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BEEF
BEEF is Nurul Amillin Hussain's debut collection of poetry. Consisting of 20 poems written over a decade, this book traces time through fresh explorations of nostalgia, recollecting the author's time spent in both Singapore and the UK. This collection is distinctly urban, and aims to translate the messy zig-zags of everyday discomforts into verse, focusing on themes of family, friendship and identity.
"Amillin plumbs and scales the extremities of living in a way that is both delicate and deliberate, sincere and poised. She deals equally deftly with the kinds of pain that make us 'flinch / around a conversation', and moments of consolation that help us 'find healing in between tea leaves / leave dust undusted, (and) speak softly'. Hers is an excitingly new poetic voice – fiercely unique as she charts her own course and amid her many identities, her verse in a perpetual, agile equilibrium between the power of form and the spark of adventurous innovation." — Aaron Maniam, author of Morning At Memory's Border
"Amillin plumbs and scales the extremities of living in a way that is both delicate and deliberate, sincere and poised. She deals equally deftly with the kinds of pain that make us 'flinch / around a conversation', and moments of consolation that help us 'find healing in between tea leaves / leave dust undusted, (and) speak softly'. Hers is an excitingly new poetic voice – fiercely unique as she charts her own course and amid her many identities, her verse in a perpetual, agile equilibrium between the power of form and the spark of adventurous innovation." — Aaron Maniam, author of Morning At Memory's Border
34 pages, Paperback
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 12, 2019
This is a beautiful book. It is one that is surprisingly dense and packed with micro narratives and implications of how and why we come together into knowing and existing. As Pooja Nansi offers, Hussain's work is a work of the female body, and yet it is also everything derived from femininity: the world, its existence, and its fades of ins and outs. These poems are compelling and original, and deserve to be read and should be shared widely.
March 5, 2021
This collection of poems was a little less accessible for an untrained layperson. Many of the poetic devices were more challenging to decipher, which made the understanding of the messages behind these poems confusing for me.
Stripping away the technicalities of each poem, I felt that I was brought to see the world through the poet's eyes through the skilful description of imagery and emotions. I particularly enjoyed the theme of identity where Hussain negotiates her identity after spending some time abroad in the UK. As someone who has not had that experience, the poems gave an intimate glimpse of the struggles that come with these decisions that one makes in life.
Stripping away the technicalities of each poem, I felt that I was brought to see the world through the poet's eyes through the skilful description of imagery and emotions. I particularly enjoyed the theme of identity where Hussain negotiates her identity after spending some time abroad in the UK. As someone who has not had that experience, the poems gave an intimate glimpse of the struggles that come with these decisions that one makes in life.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews