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FELLOWSHIPS

Visiting Fellow at the 2005 Iowa International Writing Program, University of Iowa. Index.

University of Iowa International Programs 2006 Writer-in-Residence.

 

PUBLICATIONS

In anthologies

(Forthcoming) “The sky is fitted linen…” Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia, and Beyond. Ed Tina Chang, Nathalie Handal, Ravi Shankar. USA : WW Norton, 2008.

(Forthcoming) Seven poems. Sixty Indian Poets. Ed. Jeet Thayil. New Delhi, India: Penguin, 2008.

(Forthcoming) Seven poems. The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets. Ed. Jeet Thayil. UK: BloodAxe, 2008.

(Forthcoming) Short story “The Final Solution.” Fifty-Fifty, an anthology of Hong Kongwriting. Ed. Xu Xi. Hong Kong: Haven Books, 2008.

“Epitaph” and “Calling.” Zoland Poetry. Ed. Roland Pease. USA: Steerforth Press, 2007. ISBN 978-1-58195-221-6. pp 23-25.

Essay “Writing to Stop.” Atlas 02. Ed. Sudeep Sen. UK: Aark Arts, 2007. ISBN 1-899179-79-8.pp.140-143.

“Axe” and “The Sky is Fitted…” Kritya, An Anthology of Poetry. Ed. Rati Saxena. Trivandrum, India: Kritya, 2007. pp.73-74.

“ Slough.” Trash. Ed. John Knechtel. Toronto, Canada: Alphabet City, 2006. ISBN 13:978-0-262-11301-4. pp.280-281.

Six poems. Hongkong Poems. Ed. Louise Ho and Klaus Stierstorfer. Trans. Monika Gomille et al. Tuebingen, Germany: Stauffenburg Verlag, 2006. pp.307-321.

“War is a place…” The Other Voices International Project Anthology. Ed: Roger Humes. USA: Paula Brown Publishing, 2006. ISBN 1-905168-13-6. pp.27.

Essay “Cuntree” and Short Story “Junket.” H.K.I.D, Stories from the City's Hidden Writers. Ed. Dania Shawwa. Hong Kong: Haven Books, 2006. ISBN 988-98819-1-8. pp.73-82.

Seven poems. Give the Sea Change and It Shall Change: Fifty-Seven Indian Poets. Ed. Jeet Thayil. Boston, USA: Fulcrum 04, 2005. pp.289-292.

Four poems.Poetry Live! Anthology of poetry for Hong Kong schools. Ed. Peter Gordon, David Mckirdy. Hong Kong: Chameleon Press, 2005. ISBN 988-97061-6-. Pp.30,44,50.

“Sheltering Sky.” Reaching Out For Peace. Ed. and trans. Joon-Soo-Bong. Seoul, Korea: Minumsa, 2005. A holograph of the poem is a part of a permanent exhibit at the Manhae Museum in Seoul. ISBN 89-3740736-1 03800. pp.58.

“Shun the smirking Madonnas” and “Watch out!” Honoring Fathers. Ed. Gemino Al Abad and Alfred A Yuson. Manila, Philippines: The University of the Philippines Press, 2005. ISBN 971542476-7. pp.60.

“Cantread,” “Somewhere in vacuum” and “Let us move…” City Voices, Hong Kong writing in English, 1945 to present. Ed. Xu Xi, Mike Ingham. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2003. ISBN 962-209-605-0. pp.324, 345.

“The sky is fitted linen …,” “The man without a shadow,” “Sheltering Sky.” OutLoud, An anthology of poetry from OutLoud readings. Ed. Alan Jefferies, Christopher Kelen, Mani Rao, et al. Foreword by Dino Mahoney. Hong Kong: XtraLoud Press, 2002. ISBN 962-8056-12-3. pp.108-110.

“Ombres Vivantes,” French translation of “Living Shadows.” CityPoetry 2001, Poetry, Documentation, Essays. Trans.Gérard Henry. Chan Chi Tak. Hong Kong: Fringe Festival, 2001. ISBN 962-85698-7-2. pp. 60-67.

