The 15th anniversary of the Samoa Observer Tusitala Short Story Competition was celebrated on Friday, bringing together students from schools across Upolu and Savai’i for its prizegiving.
The competition, which was put on hold in 2025 due to the dengue outbreak, returned this year under the theme “Leaders - Ta’ita’i.”
British High Commissioner to Samoa, Andrew Nethercott, was the keynote speaker at the event. He told the students that Samoans have been storytellers for centuries and that competitions such as the Tusitala Short Story Competition play an important role in developing young writers.
“Competitions like this are so important to develop writers,” he said. “It encourages creativity and confidence in young writers. And to all our talented writers here today, well done and keep writing.” “When I look at the talent here today, I’m pretty confident that you’ll be storytellers in centuries to come,” he said.
Nethercott said writing also takes courage, especially for young people sharing their work with others.
