Smoked Pearl is Akinsola Olufemi Jeje's first full-length collection of poetry, a semi-autobiographical compilation of poems written between 2005 and 2008. The collection thus indirectly chronicles Jeje's arrival in Hong Kong and his subsequent observations of Hong Kong life, Chinese and world events (Canada, Iraq, Africa, the USA); and his musings on race, culture, everyday life and matters of the heart. By turns exuberant, pensive, angry and poignant, Smoked Pearl speaks from the heart of a black Westerner as he negotiates the complexities of "Asia's world city" and its unique place in Chinese history and culture. Akin Jeje sees Hong Kong as a place where the political intersects with the personal. In his poetry, he compellingly shows his consciousness that the territory itself creates its own daily poetry through the joined rhythms of its own existence and that of the emerging giant on whose lip it rests. The title "Smoked Pearl" alludes to Hong Kong's position at the mouth of China's Pearl River Delta. But it also calls to mind Hong Kong's common designation as, "the Pearl of the Orient", indicating that here we have a different view. Jeje brings to Hong Kong and the world events he engages with a unique perspective of outrage, fascination, and - ultimately - compassion.
About the Author: Canadian poet Akin Jeje lives in Hong Kong. An active poet and spoken-word performer, Jeje's works have been published and featured in both Canada and Hong Kong. Jeje's first work, Dreaming of The Sands was published in Canada in 1999. His first full-length poetry collection, Smoked Pearl: Poems of Hong Kong and Beyond was a semi-finalist for the 2009 International Proverse Prize, and published by Proverse Hong Kong in 2010. Jeje's work was also featured in the collaborative poem A poem for Jack Layton, by 14 Canadian Poets, published in Canada's The Globe and Mail newspaper, August 26, 2011, and his most recent publication was in Hong Kong's 2014 Poetry Outloud Too anthology. Jeje has also published in other Hong Kong and Canadian publications such as fifty-fifty, Asian Cha, Carousel, and Filling Station. Jeje is a regular performer at Hong Kong's monthly Poetry Outloud event, and has been for almost a decade. In addition, Jeje served as the MC for Hong Kong's Peel Street Poets collective from 2007 to 2014, and is still a regular participant. In addition, Jeje is also an advisor to the Hong Kong International Young Readers' Festival, and has been a volunteer moderator for the Hong Kong International Festival from 2012 to the present. Jeje's community participation includes performing his poetry for public events and in schools, and has been presenting education seminars on poetry for secondary schools since 2014.