Lit Where You Least Expect It

What's the perfect venue for a live lit performance? While we've been holing up for readings in galleries and begging an audience to come to us, elsewhere organisers have been taking the live word out into public spaces and reaching a new audience.

Francesca Beard of Apples and Snakes told me about the perils of taking performance poetry onto London buses, when I interviewed her some time back, and how one of her co-poets (is there such a word?) almost got into a punchup with an inspector because he didn't have a valid ticket! Francesca also took poetry to the "creepy crawly gallery" of London's Natural History Museum.

I picked up this story of live lit in the laudromat* from Raman's website and went for a fast spin (geddit?) around the Dirty Laundry website where I found photos of performances, press clippings, an audio recording ... and helpful laundry tips.

The co-founder of the series is Emily Rubin, and the audience bring along their washing, and receive free boxes of detergent. According to Time Out New York:

The evenings are usually broken up into “wash” and “dry” segments, with music in between; the first reading lasts 26 minutes, or the duration of a normal wash. Occasionally, listeners become so engaged, they forget to add Downy to the rinse. Raffles are held at the end, with the winner receiving a laundry bag autographed by the authors. And yes, books are available for purchase.

Now laundromats (laundrettes in British English) are not a phonomena we have here at all in Malaysia where we simply send clothes to the dobi and get them back all nicely washed and ironed. But I'm sure that there ought to be some simularly crazy venues for live lit events in KL ... can you think of any?

International "Readings" - So Who's Coming?

So here's the line up of writers and poets for the "Readings" event 8.30, February 7th at Central Market Annex!

Roger Robinson is a poet, short fiction writer and lyricist who lives between London and Trinidad. He has performed worldwide and is an experienced workshop leader and lecturer on poetry. His performances often incorporate words and music, and his one-man shows are: The Shadow Boxer; Letter from My Father’s Brother; and Prohibition (all premiered at the British Festival of Visual Theatre at Battersea Arts Centre). He was also chosen by Decibel as one of 50 writers who have influenced the black-British writing canon over the past 50 years. He has published a book of short fiction, Adventures in 3D (2001) and a poetry collection, Suitcase (2004), and is currently working on a full-length novel.

Up to 2000, Roger Robinson was programme co-ordinator of Apples and Snakes. He was one of 30 poets chosen for the New Generation Poets collection at the National Portrait Gallery.

Louise Doughty is a novelist, playwright and critic. She is the author of five novels: Crazy Paving, Dance with Me, Honey-Dew, Fires in the Dark and Stone Cradle, and five plays for radio.

She has worked widely as a critic and broadcaster in the UK, where she lives, including a spell as Theatre Critic for the Mail on Sunday and presenter of several books and arts series for BBC Radio 4. In June 2007, Simon & Schuster UK will publish her first work of non-fiction, A Novel in a Year, based on her highly successful newspaper column of 2006. Throughout 2007, she will be writing another column for the Daily Telegraph's Saturday Review entitled A Writer's Year.

Isagani R. Cruz writes plays, essays, and short stories in Filipino and English, for which he has won numerous awards, including a SEAWRITE award, a Centennial Literary Contest award, and a Gawad Balagtas award. He has been named to the Hall of Fame of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards in Literature. He has written or edited more than 30 books.

He is also the Former Philippine Undersecretary of Education, the Director of the Teachers Academy of Far Eastern University in Manila, a Visiting Lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, and a Professor Emeritus, a University Fellow, and the Executive Publisher of Academic Publications of De La Salle University Manila. (A much longer version of his CV can be found on his blog!)

Tan Twan Eng was born in Penang, but lived in various places in Malaysia as a child. He studied law through the University of London, and later worked as an advocate and solicitor in one of Kuala Lumpur's most reputable law firms. He also has a first-dan ranking in aikido and is a strong proponent for the conservation of heritage buildings. He has spent the last year travelling around South Africa, and is currently living in Malaysia. His first novel The Gift of Rain is to be published in the UK by Myrmidon Books in March 2007.

