KUCHING – Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus will be hosting poet and author Professor Malachi Edwin Vethamani at a unique ‘Meet the Author’ event on 5 September 2023, where members of the public can join in to listen to the distinguished poet read from his latest poetry anthologies.
The event will be held from 4.30pm to 5.30pm at Swinburne Sarawak’s campus along Jalan Simpang Tiga.
Apart from reading his poems, Professor Edwin will be interviewed by his former PhD student and published author, Dr Christina Yin, who is a Senior Lecturer at Swinburne Sarawak’s School of Design and Arts. Members of the audience will be invited to ask questions at the end of the interview session.
A number of students from Swinburne Sarawak’s creative writing community will also be reading from Professor Edwin’s collections, including Rambutan Kisses (2022), The Seven O’Clock Tree (2022) and Love and Loss (2022).
Also an editor, critic, bibliographer and Emeritus Professor at University of Nottingham, Professor Edwin’s poems are enjoyed by readers of all ages. His latest book of poems, ‘The Seven O’Clock Tree’, and two books he edited, ‘Malaysian Millennial Voices’ and ‘The Year of the Rat and Other Poems’, have been purchased by the Malaysian Ministry of Education to be used in schools across the country.
“I hope that poetry comes alive in the English language classroom and students are encouraged to write their own poems, too,” said the eminent poet.
Members of the public who are interested in attending the ‘Meet the Author’ event can register at the following link: https://bit.ly/SUTS-meet-the-author.
‘The Seven O’Clock Tree’, Professor Edwin’s latest book of poems.
Additionally, an exciting opportunity is offered to Malaysian and international poets – either published or unpublished – above 18 years of age. They are invited to submit poems to a new collection to be edited by Professor Edwin based on the theme ‘Malaysian Places and Spaces’.
The poems must be written in English but may include some words of local languages, and should not exceed 40 lines. Up to five poems may be submitted via email to malaysianplacesandspaces@gmail.com and the closing date is 1 December 2023.
Swinburne Sarawak’s School of Design and Arts encourages its students to explore their creativity outside the classroom via the university’s annual Creative Writing and Poetry Writing Competitions. A judging panel of language lecturers led by Dr Christina Yin has provided the technical and creative expertise in designing and judging a conservation-themed Microfiction Challenge in collaboration with the Sarawak Eco Warriors.
Young writers and poets interested in pursuing the creative arts are encouraged to explore opportunities through Swinburne Sarawak’s flexible foundation studies as well as its bachelor’s degree programs in Design as well as Media and Communication.
For more information on Swinburne Sarawak, visit its website (www.swinburne.edu.my), Facebook page (@swinburnesarawak), Instagram page (@swinburnesarawak), Twitter page (@Swinburne_Swk), TikTok page (@swinburnesarawak) or YouTube channel (Swinburne Sarawak).