Connect with Writers Connect

Writers - here's somewhere you might like to send your writing.

Writers Connect is an online literary arts portal designed to connect writers to writers and writers to readers. It is owned and managed by Word Forward Limited, a non-profit literary arts company based in Singapore.

It welcomes quality creative works in all genres (fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, book reviews, essays, and interviews) from all corners of the world but works on and about Asia are especially welcome. Submission guidelines can be found here.

I don't know how this online publication slipped beneath my radar (it could well just be a case of me being as confused as the proverbial cuttlefish ... yes, I knew about WordForward the organisation, knew they had regular gatherings for writers, but hadn't realised they had got this together!).

Anyway, I would like to point you in the direction of some excellent fiction, some of it written by folks who are friends of this blog. The story of the week this time is Elmo Jayawardena's Tsunami. (You may remember this author from his visit to KL last year.) Other contributors you may know include local mat salleh Yusof Martin and Singaporean journalist and blogger Zafar Anjum. More stories here.

I also need to play catch-up with the poetry, interviews and reviews (the latest of which is Zafar's discussion of In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin.)

KL Poetry Slam Rides Again

After a hiatus, the KL Poetry Slam is being resurrected. This message from Elaine Foster came via Facebook, and she's happy to have it passed on to all of you :

Hey guys. By now I'm sure you have all heard that George, Han , Sheena and I are co-organising the KL Poetry Slam with Chris and Word Forward. The event is 99% confirmed to be held at Lepaq in Hartamas on the 25th April. I hope you guys will all consider taking part, if not in the slam it self but in the open mic section. More details will be released soon regarding the theme and feature poets.

Also, George and I are interested to hold a mini slam workshop before the slam itself, maybe the weekend before. If you are interested pls let me know asap so we can arrange space and time. I think if anything, the so-called 'slam workshop' will be a really cool opportunity to get together, practice, see what we've all been doing, polishing up our performance skills and maybe learn something new. Please let me know, oh and please spread the 'word' and 'forward' this message to anyone you think would wanna take part. Fresh blood fresh blood!!!!!!!

Kindest Regards
Elaine

You can contact Elaine Website via Facebook or at theloudgirl at yahoo dot co dot uk

Slammin' the Slammin'

One dark dark picture which if you squint at carefully, you can see the faint outline of performance poet Jacob Sam-La Rose. (The rest of my photos of last night's Green Slam at the Loft, Zouk are so crappy that I'm not even considering putting them up! My little camera doesn't like low light conditions.)

It was really nice to hear Jacob again and revisit some of the poems that had really touched me the last time he was here.

George Wielgus was also on very good form as the mighty Jah-J (his piece about how hard it is to slam and challenging the audience to come up if they thought they could do it better was excellent) and I enjoyed hearing Singaporean poet Pooja Nansi again. Her poem about Singapore was especially good. (But I am so sad I missed Reza Rosli because I left before he read.)

In the first round, I liked Kathleen Choo's poem about dead white poets the best. But I was disappointed overall that so little was made of the night's theme which seems to me to offer a great many possibilities.

I was a bit upset with myself because I wanted to click off the more embarrassing offerings (joining in the spirit of the thing!) I found my fingers just don't make a sound. The carpet muffled any sound of stamping. (Just as well because the rest of the audience were a much politer lot.)

There were some things that annoyed me. I thought it was against the rules to sing? (Though a couple of people did.) It also bothers me a bit that a fakey American accent seems de rigeur. Be yourselves guys, use your own voices!

There were some very nice poems, well delivered, and it makes me very happy to see how well the poets who have been working at performance poetry for some time are developing. It was great to pick up some of the chapbooks produced too.

I only stayed until the second round of the slam because ... (and here I'm going to do a gestapo-like rant for a minute, if you'll excuse me) I do not think my body should be breathing clouds of second-hand cigarette smoke, and because I object to having to go away smelling like an unemptied ashtray when I came into it smelling of L'Occitane Lavender (had you got close enough to notice).

This is one area where (and I hate to admit this) I think Singapore has it right!!!!!!

