Poetry reading at Cioconat Lounge today

Saturday, 9 August 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

To mark International Book Lover’s Day in partnership with Annasi & Kadalagotu Cioconat Lounge, in partnership with Annasi & Kadalagotu, will mark International Book Lover’s Day on August 9 with a poetry reading featuring Graetiaen Prize winner Sachintha Sachitanandan, Arun Dias Bandaranaike, Sharon Dinasha Stephen, Rasika Jayakody, Imaad Majeed and Benny Lau. Annasi & Kadalagotu will be launching its first crowd-funding campaign to realise the publishing of Benny Lau’s WRITHINGS or Bola Kassim chapbook.

Sakunthala Sachithanandan was awarded the Gratiaen Prize in 2011 for her book of poetry, On the Streets and Other Revelations, praised by the judges for its engagement with social issues. Her work is affected by the plight of the marginalised. Arun Dias Bandaranaike is the man behind the voice that you hear coming at you from radio, TV and stage. Sonorous, mellifluous, funny and mischievous, Arun is an ardent fan of jazz, being able to play the saxophone and double bass. In recent times, he has surprised people with his penchant for wordplay at the Poetry P’lau. Rasika Jayakody is a journalist by profession and a poet by habit. Known for writing a poem a day, distributed via Facebook notes, he has been dubbed by Gratiaen Prize winner Malinda Seneviratne as the best writer of love poems in the English language in Sri Lanka, today. Sharon Dinasha Stephen is a shy poet, but unafraid to take to public speaking. She will be reading some of her own work as well as those of Rasika Jayakody. Imaad Majeed is a poet, rapper, singer-songwriter, and one part of the Poetry P’lau collective. He is the Founder, Editor and Publisher at Annasi & Kadalagotu. He will be reading from his unpublished collection of poetry, One Hundred Love Poems.

Benny Lau is an enigma, an incarnation, a ravenous platypus, a juggler of words and performance poet. With roots reaching into conscious rap and hip hop, his style of poetry is intrinsically rhythmic, often overwhelming in depth and weight, layered with intellect and speckled with humour. He will be reading from his soon to be published poetry chapbook, Writhings or Bola Kassim. Annasi & Kadalagotu (www.kadalagotu.com) is a small-press publishing house based in Colombo that seeks to re-introduce the title of benefactor, or patron of the arts, to the Sri Lankan literary scene. Writhings or Bola Kassim will be the first poetry chapbook of an individual poet to be published under the imprint, realised through a crowd-funding campaign that kick-starts today. The reading starts at 12 noon and goes on till 2 p.m. Entrance is free and donations will be welcome to go towards the campaign. Cioconat Lounge is located at the corner of Barnes Place and Kynsey Road, Colombo 7.