About me
I have always written stories and loved poetry from a young age. But growing up in Malaysia, a career as an artist was not something you could aspire to, and so journalism was the next best bet. I never forgot my dreams however, and in 2020, a culmination of events resulted in the birth of my first book, Daughter of Immigrants.
Writing to me, is a practice in decolonization. In my stories I identify the roots that snake their way through our collective identities, first being subjugated by the British, and then being called pendatang (settler) in one’s own country, to then moving to Finland and finding yourself being Othered on a daily basis. The continuing violence of whiteness being preferred, and brownness and blackness being exoticized, and punished. Through writing I make my own voice heard, and the voices of my mother and father, my sisters and brothers of the BIPOC community. I want to tell the stories that have not been told because no one thought to tell them. I want to preserve our memories, in a time of loss.
Performing actually came before the book; I started performing spoken word again after a long hiatus and I continue to perform wherever possible. To be on the stage feels natural, an extension of telling stories, reclaiming the space that has been taken from me as a biracial woman, to tell my own stories in my own words. Where once hearing my voice recorded was painful, I now hear my voice as powerful, and telling stories as an act of defiance.
I continue to do work in decolonizing and anti racism through my work as a spoken word artist, writer, journalist, educator and now through podcasts with Helsinki Open Waves and through blog posts. All of this has been made possible with help from so many friends, who have all supported me and made it possible.
Thank you for taking the time to dream with me.
Contact
︎ tania@tanianathan.com
︎ +358 505314000
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I have always written stories and loved poetry from a young age. But growing up in Malaysia, a career as an artist was not something you could aspire to, and so journalism was the next best bet. I never forgot my dreams however, and in 2020, a culmination of events resulted in the birth of my first book, Daughter of Immigrants.
Writing to me, is a practice in decolonization. In my stories I identify the roots that snake their way through our collective identities, first being subjugated by the British, and then being called pendatang (settler) in one’s own country, to then moving to Finland and finding yourself being Othered on a daily basis. The continuing violence of whiteness being preferred, and brownness and blackness being exoticized, and punished. Through writing I make my own voice heard, and the voices of my mother and father, my sisters and brothers of the BIPOC community. I want to tell the stories that have not been told because no one thought to tell them. I want to preserve our memories, in a time of loss.
Performing actually came before the book; I started performing spoken word again after a long hiatus and I continue to perform wherever possible. To be on the stage feels natural, an extension of telling stories, reclaiming the space that has been taken from me as a biracial woman, to tell my own stories in my own words. Where once hearing my voice recorded was painful, I now hear my voice as powerful, and telling stories as an act of defiance.
I continue to do work in decolonizing and anti racism through my work as a spoken word artist, writer, journalist, educator and now through podcasts with Helsinki Open Waves and through blog posts. All of this has been made possible with help from so many friends, who have all supported me and made it possible.
Thank you for taking the time to dream with me.
Contact
︎ tania@tanianathan.com
︎ +358 505314000
Medium
.
