Heartache and Laughter at Seksan's

Another Saturday, another "Readings" at that little gallery in Bangsar ...

Balan Moses who is deputy chief news editor of the New straits Times read from his book Brickfields: A Time, a Place, a Memory, and his enjoyment in his own writing really came through as he read about the toddy shop, the hotel that doubled as ... erm ... something else, and the delicious food available in the area. I felt nostalgic even though I've only know Brickfields in more recent times!

Bath-based aromatherapist, mother of two and newbie blogger Pey Colborne's poems were magical. My favourites were: the first poem she wrote when she left Malaysia for Britain about all the things she misses most, another called Thumbs about how her daughters have inherited her thumbs which in palmistry denote a certain stubbornness and desire to travel ... and Totem in which she identifies with the humming-bird.

Noraishah Ismail has had several short stories published in the Silverfish collections under her pen-name Nora Adam. Today she read a heartbreaking story about a woman longing for her husband to make love to her ... she'd even settle for a kiss. Beautiful and brave writing.

Multi-talented (poet, author, photographer, filmmaker, actress, teacher!) Bernice Chauly read a series of heartfelt poems on divorce, death, love and heartbreak from her work-in-progress The Book of Sins. I was very moved by the poem she wrote about her mother's death, which ends with the words "fly, mother, fly" - I can identify with it having been there at the end with my mum.

Nicholas Wong's writer's CV is long and features some impressive literary awards and publications - not bad for someone who turned 18 just a week or two back! I am so happy to see how much more confident Nic has grown in reading his work in public. Methinks the workshop with Jacob Sam-La Rose worked its magic.

Nic began with a hilarious parody of Sharanya Manivannan's best loved poem about how everything in the universe wants to make love to her (and dedicated it to her!). Then he read a very affecting piece about the special children he works with at Bridges EIP in Kampong Kayu Ara, before ending with an extract from his prize-winning play Death Off the Mainland (about Singapore- Malaysia relations) which he read with Eugene Chuah.

I was so pleased that Wong Phui Nam, one of South-east Asia's most distinguished poets had agreed to come along and read. In his humble way he asked to read last "to give the young people a chance". I've been enjoying Phui Nam's collected poems in An Acre of the Day's Glass - and it was a real pleasure to hear his six poems today, all about women.

We hope to host a reading of his latest play at Seksan's soon. It was first read at the litfest but because there was so much else on, many people who wanted to hear it didn't get the chance.

In an interview last year Phui Nam said:

I write in English and how many read in English or are even interested in English poetry?

I hope he left the readings very much cheered that although the poets may not exactly be taking over the world, there is an enthusiastic following for poetry and some very good stuff being written.

Thanks to all the people who supported the event, especially Seksan for the inspiring space, La Bodega for the wine, Kenny for the poster, and all the readers.

Postscript:

Posts on other blogs about the event. BP reckons you should never judge a poet by the way he opens a winebottle. Karsy is glad "readings" isn't as arstyfartsy as she feared it would be. Nic reveals he wrote the parody poem on the LRT. Leon has some excellent photos here. (More to be linked as I come across it.)

May "Readings" - Sticky Post

Our series of monthly readings continue this Saturday with the aim of encouraging new writing talent.

Time: 3.30pm
Date: 26th May 2007
Place: Seksan's, 67, Jalan Tempinis Satu, Lucky Garden, Bangsar

Readers for this Saturday are:

Wong Phui Nam

Balan Moses

Nora Adam

Nicholas Wong

Pey Colborne

Bernice Chauly

"Readings" is organised by Sharon Bakar and Bernice Chauly. We are grateful to Seksan and La Bodega for sponsorship.

Admission free and everyone very welcome. Please pass on the invitation to anyone else you think might be interested.

(For enquiries contact Sharon at 012-6848835, or sbakar@streamyx.com)

This post will remain sticky until the end of the week. Please check below for most recent posts.

MPH Literary Tatler

Am playing catch-up with some pictures of a couple of MPH events that I meant to post earlier. what can I say ... my hard-disk crashed so I couldn't post them immediately ... and then so many other things got in the way. (And I was a little lazy too ...)

Anyway, if you missed last month's Writers' Circle (held at 1 Utama, 13 March) kick yourselves because there was so much in the talk for writers of creative non-fiction!

Invited speakers Larry Parr (co-author of business tycoon Tan Chin Nam's Never Say I Assume!) and Balan Moses (author of Brickfields: A Place, A Time, A Memory) talked about the researching and writing of their books.


American author Larry Parr had forgotten the first time we met some years ago. I was wandering around the Sucasa very early one morning looking for a decent cup of coffee. (I was due to observe one of my students teaching in the school opposite but needed a caffeine fix first! School canteens don't have Americanas!) I bumped into Larry who told me that there was no coffee available, but there was a small newsagents which also sold second-hand books very cheaply for charity. (Damn! Wasn't going to let that slip!)

