What were the earliest written works produced by Pacific Islanders?

The earliest written works produced by Pacific Islanders were mission-inspired autobiographical writings composed in vernacular languages. During this initial period, no fictional or imaginative writing was produced.1

The first published work by a Pacific Islander to achieve some literary merit was the autobiography Miss Ulysses from Puka-Puka (1948) by Florence Frisbie, which was written in English, Rarotongan, and Pukapukan. Subsequently, the first published novel from the region was Makutu (1960), written by Thomas Davis and his wife, Lydia Henderson.1

It is important to note that while these represent the earliest written efforts, the development of a broader, more significant body of written literature in Oceania did not begin in earnest until the late 1960s and 1970s, following the establishment of the University of Papua New Guinea and the University of the South Pacific. Prior to this, and continuing today, traditional oral literature—including storytelling, music, and dance—remained the primary means for many Pacific Islanders to satisfy their aesthetic and cultural needs.23