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Who is Célestine Hitiura Vaite ? (next)
Célestine is the eldest of four children. By the age of eleven she was an avid listener of stories about the old days, Tahitian traditions, legends, customs, and social etiquette. An excellent student, she won a scholarship to one of Papeete's most prestigious girls' schools, where she absorbed the French classics: Balzac, Flaubert, Zola and Maupassant.
At 16 years old Célestine followed love and found her way to Australia at 22 with two children. Yet despite her happy new life, she occasionally became so homesick and sad thinking about her family that she would find a secluded spot behind the sand dunes near her house and cry.
She would walk with her eyes closed and sing Tahitian hymns to find peace. Pregnant with her third child Célestine was overcome with nostalgia, and started a collection of short stories: The Electricity Man, Leaving and The First day Here. Within weeks these stories about ordinary Tahitian people overcoming everyday obstacles were published in various literary journals.
Célestine visits her beloved Tahiti a couple times a year. Whilst there she gives writing workshops and motivational talks in schools as part of her involvement in a Tahitian program to promote literacy. She is very passionate about increasing literacy amongst her people, especially the children.
Célestine is an energetic and engaged mother of four, a lively and funny hostess, writing her books in a household of absolute yet controlled chaos. Now at 39, she is trying to earn the respectable title of "Mama".
Célestine lives on the south coast of New South Wales.
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