“Let us Move…” Moving Poetry. Ed. Shirley Geok-lin Lim, Page Richards. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2001. ISBN 962-209-552-6. pp.103.

Poem in Neon Crush Chapbook anthology. Ed. Jarret Keene. Las Vegas, 2007.

In Journals

USA/CANADA:

“Airing at a sniff.” XCP (Summer 2007). pp.63.

“Grand Finale” and “Address.” Quay Journal (2006). <http://quayjournal.org/1_1/>

“Back from the markets of lust,” and “Eyes are emissaries.” Iowa Review. (Aug 2006). pp.66-67.

“Chorus,” “Ebri,” and “Catching Up.” With Latin trans. Adrienne Ho. 91 st Meridien. (Issue 4.2 winter 2006.) <http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Eiwp/91st/91st_Archive/vol4_n2/index.html>

Essay “Cuntree.” 91stmeridien (Issue 4.2 winter 2006). pp.27.

Essay “Cuntree.” WestCoastLine (Issue 39/1, 2006).

Text in “Ten writers on their mothertongue.” 91 st Meridien (Issue 5.2 Spring 2007.) <http://www.uiowa.edu/~iwp/91st/fall07/index.html>

“Junket.” The Daily Palette of the University of Iowa (19 March 2006). <http://research-intermedia.art.uiowa.edu/dp/index.php?artwork=313>

“Drought.” How2 (Vol 2-4, 2006). <http://www.asu.edu/pipercwcenter/how2journal// archive/online_archive/v2_4_2006/current/indian/index.html>

“Indian Innovation.” Ed. Mani Rao. HOW2 (Vol 2-4, 2006). A section featuring innovative poetry by Indian women.

“Axe,” “So that you know.” The Fourth River. (Vol 2, Spring 2006). pp 69-70.

“Pol Pot,” “Visited.” Washington Square. (2006). pp.58.

“Re-incarnation kaleidoscope,” “Auto” and “Metro.” Filling Station. (2006). pp. 22.

Several poems. “Disappeared..,” “Arranged.,.” “Good mad…” Harvest International. (Issue 32, Fall/Winter 2006). pp.21-23.

Short Story “Which Way does the River Flow?” In Posse Review on webdelsol. (Fall 2006). <http://webdelsol.com/InPosse/fall06/IPR_Rao.htm>  

Review of John Mateer's “Ancient Capital of Images.” Verse magazine (2006). <http://versemag.blogspot.com/>

(UK/EUROPE)

“Haul,” and “Testament.” Wasafiri (Issue 49, 2006). U.K. pp.27-28.

Three poems from “Echolocation.” Nth Position (July 2005). U.K. <ttp://www.nthposition.com/whenhervoicewasborn.php>

Three poems from “Echolocation.” With Italian trans. Antonio Padula. Le Voci Della Luna. (March 2006). Italy. Pp.5.

Two poems from “Echolocation” with Italian trans. Andrea Galli. Wikispaces. (2006). Italy. <http://nuoviautori.wikispaces.com/Un+rotocalco+di+guerra> and <http://nuoviautori.wikispaces.com/Una+siccita+_>

(AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND)

“Star-crossed.” Meanjin. (March 2007). pp.27.

Thirty poems and multi-media work. Papertiger. (Issue 05, 2006).

“ Slough.” Meanjin. (Vol.64 Nos.1/2 2005).

Three poems from “Echolocation.” JAAM. (Issue 23, 2005). pp.56.

Three poems. Takahe. (No.31, 1997). pp.41.

“Figure of Eight Chain.” Printout (Issue No.12, Autumn1997). pp.16.

“Big Big Flowers.” Takahe. (No.25, 1996). pp.26.

( INDIA)

(Forthcoming) “Chorus,” “Ebri,” “Catching Up,” with Latin translation by Adrienne Ho in the translation-magazine, Siyahi (February 2008).

