Last year, I had the incredible opportunity to be a part of a wonderful project—What the Water Gave Us—by Lucy Writers, funded by Arts Council England Lottery Grant. For a year, I worked with the inimitable So Mayer who proved not only to be a truly holistic mentor, but also a kind and compassionate human through and through. So taught me to trust myself, trust my methods, my thoughts, and most importantly, be proud of them. I am forever thankful for their guidance.
Our sessions were quiet, personal, and empowering. Though I wanted to shout about stuff after each meeting, it was a process, and patience was (and still is) key. Through the year, we worked on an area of writing that I’d always been uncomfortable with—poetry.
I have written and published poetry previously, but they felt like small, art projects… little experiments. I have Aki Schilz to thank for working with me on my first collection (of short stories and poetry) way back when, an experience that planted in me a trust in editors, cementing my respect of their knowledge. Aki single-handedly taught me more about poetry as a form in that time than anyone else has ever done. Around the same time, Kristian Agustin’s passion in art and life encouraged me to share my poetry with him, in turn for them to be published as part of his collection called For Love and Poetry. He taught me to be proud of them and have been a constant source of inspiration and motivation through countless collaborations since.
Still, I never thought of myself to be a poet, and in all honesty I still don’t. But I now know that poetry is an important part of me. It is a form that allows me to speak about things that I cannot find words for, to explore terrains that scare me in prose.
In the last years, through my PhD work, I gave myself permission to explore areas that have always been uncomfortable—on identity, language, and culture. Poetry gave me the form and space to initiate conversations that voice my fears, guilt, and regrets, which was necessary to create the paths to understanding, acceptance, and joy. During this time, I found Lucy Writers who gave a wonderful home to my poem ‘Mother Tongue’. The stars aligned for that project when I had the opportunity to work with Nina Mingya Powles who helped me edit that piece and showed me how to nurture and mold stubborn pieces born in catharsis.
It was ‘Mother Tongue’ that brought me to Lucy Writers, and to What the Water Gave Us, and to So. And it is with the support of all who’ve contributed to my poetry practice above and more! that I proudly share the news that new pieces of my poetry will be included in the upcoming book What the Water Gave Us, among the works of an incredible community of writers.
What the Water Gave Us includes beautiful original writing from Shirley Ahura, Susan Barker, Jenny Chamarette, Yvonne Battle-Felton, Selin Genc, Denise Rose Hansen, Emma Korantema Hanson, Claire Hynes, So Mayer, Emily Midorikawa, Yen Ooi, Shamini Sriskandarajah and Rojbîn Arjen Yiğit, and features a Foreword by Editors Elodie Rose Barnes and Hannah Hutchings-Georgiou and an Afterword by Jonathan Ruppin.
In celebration with all who have been a part of this incredible project, I will be reading at the book launch event on Thursday 29th June, 6.30-9.00pm at Burley Fisher Books, London. Come join us in person or in spirit.
The Water gave me poetry and for that I am grateful.
Congratulations Yen! I can't wait to read it.