‘I started writing to make sense of the world around me, to capture memories incase at some point in my life, I’d forget what I had felt. I write to preserve the heart; wait for the muse, pick up my pen, and follow the journey of a new poem.’ – Hafsah Aneela Bashir
Following her bold performance supporting Danez Smith earlier this year, Hafsah Aneela Bashir returns to MLF to share a special theatrical performance of poems from her debut collection The Celox And The Clot. Between the uncertainty and doubt of relationships under strain, to the tragedy of war and its fundamental injustices, Hafsah’s debut collection unapologetically examines the human condition, and the conflicts that arise within us. What does it take to be who we are? What are we prepared to ignore or accept? Never complacent, always conscious of the many journeys each of us must make; this is a collection that travels with us. Directed by theatre-maker Nikki Mailer, Hafsah will be accompanied by Sufi singer and musician Sarah Yaseen. Join us for what’s sure to be an electrifying and provocative performance.
Tickets available here.
from Songs of Protest
The first form of protest I ever saw
was in a gathering of women,
conservative, strict, steadfast,
all leaving the layers accumulated over time at the door.
Slow careful unravelling of headscarves
unveiling shy glints of tinder beneath black robes.
In the centre of the room
a hollowed drum, leathered skin tight on either end,
a silver baton-like spoon tapping surely against it,
bangled hands clapping, no placard in sight,
only the familiar glint of fire in the eyes,
the tell-tale sign when women have had enough.
The strictest of them dipped the shoulder to give permission,
and women morphed to megaphones.
Sueh ve cheeray valia meh kendiyah
Kar chatree di chaawm cha meh bendiyah