{"id":1329,"date":"2004-12-22T13:22:01","date_gmt":"2004-12-22T13:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/?p=1329"},"modified":"2015-05-17T13:22:24","modified_gmt":"2015-05-17T13:22:24","slug":"sekou-is-visiting-fellow-in-hong-kong-recites-poetry-in-chinas-capital-beijing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/2004\/12\/22\/sekou-is-visiting-fellow-in-hong-kong-recites-poetry-in-chinas-capital-beijing\/","title":{"rendered":"Sekou is \u201cvisiting fellow\u201d in Hong Kong, recites poetry in China\u2019s capital, Beijing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

St. Martin poet Lasana M. Sekou at the Great Wall of China, 2004 (Saltwater Collection<\/em>)<\/em><\/p>\n

GREAT BAY, St. Martin\u00a0(December 22, 2004)\u2014<\/strong>Poet\/author Lasana M. Sekou returned home on December 17 from the International Writers Workshop (IWW) at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU).<\/p>\n

The Hong Kong-based program gave Sekou the opportunity to recite St. Martin poetry in Hong Kong and in the Chinese capital of Beijing.<\/p>\n

But which poems did he recite? Did he read from his new poetry book\u00a0The Salt Reaper<\/em>? 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?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe six English-speaking writers had their poetry and fiction translated into Chinese and the three Chinese-speaking writers had their work translated into English,\u201d said Sekou on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The writers were invited to participate in the IWW– with the scholarly title of visiting fellows\u2014by whom Sekou called the \u201cgracious\u201d Dr. Chung Ling, the program\u2019s director and dean of HKBU\u2019s Arts Faculty.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In fact, Professor Jane Lai, a \u201cgrand lady\u201d and of Hong Kong\u2019s senior translators, worked personally on Sekou\u2019s poetry.<\/p>\n

Professor Lai, also a former dean of HBKU Arts Faculty, \u201cnoted that the translation team not only looked for structural elements and philosophical terms such as \u2018I&I\u2019 but she in particular also looked at the nuances and rhythm of language of the text,\u201d said Sekou.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

A copy of the HKBU Chinese\/English journal, entitled\u00a0Writers of Post-colonial English Speaking Countries<\/em> was presented to the Philipsburg Jubilee Library here this week by Sekou.<\/p>\n

\u201cSt. 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recited \u2018Visit&Fellowship II\u2019 and the poem to Rocky Philip, \u2018The blood boil,\u2019 both are in\u00a0The Salt Reaper<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Hong Kong I also read a new piece called \u2018Hong Kong Sunday.\u2019 It looks at a bit of a sensitive issue of Filipinas in Hong Kong as domestic workers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is always a good idea to let St. Martin people know which poems, songs, or paintings that our artists perform or exhibit abroad.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for more Chinese-speakers reading literature from St. Martin, Sekou was one of five of the nine writers who were published in the\u00a0Hong Kong Literary Monthly<\/em> (no. 240). All of the nine writers were published in the December edition of the\u00a0HK Writer<\/em>. Both are Chinese-language magazines.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The program (November 16-December 14, 2004) was inaugurated on November 29 at the Intercontinental Hong Kong hotel.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I am from The Netherlands,\u201d Revis said, he took \u201cpride in\u201d and was \u201cdelighted to introduce the writer from St. Martin in the Caribbean\u201d and \u201cofficially welcome him to Hong Kong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later during the reception Sekou said he thanked Revis for attending the ceremony. \u201cWe \u2026 spoke informally and very cordially. \u2026 He asked about developments in the Southern part of St. Martin and I noted my position for St. Martin independence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the IWW first-year theme was \u201cpostcolonial writing\u201d and \u201ca number of people who asked about St. Martin were surprised that the island was still a colony,\u201d said Sekou.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cMorning Call.\u201d<\/p>\n

A key feature of the IWW was the \u201cCreative Writing Seminar: Color and Cultural Identity\u201d 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\u2019s congress.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The St. Martin poet enjoyed mostly, however, the discussions and camaraderie with the other writers, \u201cthe warmth and friendliness of the folks of the IWW-HKBU and the BNU hosts,\u201d HKBU\u2019s \u201cSt. Martin-like hospitality,\u201d and the time and space to write a new collection of poems and essays so early after\u00a0The Salt Reaper \u2013 Poems from the flats<\/em>was released here on November 6, 2004.<\/p>\n

Sekou also promoted other St. Martin and Caribbean writers and books by distributing House of Nehesi\u2019s catalogue and postcards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

St. Martin poet Lasana M. Sekou at the Great Wall of China, 2004 (Saltwater Collection) GREAT BAY, St. Martin\u00a0(December 22, 2004)\u2014Poet\/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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-2004"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1329"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1330,"href":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1329\/revisions\/1330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}