Kam Raslan is a writer and director, working in film, TV and theatre in Malaysia. He is a columnist in The Edge weekly and Off The Edge magazine. Some of his writings were previously compiled in Generation. He also writes for Instant Café Theatre and will one day make his feature film. His first novel Confessions of an Old Boy has been serialised in Off the Edge and will be published in book form in March 2007 by Marshall-Cavendish.

Dina Zaman writes both fiction and non-fiction, and is interested in "religion, society and what makes Malaysians tick". She has a B.A. in Mass Communication and Creative Writing from Western Michigan University and an M.A. in Creative Writing from Lancaster University and has been published abroad and locally. Her first collection of short fiction was night & day, published by Rhino Press (1997), while her play Harakiri was produced by Chakra Works in 2003.

She began her career in journalism with her column Dina's Dalca in the New Straits Times. She has also written for other publications including Men's Review, Marie Claire, and the Rentakini section of online newspaper Malaysiakini which she also edited. Her new book, I Am Muslim is due to be published by Silverfish Books in March 2007.

Postscript:

Ruhayat X is in the process of making me a sexy poster for the event which I will post tomorrow.

Please note that, sadly, Edwin Thumboo who was on the list earlier, will not now be reading.

Francesca is Back!

Queen of peformance poetry, Francesca Beard will be back in KL - this time with her show Chinese Whispers at KLPac 28 - 30th September.

And sadly, I will be away in Bali and miss it!

Related Posts:

Of Apples and Snakes (21/3/06)
More on Performance Poetry (21/3/06)
Troubagangers Wayang Kata (30/3/06)
Francesca and the Troubagangers (6/4/06)
Poetry from Pain (17/4/06)
Confession (15/6/06)

Francesca and the Troubagangers

Scooted off to British Council yesterday for a lunch-time interview with performance poet Jessica Beard over pizza in the courtyard. (Here pictured with daughter Lola Choo who is learning how to follow in her mum's footsteps.) It was as much a meeting with a friend, because we'd met in Manila last November when I got my first taste of what Performance Poetry is all about in Francesca's workshop sessions.

Then at night the La Bodega gig. Francesca and the Troubagangers – a showcase of local talents. There was something for sure at stake for both parties. This was Francesca’s first ever Malaysian performance even though her roots are here (half-Malaysian, she was born in Assunta Hospital and grew up in Penang).

And our local guys had something to prove too - would their performances flag and sag when put side by side with a professional performer/poet of Francesca’s? As it turned out, it was a totally brilliant evening.

The upstairs of La Bodega was packed to the rafters with an incredibly supportive crowd. (This was Wednesday and this was poetry for heaven’s sake!) Jerome and Yasmin Low compared the evening incomparably. (Though Jerome added me to the list of people to read on the open mic afterwards ‘cos he said I was a heckler! Not good.)

Francesca was totally connected with the audience as she shared hilarious stories about her childhood,her dog Fluffy, multicultural encounters in Tesco’s and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Poetry meets stand-up comedy meets song.

But this is the heart of it - her poems were addressed directly to the audience, drawing them in, in a way that reading them out cannot. One poem was a survey about which way we'd prefer to die if we could choose (being eaten by a lion in KLCC Park, getting chainsawed by a nutter, left to drift slowly into outer space ... ) - a grimly funny piece, which had her soliciting views from the audience. Poetry that talks and lets you talk back.

The Troubagangers were on top form, feeding on the electricity of the occasion. Most of all I enjoyed: Jerome's lyricism, Fahmi Fadzil's No Exit (which he improvised on for the occasion), Ruhayat X performing his piece about the pencil, another dose of Pang's encounters in the dark, Sharanya's very sexy poem about everything wanting to make love to her ...

But it was Rahmat Harun's rollercoaster ride of a performance of Keranamu Malaysia which came closest to upstaging Francesca ...

