Join Prof Matthew Spriggs for a discussion about his recent Fellowship research focused on the indigenous languages of Vanuatu.

Prof Matthew Spriggs is a 2025 National Library of Australia Fellow.

Entry to this event is free, but bookings are essential. The presentation will also be available online. Please make a booking and the Library’s Events team will send you a direct link to the livestream event via email. Or you can join anytime through the Library’s YouTube channel.

The earliest materials (apart from word lists) that were published in Vanuatu languages all date to 1842-3 in the languages of Aneityum, Futuna and Port Resolution (Nafe language) on Tanna – a history of books in Vanuatu languages going back over 183 years. These old texts will prove useful for communities trying to revive their languages, or those involved in Bible translation, as well as linguists who are interested in linguistic change in Vanuatu during the last nearly two centuries. Prof Matthew Spriggs will discuss some of the discoveries he uncovered in his research into the collection during his Fellowship.