Maung Saungkha, the 24-year-old who was arrested last year and later convicted for writing supposedly defamatory verse on Facebook, could be excused for taking it easy.
After all, he only got out of prison less than two months ago after spending half a year in Insein. His crime? Writing for a short poem in which the narrator says he has a tattoo of an unnamed president on his penis.
But that’s not his style.
And so on July 23 he is rolling out the Monsoon Poetry Festival, an event he organized for several reasons.
“This poetry festival is one of my dreams. I planned to make this when I was in prison,” he told Coconuts Yangon.
“I want to try to get people more interested in poetry… and, I was in prison because of a poem and I have lost freedom of art. I don’t want this to happen again in the time of the new government,” he said, referring to Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, whose members took over from the former ruling party in April.
“It is also raising awareness on freedom of expression as we are going to publish art freely.”
He hopes that with a lineup of 26 poets and book kiosks, those who attend will be exposed to a “new style of poems.”
The event costs 3,000 kyats (about $2.50) and is going to be held at the Anglican Church between the Russian embassy and Sein Gay Har. It will go from 5pm to 9pm. Tickets can be bought in bookstores.
For more information, check out the Facebook page.