I came away inspired. Syabas to all who worked so hard to pull the evening together and a special mention for Sunitha Janamohanan of British Council and her team.

(Below - Francesca relaxes with a glass of wine after the performance.)

Troubaganger's Wayang Kata

Performance poet Francesca Beard takes to the stage with Troubagangers (a collection of local poets you know and love - see below) on April 5th at 8 p.m. at La Bodega, Tengkat Tongshin. The performance is given in association with the British Council and there will be an open mic session afterwards for all you poetic wannabes. Admission RM5.

Believe me, this is something special. Don't miss it!

Here's the blurb about it:

Hailed by the London Metro as the “British Queen of Performance Poetry”, British-Malaysian poet Francesca Beard will take you on a journey that breaks down old perceptions of what poetry is with her acerbic wit and cross-cultural takes on life. Spoken word is poetry that is performed; a contemporary art form that is popular yet profound, accessible yet inspired. Francesca Beard does it in her inimitable style, mixing sharp observations with humorous anecdotes, churning them out as only a poet could.

Francesca will be joined on stage by eight of Malaysia’s most exciting young poets, giving you a night of rhyme and word as you’ve never had in KL.

About Francesca Beard
London-based poet Francesca Beard was born in Malaysia and spent the 70's growing up in Penang, before moving to the UK. She is a full-time poet, performing spoken word to audiences all over Britain, as well as internationally.

She has worked as a workshop facilitator in creative writing, poetry and performance for Apples & Snakes, the UK’s leading organisation for performance poetry, and is working on longer term projects with theatres and organisations.

Francesca’s poems have been featured in numerous publications, and she has performed commissioned work for Apples & Snakes, BBC, Chris Ofili and Victoria Miro Gallery, the Arts Council, England, and more. In May 2005, her first radio play, ‘The Healing Pool’ was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and London Live. Her one-woman show, ‘Chinese Whispers’, produced by Apples and Snakes, has recently been and still is touring, and she is developing a new show supported by the Arts Council, England.

This is Francesca’s first time performing in Malaysia.

For more details on Francesca, visit www.francescabeard.com

About the Malaysian poets
Bernice Chauly has worked as a filmmaker, photographer, publisher, actor, playwright and teacher. Her work as a poet explores subjects including love, history and identity.

Fahmi Fadzil acts and writes when he can, and watches and reads when he can't. He is a member of theatre ensemble Akshen and arts collective Five Arts Centre.

Jasmine Low—publisher, marketing consultant and event organiser—writes stories based on her experiences as a migrant living in between Malaysia and Australia.

Jerome Kugan is a poet, writer and musician. His hauntingly imagistic poems are products of his deconstruction of the nature of perception in a fast-changing world.

Pang Khee Teik is a writer, photographer and editor of Kakiseni.com. His highly frank and amusing stories are based on past and present real-life bedroom adventures.

Rahmat Haron is a prolific young poet and visual artist. He has also worked as a theatre activist, performance artist and supporter of political change in Malaysia.

Ruhayat X is a writer and publisher whose stories and observations of urban life in Malaysia are witty, biting social satires with a sly surreal bent.

Sharanya Manivannan was born in India in 1985. A writer, dancer, painter, activist and journalist, she is currently working on her first novel and collection of poems.

About Troubagangers
Troubagangers is the combined outfit of Troubadours and Doppelganger, together responsible for two regular monthly events nights of live music, original song-writing, poetry and prose by local burgeoning talent in Kuala Lumpur. Doppelganger is headed by Jasmine Low while Troubadours is headed by Jerome Kugan, Azmyl Yunor and Tan Sei Hon.

For more details and to see images of past performances, please visit:

www.webprojx.com/troubaganger
www.troubadourskl.blogspot.com
www.doppelgangerkl.blogspot.com

Related Posts

Of Apples and Snakes
More on Performance Poetry

Pictures from Reading at Maya

Photos from the Tuesday event at Maya Gallery. (Thanks so much for sending them on, Rafizah.)

