In this episode, the conversation with Yann Chwen is all about asking and exploring questions about our responsibilities as artists, as Malaysians and as humans. They share unique perspective on their practices and share a creation technique they learned that we are just gonna call 741. Towards the end of the episode, they read and we discuss two of their pieces of writing titled “Sometimes” and “Why Move Back?”.

Yann Chwen is a dancer, designer and doer-of-many-things. They are deeply interested in spaces where art and activism live together. Born and raised on Penang Island, Yann Chwen recently moved to KL and can't get enough of chilli pan me. As a queer Malaysian Chinese-Thai settler, they descend from Teochew women who crossed the sea and built families; custodians, teachers, factory workers, butchers and shopkeepers; and their family that now acquires wealth through construction and development. Through dance, art, digital design, facilitation and community-based justice work, Yann Chwen is learning their place in the ecosystem of our world. Their website is www.yannchwen.com

Photo Credit: Katy Lee

In this episode, the conversation with Sean is all about poetry and queerness. He talks about growing up and we get to dive into Button Poetry, slam culture and how poetry has changed in the US. Towards the end of the episode, Sean reads his poem “Whispers for Ameinias” and we discuss queer history and mythology.

Sean Patrick Mulroy is a writer, actor, visual artist, and musician from the American South, who now he lives all over the world. A nationally recognised writer in the US, Sean is a performer, an award winning professor and earned his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sean is a 2013 Lambda Literary Fellow, a 2017-2018 Writer-in-Residence at The Kerouac Project in Orlando Florida, and a 2019 Writer in Residence at Villa Sarkia in Sysma, Finland. His website is http://www.thevanishingman.com

In this episode, the conversation is slightly different from the usual. The podcast just completed its first season and so its a time of looking back and celebrating a little. The hosting reigns is handed over to our last episode’s guest Malaysian illustrator, poet and theatre maker Veshalini Naidu. And we put our executive producer and editor Safwan Siddiq and the podcast creator and host, Dhinesha Karthigesu in the guest seats instead. The conversation is all about how we got into podcasting and explaining all our podcast decisions from naming to curation. Towards the end of the episode, we have a very serious discussion on banana leaf meals and our go to curry spots.

In this episode, the conversation with Vesha is all about the spiritual approach she has towards her projects and also how her family have shaped her artistry. She also shares her unique perspective on character and performance for creation, stepping in and stepping out. Towards the end of the episode, Vesha reads her Facebook post titled “Olive Backed Sun Birds” and we get to talk all about it.

Veshalini Naidu is a Malaysian illustrator, poet, theatremaker, current Resident Designer with Theatresauce and Creative Designer with KAIJU Creatives. “Skin & Flowers” is her on-going watercolour series that explores gender and sexuality in Malaysia. Notable performances include Still Taming & S'kolah (2016), LIFE SDN BHD: People (2017), Malaysia Throws Herself A Birthday Party (2017), 4.48 PSYCHOSIS (2017), The Bee (2018), To Which My Brother Laughed; (2019) and has represented Malaysia at the Asian Youth Theatre Festival (2017) in Singapore and at The St.Petersburg Masterskaya Theatre (2017) in Russia. She has written for the critically acclaimed IndicineLive! V (2018), IndicineLive! VI (2019). Directing credits include Skin & Flowers: In Tender at the Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival 2018 and ROJA: Weaving A Womxn with Dhinesha Karthigesu (2019). She is an INXO Art Fund 2019 recipient for Malam Sayu; a multidisciplinary performance event with Coebar Abel, Jad Hidhir and Anjali Venugopal. Her website is https://veshalininaidu.wixsite.com/veshanaiduart 

In this episode, the conversation with Katrina is all about activism, creativity and family and how for her, they all intersect with one another. She also shares unique perspective on burnout and the power of writing to reimagine and heal. Towards the end of the episode, Katrina reads her poem “Some of Who I Am” and we discuss the very real issues for what that poem stands for. 

Katrina Jorene Maliamauv is a Malaysian human rights activist, educator, and writer who has worked for over a decade to uphold and defend the rights and dignity of all persons, especially migrants, refugees and persons in various forms of slavery. She is unwavering in the pursuit of justice, is a feminist, and a believer in the power of hope, radical love, and collective action.  She writes for healing, she writes for joy, she writes to reimagine and bring into being a more inclusive, just and equal world for all.