Well done though to Chris Mooney-Singh and Savinder of Word Forward, and Daphne Lee who made this happen and provide an invaluable space in which poets can learn and grow. We look forward to news of the next slam.

Postscript :

I've nicked Reza's recording of Jacob's performance. (Sorry - I don't know how to stop the video continually replaying itself. I just turn the sound off now that I know the poems off by heart.)

The John Keats Poetry Slam

As promised, Poetry Slam has finally made it to KL!

"The Points are not the point. The Point is Poetry"

Organisers: WordForward & The Dram Projects

Date: 23rd Feb

Place: The Loft, Zouk Club, 13. Jalan Ampang, KL

Time: 7pm-10.30pm

Cover charge: RM10 gets you into Poetry Slam and allows you to stay on at The Loft for the entire night.

Stand up and be heard at KL Poetry Slam, an on-the-spot three round poetry contest in which poets perform, recite, or read their works on a stage before an audience and under a time limit (usually three minutes each). The vital element in a poetry slam is that the poems are judged immediately afterward by five people picked randomly from the audience who award numerical values (from zero to ten) to each poem. Individual or group that scores the highest points, wins the competition.

Poets should prepare three poems (approx three minutes in length each). The poem for the first round MUST contain a line from a John Keats poem as the slam falls on the death anniversary of the poet.

To register email Daphne at info@dramprojects.com.

For more information about Poetry Slam call Daphne at 016-328 1513 or go here.

So ... er ... who exactly was this John Keats bloke and where can you nick some of his lines? Follow me and I'll show you.

Litfest Fringe

So you're not going to the KL Litfest (KLILF 2007) because you're working and feel a bit sick about missing events you enjoy? Or maybe you can't afford the registration?

The good news is that some of the biggest names will be appearing in other venues around town and events are either free or at minimal cost! Yipeee!

British performance poet Benjamin Zephaniah will be appearing at Central Market Annexe on Friday March 30th at 8.30p.m.in a performance jointly presented by British Council, Ricecooker and Bau-Bau Café featuring Wayang Kadbod by the kids from Projek Kampung Seni, local street poet Rahmat Haron and music by Tenderfist and Kuchalana. Admission RM10 at the door, no reservations necessary. This promises to be one of the most exciting live literature events of the year. Don't miss it.

Here's more about Zephaniah from the British Council website:

Born in 1958 in Birmingham and raised in Jamaica and Handsworth, the young Benjamin left school at the age of 14. By the time he was 15, he had developed a strong home town following as a young poet who was capable of speaking on local and international issues.

He published his first book Pen Rhythm at age 22, though it was through performance that Benjamin earned a name for himself. His second collection of poetry, The Dread Affair: Collected Poems (1985) contained a number of poems attacking the British legal system; Rasta Time in Palestine (1990), an account of a visit to the Palestinian occupied territories, contained poetry and travelogue; Too Black, Too Strong (2001) was inspired by his tenure as Poet in Residence at the chambers of London barrister Michael Mansfield QC and by his attendance at both the inquiry into the 'Bloody Sunday' shootings and the inquiry into the death of Ricky Reel, an Asian student found dead in the Thames. His poetry collections include books for children: Talking Turkeys (1994) and Funky Chickens (1996), andnovels for teenagers: Face (1999), described by the author as a story of 'facial discrimination'; Refugee Boy (2001), the story of a young boy, Alem, fleeing the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea; and Gangsta Rap (2004).

He has been Writer in Residence at the Africa Arts Collective in Liverpool and Creative Artist in Residence at Cambridge University; has received numerous honorary doctorates for his work in literature, and in 1998, was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education to advise on the place of music and art in the National Curriculum. He has written plays for radio, TV and the stage, and includes several music recordings in his repertoire.

Canadian author Camilla Gibb (left) is going to be appearing at Kinokuniya bookstore in KLCC at 7.30 on the 30th, and also at MPH Mid Valley Megamall, KL 2-3p.m. on 1st April.

Our own Tash Aw, author of the award-winning The Harmony Silk Factory, will be appearing at the Book Cafe in MPH, 1 Utama at 8pm on Wednesday 28th March.

