Beijingers, mark your calendars for next Thursday (May 29) because Spittoon is celebrating its 10th anniversary!
Founded in 2015 by English expat poet and musician Matthew Byrne, the Spittoon Literary Collective has been a vital part of the Beijing literary community for the past decade. It hosts weekly events, produces online and print publications, engages in special artistic projects, and serves as a welcoming hub for the city's diverse writers, artists, and performers.
To commemorate ten years of creativity and collaboration, Spittoon is throwing a birthday party on Thursday, May 29, at 8 PM at Celestial. Join them for storytelling, fiction, and poetry readings, followed by a poetry open mic session led by poet Fenia G. with musical accompaniment from the band Fiaba.
Anthony Tao, the coordinator for Spittoon Beijing and host of the night's main event, shares what attendees can expect: "The event will honor Spittoon as well as the city where it originated and where we have hosted regular events for a decade. Our open mic poetry and music section will focus on the theme of Beijing, and we invite anyone with pieces about the city to come and share their work."
Tao adds: "In this area, there aren’t many organizations, especially volunteer-run nonprofits, that last for ten years. Spittoon has been around for a decade. I’ll repeat: Spittoon has been around for a decade. I believe that merits a celebration, a formal yet fun way to acknowledge its longevity and the contributors over the years, as well as those who keep it going."
This celebration is just as much about thanking the audience, friends, and supporters as it is about honoring Spittoon. It promises to be an unforgettable evening filled with good vibes, great music, and the company of wonderful friends.
David Yang of Fiaba shares insights about what the band will bring to the event:
"Fiaba is an Italian word meaning 'fable.' Since our songs are instrumental, we aim to tell a story through our melodies, rhythms, and sounds. We are a trio: Binoy Yakha (Nepal) plays guitar/bass, David Yang (Sweden) plays keyboard, and Antonio ODC (Italy) is on drums. We come from various countries and diverse musical backgrounds, resulting in our songs being a blend of our interests, with plenty of improvisation and no strict rules about what is ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’
Our first collaboration with Fenia a few weeks ago was a new experience, but it flowed quite naturally. The music and poetry complemented each other perfectly. The venue is also special for Fiaba, making it exciting for us to perform at Spittoon’s birthday celebration at Celestial! We are thrilled to be part of the event, and we extend our gratitude to Fenia and Spittoon for including us!"
Be sure to catch Fiaba next week at Celestial during the Spittoon birthday festivities, and don't miss their upcoming shows at DDC on June 7 and Modernista on June 10. They are currently recording new music for release on various platforms, so stay tuned!
Spittoon's 10th Birthday Celebration is set for Thursday, May 29, at Celestial, starting at 8 PM. Entry is free.
Celestial 空想酒吧2/F, 74 Dongsi Beidajie, Dongcheng District东城区东四北大街74号2层
About Spittoon:
Spittoon is an arts collective based in Beijing that organizes events and programming to connect Chinese and foreign writers, artists, and literary enthusiasts. The Beijing collective hosts monthly events for fiction, poetry, storytelling, and book clubs, as well as workshops for fiction and poetry. It has also organized various other literary events in the city, including an ongoing poetry-music collaboration called Spit-tunes, pairing poets with bands or musicians for performances of original poems with musical accompaniment, and Spittoon U, a subgroup for university students in Beijing.
In addition, the collective publishes Spittoon Literary Magazine, which aims to bring contemporary Chinese writing to English-speaking audiences. The magazine features a diverse range of emerging and established Chinese-language writers and translates their work into English to showcase their talents on an international platform.
Spittoon has released several online features that can be found on their website at https://spittooncollective.com. You can also search "Spittoon" on WeChat to follow their official account and stay updated on the collective's activities.
READ: Events and Happenings in the 'Jing This Weekend (May 23-25)
Images: Spittoon, Fiaba, Abigail Weathers, Ana Padilla Fornieles, Deva Eveland, Rianka Mohan, Matthew Byrne, Zuo Fei
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Save the date for May 29 and head over to Celestial. Spittoon is celebrating its 10th anniversary!