Marina Alefosio is an Aotearoa-born Samoan spoken word poet, storyteller, and arts practitioner whose work bridges creative expression and community empowerment. She hails from the villages of Mulifanua, Leauva’a, Faleasiu and Falefa in Samoa and works across the Pacific at the intersection of arts, culture, and wellbeing.
Marina's practice spans spoken word poetry, hip-hop, theatre, songwriting, and mentoring, centring Pasifika and Indigenous voices while exploring themes of identity, justice, and collective healing. Her creative journey began on local and international stages, including the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York (2012) and TEDx Auckland (2013). She has since performed at significant cultural moments such as the Dawn Raids Apology Ceremony in Auckland (2021) and the Toronto Writers Festival (2021).
Marina’s contributions have been recognised through numerous poetry anthologies, residencies and fellowships, including the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (2019 and 2024), the Tautai Arts Trust Fale-ship Residency (2021), the Rhodes Poetry Retreat (2023), and the Creative New Zealand Creative Fellowship (2024), which supported the publication of her debut book, 'to siva inside a circle'. Drawing on these experiences, she co-designed a spoken word residency in Mulifanua, Samoa with her father and tulafale, Savaiinaea Palenapa Alefosio, creating space for Oceania writers across disciplines.
She has co-written theatre works with Black Friars Theatre Company (2018–2021) and continues to mentor emerging artists. In 2023, Marina became an Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity, completing a Master’s in Social Change Leadership at the University of Melbourne researching the connection and power of spoken word poetry to oral cultures. Her proudest roles are being a mother and an aunty.
