists.

Publishers can act as gatekeepers, and make a huge difference in whose voices are amplified, and whose are shut out. Instead of gatekeeping, we aim to share great stories with fiafia (joy), empathy and generosity. We champion work that connects to our shared and varied Moana experience.

Our books aim to reflect the unique diaspora and the many individual identities of our Moana Pacific communities in Aotearoa. We may be different, but we are all connected by the ocean.

Our ancestors guide what we do. 

Saufo`i Press does everything with alofa and consideration. Saufo`i Press is for the generations before us, after us, and for us. We hope to become firmly established in the fabric of Aotearoa and Moana Pacific literature, and one of the go to places for poetry that illustrates some of our stories, journeys and the experiences of our people

Representation matters. It affects how we’re seen and how we see.

Of 68 fiction titles published in 2015, 91% were written by Pākehā, 4% by Māori, 4% by Asian writers, and 1% by Pasifika writers. We need to write our own stories, to archive our own histories, to honour the Pacific poetry that has come before us, and to build upon and start new conversations from our generation.

Many literature festivals require writers to have published books to be featured in panels and events. If there are less Moana Pacific writers with books, then who is being represented on these panels and in these events? 

A wider breadth of books and writers means more representation, connection to new audiences, and more opportunities to get our Moana Pacific voices heard on different platforms.

Your donation.

Saufo`i Press needs start-up funds to be able to publish books, to generate an online presence and build a platform for our authors. Help us build organisational sustainability so that we can keep publishing books.

The funds from Boosted x Moana will go directly to: 

• building a brand new website.
• administration costs associated with starting up an organisation including legal, business and industry consultation, communications and marketing and most importantly...
• a publication fund for actually printing and publishing the books.
• a website, which will be a hub for Moana Pacific poetry. We hope to have a strong online and social presence to publish interviews with our writers, publish poetry on the website itself, making it more accessible to those who can’t afford to buy books.

Our plan for Saufo’i Press.

Saufo`i Press will launch a new website this year, and hope to publish their first book early 2022. Saufo`i Press will be taking on manuscript submissions when the website is up and running, and will be reaching out to local communities to encourage emerging writers to submit poetry. 

Thank you so much for your donation.

Saufo`i Press is so excited to support a community of amazing Moana Pacific writers, to get these voices heard by new audiences.

Your contribution is helping us with our mission to publish beautiful Pacific poetry, increase our visibility in books and literature and to inspire future generations of writers.