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Alone in Babel, Arts & CultureJune 17, 2014

Round 1: Canada-St. Lucia

PREAMBLE

It’s a Caribbean carnival here at The Missing Slate right now: our new issue, published yesterday, brought together three generations of the very best Caribbean writers, and Vahni Capildeo (representing Trinidad & Tobago) has just edged out Kapka Kassabova to go through to the next round of the Poetry World Cup. Today’s match keeps the carnival going, and we’re ready for something special — in fact, we can just about promise that this will be the best match between Canada and St. Lucia in any competition, ever.

In the Canadian corner is Ottilie Mulzet, perhaps best-known as the translator of Hungarian Nobel candidate László Krasznahorkai. Her English translation of ‘Seiobo There Below’ was the recipient of the 2014 Best Translated Book Award, and her previous translations include Kraznahorkai’s ‘Animalinside’. Ottilie Mulzet also translates from Mongolian, and is quickly building a reputation as an outstanding poet and literary critic.

St. Lucia, an island with a rich literary tradition (its poets include Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott), is represented by John Robert Lee. Described as “undoubtedly the foremost Caribbean Christian writer of his generation”, John Robert Lee has been at the heart of St. Lucian cultural life for many years — reviewing literature and theatre, producing and presenting radio and television programmes, and writing regular columns for newspapers and periodicals. His new and selected poems, ‘Elemental’, are available from Peepal Tree Press.

                                   

 Photo of John Robert Lee © Marion Nelson and Allen Sherman.

Tārā at the Prom

There were only skeletons at the prom but
Tārā was not afraid, no one was going to
ask her to dance anyway, she studied
the reflection of the lights from the revolving disco

ball on the ceiling and she thought how
the darkness, darkness goes into my eyes into all
of our eyes and someone heard the
thought and asked Tārā to illuminate

the darkness…

~ Ottilie Mulzet

Read the full poem

At Capernaum, boats

This, the Port of the boat people
This, the Port of their Prince
Home-harbour safe
Docks of sails in sunset—
This is the Port of the boat people
After Dessalines and Duvalier, HIV and cholera
After tornado and tremblor
The Gadarene adventure and their Bay of Pigs
Canoewrecks off Florida, the invading boots of marines
From caravel to carrier—
After the desolate cities of my pilgrimage…

~ John Robert Lee

Read the full poem

 

RESULT: St. Lucia won by 16 votes.

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John Robert LeeOttilie MulzetPoetry World Cup

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Previous articleRound 1: Bulgaria-Trinidad & Tobago
Next articleRound 1: China-Singapore

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One last love letter...

April 24, 2021

It has taken us some time and patience to come to this decision. TMS would not have seen the success that it did without our readers and the tireless team that ran the magazine for the better part of eight years.

But… all good things must come to an end, especially when we look at the ever-expanding art and literary landscape in Pakistan, the country of the magazine’s birth.

We are amazed and proud of what the next generation of creators are working with, the themes they are featuring, and their inclusivity in the diversity of voices they are publishing. When TMS began, this was the world we envisioned…

Though the magazine has closed and our submissions shuttered, this website will remain open for the foreseeable future as an archive of the great work we published and the astounding collection of diverse voices we were privileged to feature.

If, however, someone is interested in picking up the baton, please email Maryam Piracha, the editor, at [email protected].

Farewell, fam! It’s been quite a ride.

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Round 1: Bulgaria-Trinidad & Tobago

The fifth match of The Missing Slate's Poetry World Cup.

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