We got talking about books (as one does!) and it turned out that Larry collects old novels written about Malaya which he's bought from second-hand bookshops here and in the States. I'm actually quite envious! He told me then that he was going to be working with tycoon Tan Chin Nam on his autobiography and it seemed a really interesting project. We exchanged cards, but I didn't see him again until the Writers' Circle at MPH 1 Utama when he talked about the finished book and the challenges of writing the story of this very important businessman, whose life story parallels the history of the country.

Larry is a fascinating speaker. (This wikipedia article contains some inaccuracies e.g date of birth and number of kids.) He was an expert in Soviet affairs and the editor of Glasnost magazine, and he also edited Chess Life magazine, the official publication of the United States Chess Federation.

(And he's going to be co-writing a thriller, but it's all top secret for now!)

Balan Moses is the news editor of the New Straits Times and has spent all his working life with the newspaper. His book on Brickfields is a loving portrait of an area of the city with a very distinctive history that's rapidly changing out of all recognition. And into the history and geography of the place, Balan weaves personal recollection and portraits of the inhabitants ... as well as mouthwatering descriptions of the food to be found there. It is in many ways a guide book to an area that tourists seldom travel too, but which yields as much (or more) cultural interest as the more famous haunts.

The book is apparently selling very well, and small wonder because I feel it's one that KLites, and particularly Brickfieldsians (!) must surely take to their hearts. I heard from friends who attended a talk that Balan gave at the Commonwealth Club, that members of the audience virtually hijacked the meeting to talk about their own reminiscences of the area and suggest what should go into the next volume!

You can catch Balan at the "Readings" in May. (More about that later.)

The other MPH event was the second Breakfast Club for the Litbloggers held at the Bangsar Village branch on March 24th with Mrs. Good (Lydia Teh) slugging it out with Mrs. Dark Side (Xeus). I'm joking of course ... it was a lovely morning spent with friends chatting about writing and getting published. Both Xeus and Lydia are very good speakers and kept the crowd well entertained.

Xeus (whose very full account of the event can be found here) gave some excellent writing advice.

Lydia Teh was just hilarious. She turned up with a horn so she really could honk! And I loved the piece she read from her book which was a glossary of expressions translated from standard English read into "Manglish" (Malaysian English).

It was Kak Teh's (Zahara Othman) birthday and it was lovely that we were able to celebrate it with her. I like this not yet posed, informal shot. Left to right: Chet, Xeus, me (tangled up with the ficus plant), Lydia, Kak Teh blowing out her candles, Eric Forbes and Janet Teh.

Do come along to the next one this coming Saturday. If you missed Larry Parr, you have a chance to see him again. The mind-expanding Farish Noor will also be along, as will I Am Muslim author Dina Zaman (whom I am introducing).

I must add a silent prayer that the irrepressible and irrelevant questioner behaves himself. Still Kenny will be moderating the session, so we know we're in safe hands. (He will restrain me as ... )

Oh ... and if you do come along, do stay in Bangsar and come along to "Readings" afterwards!

MPH Happenings for March

MPH Writers Circle resumes this month with an interesting session this Saturday(17th), 11-1p.m. in the Booker Room of the 1 Utama branch. The focus is going to be writing memoirs and autobiographies.

The first guest speaker is Larry Parr who is co-author of business tycoon Tan Chin Nam's Never Say I Assume! (A whole lot of articles from the Star and about Tan Chin Nam have been archived here.)

The other is Balan Moses. You may have already seen Brickfields: A Place, A Time, A Memory in the bookshops. I bought it the other day at the MPH Warehouse sale and have been enjoying it. I particularly enjoy the way that he combines the story of this area of the city with personal anecdote, photographs and charming sketches.

I must add that -I'm very fond of Brickfields, and got to know the area when I was supervising my students on teaching practice. Sometimes I had a long gap between the lesssons I had to observe and wandered around appreciating the food (wonderful banana leaf!), the green spaces, the architecture of the "100 Quarters" in Jalan Rozario - sturdy housing built by the British, and the general "Indianess" of the area. I also used to love to visit Skoob when my favourite secondhand bookshop was still in that area. I've been fascinated to find out about the history of the various buildings from Balan's book.

The area is changing so fast now, with office blocks and condominiums,
luxury hotels and KL Sentral station, the main city transport hub, so the book captures a slice of the past before - sadly - it disappears forever.

Well, on Saturday, I'm going to be moderating the session, so I hope to see some of you there!

This is also a suitable point, I think, to put up an ad for the second Breakfast Club the following Saturday (24th) when Lydia Teh (Life's Like That) and Xeus (Dark City) will be slugging it out at MPH Bangsar Village II. (Isn't Kenny's poster great?)