MARINA ALEFOSIO is an Aotearoa-born Samoan poet from the villages of Mulifanua, Leauva’a, Faleasiú and Falefa. She has worked with the artforms of spoken word; hip hop and theatre and is passionate about using the arts as a way to serve local and global communities. She has performed for varied events including Nuyorican Poets Café New York (2012) and the Dawn Raids Apology Ceremony in Auckland (2021). She was awarded two spoken word residencies with the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity (Canada) and a Fale-ship residency with Tautai Arts Trust (2021). Recently, she developed FAFAGU MEASINA, a spoken word residency in Samoa (2024) after completing a Masters in Social Change Leadership at the University of Melbourne (2024) focussing on the impact of spoken word poetry and oratory in the Pacific. She is an Atlantic Fellow with the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (Australia) and a Mum of two children.