Layl Ash-Shayr 13

About the Programme

Layl Ash-Shayr, which loosely translates from Arabic to "Poetry Night", is an open-mic and spoken word event for Muslim writers in Singapore to share their work and engage with fellow creatives.

For our eighth session in 2024, we're excited to have Ilyatunnisa and Mysara Aljaru. We will also open up the stage for 5 open-mic slots for emerging voices in the SG Muslim literary scene to perform, gain experience and network with other fellow writers. Ultimately, we hope to build a network of Muslim writers who can support one another in their literary journeys.

Event Details

Day/Date: Thursday, 10 October 2024
Time: 8.15pm - 9.45pm (doors open at 8pm)
Venue: Wardah Books, Reading Loft (Level 2)

Ticketed event, registration is compulsory.
General Ticket: $10
LAS Supporter Ticket: $15
Purchase tickets here: tinyurl.com/laylash-shayr13

About the Open-Mic

We are welcoming Muslim poets of any experience level, whether you’ve attended classes, published poems or have never let your poetry leave your notebook/smart phone, we want you!Here are some guidelines for you to follow:

1. You will have 5 mins to perform any number of pieces.
2. There is no set theme. Pick any topic for your piece!
3. That said, please ensure religious sensitivity and tactfulness when addressing sensitive topics, and generally avoid using crude language in your poems. We may request poems to be swapped or partially edited to ensure they are suitable for our audience.
4. Your poems can take any shape and form - be experimental about it! Just let us know in advance should you need tech/equipment support.
5. Non-English poems or poems with snippets of other languages can be performed, but we do request you provide an English translation (whether read aloud or shared on screen/through a link!).
6. Your poems can be previously published, living rent-free in your head or written mere minutes prior!

About the Speakers

Ilya is a poet and fiction writer. She is currently writing a collection of speculative short stories looking at the relationship between technology and the supernatural through varying figures of the 'supernatural cyborg'. She is interested in offering representations of mutations between the human and non-human in technologically mediated worlds, exploring what being or the process of becoming human could look like.

Mysara Aljaru is a creative and writer. Previously a journalist and documentary producer, her works have been showcased across spaces in Singapore and Indonesia, where she looks into state-constructed narratives that cut across race, gender, class and sexuality. She is also the co-editor of Brown Is Redacted, an anthology looking into minority experiences in Singapore.