In this episode, the conversation with Sumitra Selvaraj is all about Instagram and the stories and sarees she shares using the social media platform. Throughout the interview, Sumitra also talks about her unique documentation and writing process. Towards the end of the episode, she reads a snippet of her story “Appa’s Mutton Curry” which was the runner up for the 2016 D.K. Dutt Memorial Prize for Literary Excellence and was subsequently published in Bitter Root, Sweet Fruit. 

Sumitra Selvaraj is a Malaysian writer and broadcaster who produces her best work under the influence of chicken varuval. When not obsessively reading food labels in grocery stores, she is likely to be in her kitchen, planning meals and avoiding her unfinished novel. Sumitra began writing creative fiction in 2016; her first short story, The Starlight Studio, was published by a South East Asian online literary journal, while ‘Appa’s Mutton Curry’ was awarded runners-up at the 2016 DK Dutt Memorial Prize for Literary Excellence. In 2018 she won the Short Story Prize at the Asian Women Writers Festival in Singapore.

In this episode, the conversation with Cat Brogan is all about her experiences growing up and how much her community and mother have influenced the work and person she is today whether as a spoken word poet or as an organizer. Cat also talks about what it’s like being a foreigner in the Malaysian arts scene. Towards the end of the episode, Cat performs and discusses two of her poems titled ‘Breaking Bread’ and ‘Pairing Socks'. 

In 2011, Cat Brogan won the BBC Edinburgh fringe Poetry Slam. Originally from Northern Ireland, she has performed internationally in over 20 countries, including Pakistan, Kenya, Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, Nepal and USA. Media appearances include the BBC & Irish media. Cat graduated top of her cohort with a Masters as a Writer/Teacher and became a full time Spoken Word Educator in London for three years. Funded by the British Council, she came to Malaysia in April 2016 to research spoken word education in Kuala Lumpur and has been based here ever since. Her academic work has been presented at conferences, published in a journal and is the subject of her TEDx Talk.

In this episode, the conversation with Melizarani is all about the stories we are telling and how our identities influence and affect them. And she shares unique perspective on writing for different mediums and containers. Towards the end of the episode, Melizarani also performs and discusses one of her poems titled ‘The Songs You Don’t Know The Words To’

Melizarani T Selva is a Malaysian spoken word poet venturing into prose. To date, she has performed in six countries with notable performances at the Commonwealth People's Forum in London and ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival. Her first book titled ‘Taboo’ made Top 10 Best-Seller List on Malaysia’s No.1 Online Bookstore (MPH). Her poems have been translated in French and Bahasa Malaysia. Presently, she co-runs the Malaysia National Poetry Slam and has co-published an anthology comprising of 100 poems by 61 poets from Malaysia titled ‘When I Say Spoken, You Say Word’

In this episode, the conversation with Suehaila is all about the thought process of an artist who is constantly trying to grow and improve and get better. Suehaila also shares what it’s like performing as a hijab wearing singer with regards to family, dressing and even censorship. And towards the end of the episode, Suehaila sings and discusses two of her original songs: ‘Will You Still’ and ‘Usah Kau Pergi’. 

Suehaila is a singer/songwriter who has been writing her own songs since she was 16 years old. After years of discovering her sound, she now takes on an alternative R&B/Soul vibe. To date, she has performed at a number of events around Klang Valley, including featuring at Merdekarya and at Riuh’s first event outside of Klang Valley, in Ipoh. She is currently working on producing her originals with her first single estimated to be out by the end of 2019.

In this episode, the conversation with Gwen Yi is all about the intersections of entrepreneurship and creativity. Gwen talks about how the scarcity mindset can affect creativity and the thought of running out of ideas. There is also an amazing segment on getting your work out there and shipping. Towards the end of the episode, you get to hear sales and landing page copy for a future project her company Tribeless is working on. 

In her 25 years of life, Gwen Yi has held many identities. Youth leader. Tech startup CEO wannabe. College drop out. Self healer. Community builder. And most recently, the founder of Tribeless, a global movement and experiential facilitation company that teaches empathy through card-game conversations. She believes in creating spaces in our everyday lives where we can skip the small talk and connect over the experiences that make us human.