“Epitaph,” “Route” and “Sporous.” Chandrabhaga (2006). pp.72-76.

Eight poems. Kritya. (Vol.1 part 3, August 2005). <http://www.kritya.in/03/en/poetry_at_our_time3.html>

Twelve poems. Kritya. (Vol.1 part 10, March 2006). <http://www.kritya.in/10/En/editors_choice.html>

Seven poems. Openspaceindia. (2006). <http://www.openspaceindia.org/29_manirao.htm>

“ India Song.” Penumbra, PEN India journal. (April 2006). pp.18.

Four poems. The Brown Critique ( India, Oct-Dec ’96). pp.26-27.

Postcard “Duck before a bullet and …” The Brown Critique (Oct-Dec 1996). pp.38.

“Snuggle into another…”. The Independent, Poetry of the Month (Early ‘90s).

“You stabbed me,” and “I’m blissed.” Debonair (January 1992).

Nine poems. Debonair (July 1997). pp.100-101.

(REST OF ASIA AND MIDDLE EAST)

(Forthcoming) “When? Soon.” Carapace, South Africa. (2008).

“The Void Plate,” “Mutations,” and “Star-crossed” in Asian Cha, Hong Kong. (2007). <http://www.asiancha.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=61&Itemid=48>

Short Story “Which way does the river flow?” The Asia Literary Review, Hong Kong. (Spring 2006, Vol. I). pp.38-39.

Essay “Cuntree.” Nethra, SriLanka. (Sep-Dec 2006). pp.25-29.

Essay “Halloween.”Dimsum, Hong Kong. (Vol 10, Spring 2005). pp. 89.

Several poems. Dimsum, Hong Kong. (Vol 1, No2, 1999).

Article “Soul Rebel.” Interview with U/K. poet Bernardine Evaristo about her verse novel “Soul Tourists.” South China Morning Post, Hong Kong. (7 August 2005).

“Picture the children…” Quarterly Literary Review Singapore. (Vol. 2 No. 4, Jul 2003).

Poems from “Echolocation.” Softblow. (2003). <http://www.softblow.com/manirao.html>

Essay “Halloween.” Nanyang Arts Monthly, Singapore. (July 2005).

Several poems in Arabic trans. Sayed Gouda. Akhbar-Al-Adab, Cairo. (2005).

 

LITERARY FESTIVALS & OTHER READINGS

Kritya International Poetry Festival. Thiruvananthapuram, India. July 2007.

PEN World Voices New York. Reading at event HOWL for fifty years event commemorating Ginsberg. New York, April 2006.

Translating across Borders. Poetry Reading and Panel Chatham University Pittsburgh, October 2005.

Chicago Humanities Festival. Chicago, November 2005.

Vancouver Asian Heritage Month. A reading tour in British Columbia, Canada, including readings at Vancouver Public Library, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, and at venues in Richmond, Surrey and Victoria. Reading at the launch of “Red Silk, Anthology of Poetry by South Asian Canadians.” Canada, May 2005.

Cairo Atelier. Hong Kong poets tour. Cairo, March 2004.

The Age Melbourne Writers Festival. Melbourne, July 2004.

Wordfeast Singapore International Poetry Festival. Readings, panels, and poetry workshops at schools. Singapore, January 2004.

The Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival. Readings and panels. Hong Kong, April 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004. Authors-in-schools program, 2007.

Hong Kong British Council Eye on Books. Hong Kong, 1998.

“City Poetry” at the City Festival. Hong Kong, 1999, 2000, 2001.

(OTHER)

India: Crossword bookstore (July 2007, Bangalore). PEN Mumbai (2000).

Singapore: A solo performance poetry event, “Love and Philosophy,” at the arts center Substation. Reading at Zouk Club.

Hong Kong: Numerous readings at Fringe Club, Visage Free, Steps, “Mixed Bag of All Sorts” at The Jazz Club, Chinese University of Hong Kong “Dialogue Among Civilizations Through Poetry 2001”; Hong Kong University, Hong Kong Baptist University, Poetry Summer at Hong Kong Book Fair 2004.

