Protest Poetry for Liu Xiaobo at the Book Lounge (Videos)
Following the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s Prize for Peace award to Chinese dissident, Liu Xiaobo, a campaign began to translate his co-authored “Charter 08″ and his poem “You Wait for Me with Dust” into a number of different languages. This was done with a view to organising a worldwide reading series to protest his continued incarceration by the Chinese government.
In a joint initiative between South African PEN and Poetry International Web South Africa, a reading was held on Sunday afternoon at the Book Lounge, with South African writers sharing their prison writings, and Xiaobo’s writings being read in English and Afrikaans translation. This event was one of 90 similar readings taking place in 33 countries on every continent. From Jordan to Japan, Iceland to Australia, writers around the world joined hands to stake a claim for freedom of speech.
Margie Orford welcomed the small audience, saying that SA PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee was commencing its activities with this protest and looked forward to heightening awareness of the plight of writers in prison in Africa.
(See videos playlist, below.)
Denis Goldberg, who had a prior obligation at the Liliesleaf Museum in Rivonia, sent a clear message against intolerance. The procedings commenced with Ken Barris reading an extract of “Charter 08″ which sets out the concerns of Xiaobo and his co-authors. Writers Lynn Carneson, James Matthews, Keith Gottschalk, Kelwyn Sole and Gabeba Baderoon took the stand, expressing their support for the freedom of speech and reading from their own works.
Keith Gottschalk, of UWC‘s Department of Political Science, was unequivocal, criticising Southern African universities hosting the Confucius Institutes (Rhodes University, Tshwane University of Technology, Stellenbosch University, University of Zimbabwe, University of Botswana, University of Antananarivo in Madagascar, and University of Cape Town) and the University of Stellenbosch, which hosts the Centre for Chinese Studies.
(See videos playlist, below.)
Kelwyn Sole, of UCT’s English department, said Denis Goldberg’s statement resonated for him. “Some of Liu’s views and opinions I’d rather not agree with … but the point is I’d much prefer a state where we were free to argue … I’m here because what I abhor more than anything else is a state that imprisons people for so-called ‘speech crimes’.”
Before reading her contribution Gabeba Baderoon thanked those involved in hosting the event for making the gesture. “What a small and fragile gesture this is, and what a dangerous and powerful gesture too.”
The final item on the programme was the reading of Xiaobo’s poem, “You Wait for Me with Dust”. First it was read in the original Mandarin by an anonymous, masked reader. This was a haunting encounter for those who imagined the solitude from which it was written. It was followed in English, read by Liesl Jobson, and an Afrikaans translation by Johann de Lange was read by Karin Schimke.
Video playlist:
In conclusion, Margie Orford reflected on the fear that repressive governments have in regard to the freedom of speech and our own proposed Protection of Information Bill, which will hopefully “be scuppered by its own stupidity”. She said, “Human speech is never a thing one does alone in a monologue unless one is psychotic. Speech requires listening, listening requires conversation, conversation requires dialogue. Governments seem afraid of their own inability to listen, to react and to find away of compromise.”
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Book details
- Liu Xiaobo edited by Frederic P Miller, Agnes F Vandome, John McBrewster
EAN: 9786130654917
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Apr
