Come for poetry in languages from around the world, plus a fascinating International Year of Indigenous Languages feature on pacific language, with father and daughter Deveni Temu and Salote Temu.

Deveni and Salote will share traditional song and dance from the Aroma language tradition of coastal Papua New Guinea, plus ‘Peroveta’ or prophet song composed and spread by missionaries, in mixed Aroma, Motu and other Pacific languages. They will also talk about their work to preserve the Aroma language and cultural traditions, and the ways that identity and knowledge are carried in language and song.

Deveni Temu was born and raised in Papua New Guinean coastal fishing village about 220km east of Port Moresby. After qualifying and working as a high school teacher, he became one of Papua New Guinea’s first qualified librarians. After working for a range of institutions in PNG, Noumea and Australia, he was ANU Pacific Librarian based in the Menzies Library until his retirement. He is passionate about Papua New Guinean art and culture.