From top: Geraldine Collinge of Apples and Snakes, Jerome Kugan, Bernice Chauly and Datuk SHANmugaligam,

More on Peformance Poetry

Poetry slam? Poetry karaoke? A threat to civilised poetry reading as we know it? Some reactions to yesterday's post ... so a little more background.

Here's a defintion of Peformance Poetry from Apples and Snakes (from the notes I brought back from Manila!):

Performance poetry is poetry that has been written specifically to be declaimed in public, as opposed to poetry that really belongs on a page and is simply being read out. The difference is a subtle one: performance poetry may rely more heavily on rhyme, insistent rhythm or a narrative thread. And the poet, too, will be aware that he or she has an audience and will make some concessions to them. For some poets, this means leaping about; for others, a little eye-contact can suffice. Performance poetry, indeed, comes in many forms: some have thoughts to share, whilst others simple want to share their verbal dexterity, or simply entertain. You could argue too that theya re perpetuating the oral tradition which is fundamental to so many cultures.

Performance poetry is important because it makes poetry accessible to people who would otherwise avoid it ... . In that sense, it perhaps makes literature itself more accessible. That's why it can be a useful educational tool. A good performance- poetry show provides a night out that can be thought-provoking, surprising or just fun. It can inspire people ... to start writing and performing themselves. And in a world where most communication is e-communication, it's nice to see (and hear) the human voice taking centre-stage again.

You can get a very good idea of what performance poetry is all about, and the sheer diversity that the term encompasses, by looking at the Apples and Snake's events schedule for the year. Take a look too at the kinds of educational projects the organisation supports. Apples and Snakes has also worked with young offenders with some pretty amazing results.

Of course, the best way to find out what it's is all about will be to catch Francesca Beard's performance when she comes to KL (next month, I believe).

Of Apples and Snakes

Poetry - seen as stuffy, obscure, unfun - badly needs a makeover to reach a wider audience. Teachers dissect it and exams kill it. How many people open a book and read for pleasure? (Remember Daisy Goodwin's comments?)

Well, in Britain there's been a small revolution. It's called performance poetry. And at the heart of performance poetry, there is an organisation called Apples and Snakes. (So named because they began in a pub called The Adam and Eve.) From humble begining with just three poets and a London base, it now has 15 poets on its payroll and organises events across Britain ... and in India ... and soon ...

Well, don't let me get ahead of myself.

Performance poetry is poetry written to be ... performed (rather than stuffily mumbled by some arty-type, nose glued to a sheet of paper). It has to be immediate 'cos an audience can't spend time puzzling out deeper meanings, while rhythm and wordsound is even more important. It easily incorporates elements of stand-up comedy, theatre and music. It can be performed in any public space - even on buses and in the supermarket ...

And it can be performed by ... anybody ...

(Shock horror gasp from the purists.)

My first brush with performance poetry was last November when Sunitha (of British Council) and I attended a regional Animating Literature workshop in Manila to look at ways of promoting reading and writing in South-East Asia.

Apples and Snakes poet, Francesca Beard, lead some of the sessions - performed her work for us (quite wonderful), took us through writing and performing pieces ...

And she also worked with a group of university students who put on an excellent performance of their work one evening at the Conspiracy Bar with Francesca performing several of her piece! It was all woven together with traditional dance and music and vocal performance. Siege, who drops by this blog sometimes was one of the performers and besides reading his own work, performed quite an amazing duel of words in tagalog with a friend.

So where is this going?

Apples and Snakes director Geraldine Collinge (left) is in town and working out with British Council and local poets how performance poetry can best be brought to Malaysia and a generation of performance poets trained up ... to perform of course, and then to train others, perhaps going into schools and colleges. To start something big and self-sustaining and fun from an apple pip and snake scale.

Lat night the British Council held a reception for Geraldine at Maya Gallery in Bangsar and local poets Jerome Kugan, Bernice Chauly, and Datuk Shan read their poetry ...