Poetry Masterclass with Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan

Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan

Abstract

What possibility does poetry hold when it comes to the question of decolonising our minds and our world? Language is a tool of conquest, of dominance, of ideological coercion; but it has also been a language of protest, a language used by revolutionaries, by anti-colonial resisters, by freedom-fighters, marginalised people building community, prisoners, rebels, martyrs, captives.

Join Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan to consider how poetry can help us exceed and defy the colonial boundaries placed on our imaginings of ourselves and our world. What do the images we use as analogies say about whose gaze we see ourselves through? What do the unspoken questions our poems feel forced to answer tell us about the demands upon us to prove our humanity?

Using her poetry and the poetry of others Suhaiymah will prompt and guide workshop attendees to attempt to express themselves on new terms. No previous writing experience required, only a little hope and a lot of questions.

This event is part of the Virtual SOAS Festival of Ideas, a week-long series of virtual events. The festival includes: panel discussions, student led installations, masterclasses, keynote lectures, a public debate for/against on Decolonising Knowledge and a Verbatim performance by Bhuchar Boulevard on ‘Decolonising Not Just a Buzzword’ capturing SOAS conversations about the need to decolonise its imperial mission.

Keep updated on the upcoming Virtual Festival of Ideas events and watch recordings of previous events on the SOAS website. Please contact foi@Soas.ac.uk with any questions regarding this event and/or the Virtual SOAS Festival of Ideas.

Please support SOAS Festival of Ideas by donating to our crowdfunding campaign at https://soas.hubbub.net/p/SOASFestivalofIdeas/ . All proceeds go to supporting the speakers, performers, and artists involved.

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Organiser: SOAS Festival of Ideas, SOAS South Asia Institute

Contact email: foi@soas.ac.uk