Open mic and spoken word series Spoke & Bird is back this July with publisher Gaudy Boy, the imprint of Singapore Unbound, to bring you an exciting edition with two incredible headliners. Still taking place as an online edition, Spoke & Bird brings back two of its earliest features, Texas-born Afro-Latinx performance artist, dancer, and Pushcart-nominated poet Arielle Cottingham and 2019 Gaudy Boy Prize Winner, Paula Mendoza.
For the uninitiated, Gaudy Boy was established in 2018 as the imprint of the NYC-based literary non-profit Singapore Unbound. The name was inspired by the poem Gaudy Turnout by Singaporean author Arthur Yap, about his time abroad in Leeds. Gaudy Boy brings poetry, fiction and literary non-fiction by authors of Asian heritage to an American audience.
Emerging poets can also sign up for one of the eight performing spots in the open mic session, where each participant gets five minutes to perform a poem. We're all for new talents in the Singapore literary scene. Open mic spots are open to anyone, regardless of where you are in the world. Sign up by emailing spokeandbird@gmail.com with your name and email. You'll also get an email with instructions and will be required to show up for a soundcheck at 7pm on July 11.
The live stream will take place on Spoke & Bird's Facebook page. While the show is free, do show your support at ko-fi.com/spokeandbird.