On my last day in Melbourne a couple of years ago, I was wandering around the shops when I saw this sign in a doorway.
So I went up the stairs to check it out and found a space for meetings and readings, a library, and stacks of information about courses, workshops, publications laid out on tables.
And I thought, of course, that's just what we need in KL.
Of course, dreams can afford to be big, even if real life scales them down.
So in my mind's eye I see ...
An old bungalow house set in a beautiful garden somewhere centrally located. Rent free - donated by some benevolent organisation which understands that writers have needs.
The inside is simply decorated - wooden floors and white walls. (Hey this is my dream so I'll decorate it as I like!) The walls are bright with art by young and upcoming artists. (Art leaks into writing, writing leaks into art.)
There is a space for talks and readings downstairs.
Off this, there's a well-stocked library with books on the writing craft, fiction and reference books.
Upstairs there are rooms where classes can be held. Writing classes, literature classes. For everyone who wants them ... In the evenings, writing groups or special interest groups meet here.
There is a courtyard with a cafe (with excellent coffee!) where writers can sit all day over a single cuppa and scribble in their notebooks or tap away at their without worrying that anyone will chase them away. (I hear the sound of running water ... a fountain perhaps ... and certainly a pergola of red passion flowers!) It's a place to find peace and space but also a great place to meet writer friends.
This is the place to come to get help with your manuscript or for information on courses or writing groups or getting published.
There's a small shop which sells the centre's own publications and other books as well as merchandise aimed at readers and writers.
Funny. Spoke to a mover-and-shaker writer/publisher friend the other day over banana leaf dinner - and he had almost exactly the same dream ...
5 comments:
The Early Edition book rental store, on the first floor of the corner coffee shop next to Guardian in Taman Tun, has a similar but smaller set-up.
Apart from books, there are also pieces of art on the wall, plus a fair bit of space in the middle.
Check it out as possible venue for one of your writing courses?
Thanks Chet. That's a very nice shop - haven't been in for a while because there are too many tmeptations elsewhere! Am on the look out for other venues ... but I think TTDI is too close to 1 Utama where MPH have given me a home for my courses. Really looking for something around Bangsar and in city centre now.
Hi Sharon: Are you looking for a place with all the atmosphere you just described here, for your writing course students, or a place for any writer, would-be or otherwise, to meet and discuss writing, their own or other people's? If the latter, perhaps someone (like you) could prevail upon the higher-ups at the Brit Council to let us - you, everyone - share a space - the couch in front of the magazine racks, the tables near the coffee shop.
Brit Council in Sri Lanka has sponsored a web space for its writers to upload their poems and stories, at http://www.writeclique.net. If not a physical space, why not BC sponsor a similar web space for Malaysian writers here?
Bangsar or somewhere near the city centre is good; easier for everyone to travel to, especially if the place can be reached via LRT.
If one can acquire or find such a physical environment everyone must make the effort to attend sessions, as often as time can spare. I say this because of my last experience at a poetry workshop (sort of). Initially, 20 people came up, and we chatted and then went on to read our poems and listen to responses. Some of us were honest and very direct when giving our reactions. there were no cruel or bad-intention kind of remarks; they were direct, anyway: 'perhaps you can cut away so many "the"',' or take awy this line, and re-write it this way ...'. And people took offense when none was intended. A few walked off half way. Subsequent meetings had fewer and fewer attending, till it was only me, one more and the organiser. Thereafter, no more workshop. Very sad.
Hi Leon,
I was actually talking about a space for all writers. (Chet sidetracked me a bit here. :-))
The critiquing group thing is difficult to keep going. I don't think it is easy for new writers to face criticism until a level of trust has been built up.
I support this and will definitely join you when your dream comes true...
Post a Comment