St. Martin poet Lasana M. Sekou at the Great Wall of China, 2004 (Saltwater Collection)
GREAT BAY, St. Martin (December 22, 2004)—Poet/author Lasana M. Sekou returned home on December 17 from the International Writers Workshop (IWW) at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU).
The Hong Kong-based program gave Sekou the opportunity to recite St. Martin poetry in Hong Kong and in the Chinese capital of Beijing.
But which poems did he recite? Did he read from his new poetry book The Salt Reaper? Were there language difficulties between the majority Chinese-speaking audiences and the English-speaking poet whose recitals are at times a racing rush of languages, Caribbean terms and images, often a blatant deconstruction of Western and reconstruction of African aesthetics and ideas — and not to forget dramatic body movements?
“The six English-speaking writers had their poetry and fiction translated into Chinese and the three Chinese-speaking writers had their work translated into English,” said Sekou on Wednesday.
The writers were invited to participate in the IWW– with the scholarly title of visiting fellows—by whom Sekou called the “gracious” Dr. Chung Ling, the program’s director and dean of HKBU’s Arts Faculty.
The translators and linguists from HKBU Translation Center — a leader in the area, having translated both literature, scientific, and aviation books and documents, worked on the poems and fiction.
In fact, Professor Jane Lai, a “grand lady” and of Hong Kong’s senior translators, worked personally on Sekou’s poetry.
Professor Lai, also a former dean of HBKU Arts Faculty, “noted that the translation team not only looked for structural elements and philosophical terms such as ‘I&I’ but she in particular also looked at the nuances and rhythm of language of the text,” said Sekou.
The IWW published the translated works and sold or distributed the 133-page journal of translated writings to audiences at the recitals. At least four of the writers had published a novel or a collection of short stories or poetry in 2004, before attending the IWW.
According to Sekou, the Hong Kong audience at the Fringe Club included foreign English-speaking people, not the least being a number of diplomats as well as Chinese who were versed in both languages. A number of audience members could be seen following the reading by looking at the Chinese text in the journal.
In Beijing, the larger audience of some 150 people overflowing into the hallway of the recital room was made up overwhelmingly of graduate students and lecturers from the languages college of the Beijing Normal University.
“The students alternated more often between looking at the authors reciting and following the texts printed in Chinese in the journal. In both cases the responses were exciting.”
A copy of the HKBU Chinese/English journal, entitled Writers of Post-colonial English Speaking Countries was presented to the Philipsburg Jubilee Library here this week by Sekou.
“St. Martiners who speak Chinese or are interested in learning the language could look at this book and get an idea of how St. Martin and other writings look or are translated into a language from a country that is fast emerging as a major force in international trade and cultural/intellectual exchange.
“I recited ‘Visit&Fellowship II’ and the poem to Rocky Philip, ‘The blood boil,’ both are in The Salt Reaper.
“In Hong Kong I also read a new piece called ‘Hong Kong Sunday.’ It looks at a bit of a sensitive issue of Filipinas in Hong Kong as domestic workers.
“It is always a good idea to let St. Martin people know which poems, songs, or paintings that our artists perform or exhibit abroad.
“One way or the other we are always representing or being representative of St. Martin and sharing the experience is as much a celebration of our culture as it is a way of showing respect to the people as the source of our work.”
As for more Chinese-speakers reading literature from St. Martin, Sekou was one of five of the nine writers who were published in the Hong Kong Literary Monthly (no. 240). All of the nine writers were published in the December edition of the HK Writer. Both are Chinese-language magazines.
It is not often that a writer gets his or her work translated into another language and when it happens it certainly helps with the sharing and understanding of ideas and cultures between diverse peoples and countries.
The writers that participated in the IWW were Yun Jiang (China), Yi-chin Lo (Taiwan), Zishu Li (Malaysia), Dr. Sukrita Paul Kumar (India), Amma Darko (Ghana), Darryl Accone (South Africa), Dr. Tabish Khair (India/Scandinavia), Dr. Cynthia James (Trinidad and Tobago), and Sekou (St. Martin).
Professor C.F. Ng, president and vice-chancellor of HKBU, hailed the program as the first of its kind in Asia. He said that the IWW idea at HKBU included the promotion of Hong Kong as an Asian and international cultural city for literary creativity and international cultural exchange.
The program (November 16-December 14, 2004) was inaugurated on November 29 at the Intercontinental Hong Kong hotel.
The Dutch Consul-General, Hon. Jan Revis, formally introduced Sekou at the opening ceremony, as did the Consul-General or honorary consuls for the other visiting writers according to the protocol observed by IWW.
“Even though I am from The Netherlands,” Revis said, he took “pride in” and was “delighted to introduce the writer from St. Martin in the Caribbean” and “officially welcome him to Hong Kong.”
Later during the reception Sekou said he thanked Revis for attending the ceremony. “We … spoke informally and very cordially. … He asked about developments in the Southern part of St. Martin and I noted my position for St. Martin independence.
“I pointed out that both sides of St. Martin were in fact involved in constitutional status discussions and developments to stay within the colonial frameworks of the Netherlands and France.”
Interestingly, the IWW first-year theme was “postcolonial writing” and “a number of people who asked about St. Martin were surprised that the island was still a colony,” said Sekou.
All of the visiting authors, at least four of which had a book published in 2004, spoke to HKBU writing and journalism classes and read their works on the RTHK radio program “Morning Call.”
A key feature of the IWW was the “Creative Writing Seminar: Color and Cultural Identity” with the honorary fellows and leading Hong Kong authors such as Agnes Lam and Xu Xi. Each visiting writer had to prepare a discussion paper. The seminar was repeated at the 102-year-old Beijing Normal University. In Beijing the writers were also received and dined by the vice president of China’s congress.
According to Sekou, the sights, sounds, and food of the world trade-famous city of Hong Kong and ancient city of Beijing were expected pleasures and inspiration.
The St. Martin poet enjoyed mostly, however, the discussions and camaraderie with the other writers, “the warmth and friendliness of the folks of the IWW-HKBU and the BNU hosts,” HKBU’s “St. Martin-like hospitality,” and the time and space to write a new collection of poems and essays so early after The Salt Reaper – Poems from the flatswas released here on November 6, 2004.
Sekou also promoted other St. Martin and Caribbean writers and books by distributing House of Nehesi’s catalogue and postcards.