At the Proverse Reception on 18/11/21 during the official announcement of the Proverse Prize Winners.
Here below are some of the newspapers in Spanish and Italian language - to which I am very thankful - that mentioned the publication of my poetry book, reaching the Italian communities abroad.
UNCHARTED WATERS
The overall theme of my debut poetry collection 'Uncharted Waters', is my journey from West to East – two worlds separated by ‘unmapped’ waters, unknown territories. As I explore seas, lakes, and rivers, I imagine being on a boat that takes me through the four parts of the book.
'Uncharted Waters' starts with my experience in Hong Kong, from my arrival to the present day. I observe how the city changes and reinvents itself, as I try to understand it and to belong to it.
The second part of the book is about my many travels, with a focus on Asia but also touching on other continents, while navigating oceans, seas, and rivers in particular, and observing different landscapes and cultural traditions. It is a very sensorial experience.
Italy appears in the third section of this poetry collection. My cyclical return to my motherland reignites childhood memories. There is an ever-present longing for the beauties and the bounties that Italy offers, for its tasty food and fresh ingredients, and for its amazing landscapes. But there's also the observation of present-day's issues, like immigration, and the Covid-19 emergency.
In the final part, I sit on the boat’s foredeck to muse and ponder on more general themes, like love, motherhood, grief, and the process of writing.
The peculiarity of this poetry collection is, in fact, its metaphor. The uncharted waters are also the unexplored oceans of writing in a language that is not my mother tongue. The journey is never-ending, and it takes me through the depths of the oceans: fascinating but, at the same time, expressions of the unknown.
As every book starts from its cover, I should add that the artwork on the book cover is by my artist-daughter Anthea Yip, while the author’s picture has been taken by my son and passionate photographer, Leonardo Yip.
To purchase the book from Hong Kong, please contact me or check the link to the Chinese University Press
For purchases from overseas, please click here. The book can be also purchased online from Mary Martin Booksellers Pte Ltd
Some reviews about my book from my readers here
This is my presentation speech for the Proverse Autumn Reception, which took place on 18/11/2021. In the video, I explain some more facts about my book and the theme of water.
And this is the amazing video clip shot by Barbara Maiorano during my first Book presentation at the Biblioteca Italia Library Hong Kong on 6th December 2021
During this talk, Paola will be reading some of her poems, explaining the process, the continuous challenges and the ultimate satisfaction of writing creatively in a foreign language.
The reading will be followed by a Q&A session.
https://www.eventbrite.hk/e/meet-the-autor-paola-caronni-uncharted-waters-tickets-229207605117
Date: 07 Jan 2022
Time: 6:30pm
Place: Dante Alighieri Society
Room 702, 7/F, Hong Kong Arts Centre 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai Hong Kong
Uncharted Waters @The Morning Brew on RTHK - Radio 3
And here is an interview (in Italian), published on the ‘Radio 00’ website on 25/01/22, where I converse with poet Elisabetta Bagli about water, writing, poetry, women, love, and more.
My book presentation @Ariston Urban Centre in Lainate, Milan, Italy, on 03/09/2022
It was so exciting to have the occasion to introduce ‘Uncharted Waters’ to the all-Italian audience who attended the event on Saturday, 03.09.22 at the Ariston Urban Centre’s library in Lainate, my hometown close to Milan. The book is now part of regional library system of the Lombardia region. Quite an achievement for a poetry book in English!
A comprehensive review of ‘Uncharted Waters’ on the South-Korean literary magazine ‘Samjoko’, written by Todd Sullivan, Magazine Editor. Here’s an excerpt:
“UNCHARTED WATERS is at once a travel guide of Paola Caronni’s experiences. The poetry is strong in narrative as we experience the nuances of daily life in foreign locales. “My shower ritual / was simply to sit on the toilet bowl, / one hand holding the hose, / the other a bar of soap.” These moments test the traveler’s patience, but when looked back upon, one realizes that they create a tapestry of what it is to be an explorer and an expat; what it is to go on an adventure outside of the ordinary and your comfort zone and into the strange, exciting, and oft-times taxing unknown…Paola’s UNCHARTED WATERS also gives great depth to images through personification. Rain abandons, skies boast, and windows are scarred by banging panels. The life of inanimate objects gives greater personality to the mundane, so that the world seems like a characters in the poem, and it is delightful to watch their actions as they cavort upon the page.”
My interview with Samjoko Magazine is now out!!
During the interview, I am also reading ‘Pencil Sharpening’, one of the poems in my collection.