On Thursday 29th, he will be at Borders in Berjaya Times Square (Jalan Imbi, KL) from 4pm to 5pm, and at MPH in Bangsar Village II (Bangsar Baru, KL) from 6pm to 7pm. Later at MPH Mid Valley Megamall, KL, from 8pm to 9pm, there will be a book-signing session with the author. More details in todays Star Two. (But oh - ouch ouch ouch - how I wish they'd drop his price tag off the headlines!)

And then, of course, we've got Chris Mooney-Singh and the Word Forward poets at Seksan's on Saturday afternoon. Not only is the event itself free, but we also have lovely free wine courtesy of our sponsor La Bodega. Now how can you resist!

Update:

Sharanya tells me that on Sunday April 1st at 9pm at No Black Tie there will be poetry by Cyril Wong (S'pore), Bernice Chauly, Jerome Kugan and Sharanya herself. Entry RM15. (Click poster to enlarge.)

Our First Poetry Slam?

Remember how I told you I was not going to organise "readings" at Seksan's this month 'cos there would be so much going on for the KL Litfest? Well, it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind!

There's nothing else going on Saturday 31st, and many of you will miss the Litfest events because they are being held during the week and many of you are working. Besides I don't know about you but it is already feeling like a long time since our last afternoon at Seksan's ... and I'm getting withdrawal symptoms!

Chris Mooney Singh who organises Singapore's monthly poetry slam gigs with WordForward is coming up for the Litfest and is scheduled for a couple appearances, one on the Thursday (29th) afternoon, one on the Friday morning (30th), with the group of performance poets and he's bringing with him.

But there is no space on the programme for a proper poetry slam, so Chris asked those of us who organise Live Lit events in KL for help. I felt it was too good an opportunity to miss!

We've never had a proper slam before in KL - our performance poetry scene is fairly new, but the talent and the enthusiasm is there - and now we get a chance to see how we fare in a competitive environment. And also to see if poetry slams work for us and we want to organise more of them.

How does a slam work? Chris describes it as an open mic gently contesting in the name of Poetry. He will be hosting the event with US Slam legend Ray McNiece and promises they will both be as entertaining and off the wall as possible.

Actor-musician Ray McNiece has been a full time performance poet and workshop facilitator for 20 years and has traveled widely and performed with some truly great names such as Robert Bly, Ferlingetti and Yevtushenko the greatest living Russian poet with whom he toured Russia a few years ago.

Chris says:

Some helpful Slam adages: ‘The points are not the point, the point is poetry’ and ‘The best poet never wins’. The Slam has a lot of entertainment value and traditionally draws good crowds especially non-poets who are curious to see poetry as sport. We see the Slam as part of the performance poetry package in a literary scene and every event we hold in Singapore has a mixture of traditional open mic, features, music, dance items, theatre pieces multi-media etc along with a Slam.

Okay, to make this event work, first we need some confident poets who can stand-up and perform their work, and who will not have their egos shattered totally if they don't win! If you are brave enough to compete, please get in touch with me by e-mail sbakar at streamyx dot com. Preference will be given to those who have read at other open mic gigs or have taken part in the poetry workshops organised by British Council.

We also hope to have one or two Singaporean poets taking part ... but this is not a cross-causeway battle!

Each poet needs to have 3 original poems ready. Using a script is fine, but as Chris says, memorization does impress more wherever possible. Each poem should be no longer than 3 minutes or points are deducted. There are 3 rounds.

We will have a team of five judges (who they will be is to be decided). Poets are scored from 1-10 with or without decimals eg 1.1, 9.9 or whole numbers. No props, costumes or musical instruments are used.

Oh yes, and there will be prizes in the form of cash and book vouchers! And if any organisation out there (and hey, I know the bookshop folks and publishers read this blog!) and would like to add some more prizes and have your name up on the publicity, please get in touch.

I will be screaming out to ask certain individuals with some logistical help. And can anyone suggest some reasonably priced accomodation in KL for Chris and his team who are not receiving any sponsorship?

We will revert to out usual "readings" format for April's event and I already have some great names lined up.