Readings and conversation with a prolific poet

A memorable snap with Prof Malachi (seventh from right)

Some 150 participants comprising UTAR staff and students, mostly from the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FAS), and Westlake International School (WIS) students gathered at an event called “Readings and Conversation” with Prof Dr Malachi Edwin Vethamani at UTAR Kampar Campus on 27 March 2019.

The event aimed to promote Malaysian Literature in English among UTAR undergraduates through the works of Prof Malachi. It was organised by a group of enthusiastic academics from the Department of Languages and Linguistics (DLL) parked under FAS.

UTAR students (top) and WIS participants during the event

Invited to grace the simple yet meaningful event was Dean of FAS Dr Lee Lai Meng. Also present were Organising Chairperson V. Geetha, FAS lecturers P. Paul Gnanaselvam, Dr Joanna Tan Tjin Ai, Lim Kar Loke, Kristina Francis, C. Gheeta, M. Bharathi and Malvin Kaur.

Dr Lee explaining the beauty of poems to the young audience

In her opening speech, Dr Lee welcomed Prof Malachi and thanked him for spending his precious time with the students and sharing his experience and journey as a prolific poet and writer.

From left: Lew and Tan presenting their readings during the event

Clockwise from top left: Lim, Dr Tan, Shubashini, Paul and Geetha reading Prof Malachi’s poems and short stories aloud

The event brought together academics and students to read and perform Prof Malachi’s works. It kick-started with readings by English Education students Lew Mei Ling Abigail and Stephanie Tan Jia Yee, who read Prof Malachi’s poems from “Life Happens”, titled “I will text you” and “If you need me” respectively. The event continued with readings of Prof Malachi’s selected poems and the excerpts of his short stories by UTAR FAS academics Paul, Dr Tan and Lim.

Paul (right) engaging a conversation with Prof Malachi

One of the highlights saw Paul, from DLL of FAS engaging in a conversation with Prof Malachi. Prof Malachi shared his thoughts on his writing and experience as a writer who wrote issues, occurrences and memories that he had experienced and composed in the past 20 to 30 years. Situating himself as a male in an Indian community in multi-ethnic and multicultural contemporary Malaysia, Prof Malachi highlighted that his works are mostly related to the issues pertinent to Malaysians and his concerns revolve both around the specific issues and other broader ones.

Prof Malachi reciting one of his close to heart poem titled “Brickfields”

The readings and conversation session also witnessed an expressive reading from Prof Malachi’s poem titled “Mother” by Head of English Panel of SMK Methodist (ACS) Kampar Shubashini Nambiar, who was also an ex-student of Prof Malachi. The finale of the event was the performance by Geetha, the Organising Chairperson; also the ex-student of Prof Malachi. She presented his poem titled “Appa”. Her reading received resounding applause.

The event drew to a close with a group photograph and a token of appreciation was presented to Prof Malachi.

Geetha (fifth from left) presenting a token of appreciation to Prof Malachi

Prof Malachi is currently a Professor at School of English, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. He holds a doctoral degree from the University of Nottingham UK. He is a poet, writer and critic. His most recent publication is his first collection of short stories titled “Coitus Interrupts and Other Stories”. He has published two volumes of poems, namely “Life Happens” and “Complicated Lives”. He edited a volume of Malaysian poems titled “Malchin Testament: Malaysian Poems” which covers a period of 60 years. In 2003, he edited a volume of poems for young adults titled “In-Sights: Malaysian Poems”. In 2015, he published his research on Malaysian writing titled “A Bibliography of Malaysian Literature in English”. He was the President of Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (MELTA) from June 2001 until January 2008 and a Vice President of Asia TEFL from 2008 to 2013. He is a recipient of the Chevening Award (1993-1996) and the Fulbright Scholarship (2000). He received the Asian Education Leadership Award from the World Education Congress in Mumbai, India in June 2013.