Check this link in You Tube
With Asmita after the reading at the 2023 HKILF
Reading at the Dante Alighieri Society’s event
Writing, translating, water...and the power of poems...
Below is the link to a very interesting chat about my book 'Uncharted Waters' with Phil Whelan of RTHK - Radio 3, during his radio program 'The Morning Brew', in which I also read a couple of my poems.
A very interesting article about literary events in Mexico and in Hong Kong in the prestigious ‘Asymptote’ literary journal (28.01.2022). Charlie Ng writes about my book and the talk on ‘writing in a second language’ held at Dante Alighieri on 07.01.2022. Full article here
My interview (in Italian) for Patrimonio Italiano TV - 17.02.2022
‘The Day You Returned’, the poem I read during the interview for Borderlines, selected by Pietro Pancamo.
My interview for Borderlines was also broadcast on 17.05.2022 during the program ‘Transitiamo Umani’, by Radio Poetanza at 1:19:04.
Yet another virtual occasion to be part of a poetry-reading event in Italy, on the occasion of ‘Bookcity Milano’ (18/11/22) even if by sending a video, due to the time-zone difference. Thank you Pietro Pancamo for including me!
Many forms of art can blend marvellously, and it is the case with poetry and music. On 29th of November 2022, during the sold-out event 'Journeys - Poetry & Music' @Chez Trente(the grooviest place in town), I read my poems on the theme of 'Journeys' while soft music was played by Tarboosh (the coolest band in town), who also performed their tunes in between poems.
Thank you to Italian Cultural Institute Hong Kong & Macau for their support and sponsorship, to Lucia Esther Maruzzelli and Biblioteca Italian Library Hong Kong for always welcoming great ideas, and obviously to the fantastic Tarboosh…and to the audience, enthusiastic about the magic synergy between these two forms of art. The vibes were so good, that the journey could go on forever. Super grateful to Barbara The-Italian for the amazing video below.
Reading the poems from my collection ‘Uncharted Waters’ at the 2023 Hong Kong International Literary Festival
Another great occasion to celebrate poetry was the event RE:LAUNCH, held on 31/05/2023 by Peel Street Poetry @ Social Room. A number of poets read from their collections, and ‘Uncharted Waters’ was featured as well
Reading my 3 poems at the Re:Launch event
A ‘New Book Announcement’ on the prestigious ‘Asian Review of Books’. Link here
My interview at Borderlines on 05.05.2022
I have great admiration for people who dedicate their time to the promotion of culture, literature and in particular poetry, a literary genre that certainly does not have a large circulation compared to fiction.
Radio MIR is not only a web radio with rich and stimulating content designed especially for Italians abroad, but also has a programme specifically dedicated to poetry, Borderlines, which aims to dialogue with (quote) 'Italian poets abroad as healthy carriers of "linguistic contamination", perhaps the only weapon that can give us some hope for a future of coexistence'.
It was in this space that - on 05.05.2022 - I had the honour of having an interesting chat (in Italian) with the poets Fabio Sebastiani and Pietro Pancamo not only about my first poetry collection, 'Uncharted Waters' (reading one of the poems closest to my heart, selected by Pietro), but also about the poetry scene in Hong Kong, and the biculturalism that distinguishes it. Here is the link to my interview.
Signing books at the ‘Book Presentation’ with Peel Street Social Room on 09/11/22.
Finally, after the Covid restrictions in Hong Kong closed bars for many months, I could have the chance to have my Book Presentation with Peel Street on 9th November 2022, at Social Room. Fellow-poets read some of my poems, interpreting them in their unique way. And the finale, is not to be missed. See video here.
The Poetry Event on 11/03/23 at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival. The theme was ‘Building Bridges’.
What an incredible opportunity to be invited to read at the event that took place on 11/03/2023 and part of the Hong Kong International Literary Festival (HKILF)! It was a magical night, as is always the case when we read poetry, especially with the right mix of audience (of more than 60 people).
All poets had special ways to interpret the theme of ‘Building Bridges’. I read about my personal experience while Hong Kong changed over the years; about building bridges for the less fortunate ones in the city; about bridges over water and, of course, about exploring ‘uncharted waters’…
Special thanks to the Hong Kong International Literary Festival and Maureen Tai for this incredible opportunity; to the community of outstanding poets (Jennifer Wong, Jason Lee, DJ Hamilton, Yam Gong, James Shea, Florence Ng). And, needless to say, I am forever grateful to all my friends for being there: their presence is always precious.
With Martina and Gabriella after the reading at the 2023 HKILF