Las Vegas: Clark County Public Library Las Vegas. Featured spot at Las Vegas Poets First Friday (7 March 2008.)

New York : Bowery Poetry Club (1 February 2008)

 

RADIO, MULTI-MEDIA, TEACHING

Host for “Time for Poetry” on RTHKRadio 4. Hong Kong’s first and only poetry radio segment. Focused on a different poet each week. Interviewed George Bowering (Canada), Fred Wah (Canada), Wendy Morton (Canada), Corey Frost (Canada), Bernardine Evaristo (U.K), Sharon Hass (Israel), Kiwao Nomura (Japan), Marjan Stroyan (Slovenia), John Kinsella (Australia/U.K), Edi Shukriu (Albania), Ted Mathys (USA), John Mateer (Australia), Sampurna Chattarji (India), PK Leung (Hong Kong) and Rachel Woskin (USA/China). Segments on Keats on poetry, Borges and seeing, cheeky Donne, WC Williams and freedom, Sappho’s “new” poem, potatoes in Sylvia Plath, Homer and homecoming. Reading from Cesar Vallejo, Theodore Roethke, selections from Polish poetry. Review of Madeleine Marie Slavick’s new book “Delicate Access.” Aired for seven months from 1 June 2005 to December 2005.

Co-founder of OutLoud,Hong Kong's poetry reading series. Started in 1997, OutLoud continues to be a highlight of Hong Kong’s literary scene. OutLoud published an anthology of Hong Kong poetry in English and hosted poetry-based events and panels at the annual Hong Kong International Literary festival in its first three years.

Installations at CityPoetry Hong Kong. A major event as part of the City Festival 2000 organised by the Fringe Club, Hong Kong. CityPoetry 2000 was a collaboration between poets and artists to bring text out into public spaces. Event co-organiser along with Zoe Li. Co-editor of the CityPoetry anthology. Installations included graffiti art “Anal Analyst” at Fringe Club toilets, stencil window-display of a poem at Staunton Café in collaboration with designer Amber T Matthews. (2000)

Installation at Hong Kong Fringe Festival. “The Writing On the Wall,” graffiti art at the atrium of the Hong Kong Arts Center. (1997)

Poemcards. Designed and produced poem-based postcards for the 1997 Group of Restaurants and Bars, who sponsored the production and distributed the cards at all their outlets. Hong Kong, 1996.

Exhibition of six flash video films based on poems from “Salt.” Directed by Viswas Kulkarni and originally featured on nungu.com. Exhibited at the Fringe Club, Hong Kong, 2003.

Poetry-Music collaboration with DJ and drummer Spiro integrating voice, music and sound. Selection hosted on www.manirao.com. Hong Kong, 2007.

Teaching Creative Writing at the University of Hong Kong’s Moving Poetry. Moving Poetry was a project for schools, involving 150 schoolchildren selected for their writing talent from Hong Kong Schools. Around ten poets led a series of summer workshops to help the schoolchildren write poetry. Hong Kong, 2004, 2002, 2001.

 

BOOKS

100 Poems. Hong Kong: Chameleon Press, 2006. ISBN: 988-99021-4-1.

Echolocation. Hong Kong: Chameleon Press, 2003. ISBN: 988-97060-2-4.

Salt. Hong Kong: Asia 2000, 2000. ISBN: 962-8056-11-5.

The Last Beach. With Chinese Translations by Huang Chan Lan. Hong Kong: Asia 2000, 1999. ISBN: 962-7160-741.

Living Shadows. With Chinese translations by Huang Chan Lan and drawings by Mani Rao. Hong Kong: HK Arts Development Council, 1997. ISBN: 962-8056-04-02.

Catapult Season. Calcutta: Writers Workshop, 1993. ISBN: 81-7189-480-1

Wing Span. Calcutta: Writers Workshop, 1987.