On March 6, 2025, the Peel Street Poetry Society celebrated poets of Hong Kong’s literary scene with the launch of the fifth volume of the “Tentacle Poetry” zine at the Social Room, a gathering held in collaboration with the ongoing Hong Kong International Literary Festival (HKILF).
The vibrant publication, brainchild of Henry Hoeg, is an accumulation of the works of finalists from Peel Street Poetry’s 19th Anniversary Slam, as well as, open-mic regulars and members of the HKILF, and focuses on the theme “FUTURE / EXPRESSION”.
The launch opened with live performances by published poets from the zine, which were emceed by Hoeg himself, and continued on to an open mic night where both new and familiar faces had their go at performing their work. At the same time, the audience participated in a game of collaborative poetry called Exquisite Corpse, which roots from the Parisian Surrealist Movement.
Founded two decades ago by Nashua Gallagher and Keith McMullen, Peel Street Poetry has cultivated a dedicated following through its tradition of hosting not only open mic nights every Wednesday, except for the first week of each month, but also book launches to support authors and poets alike. Daniel Hamilton, who is part of the core group which helps sustain the society, explained that the collective works on quite a loose knit organizational structure, even regarding its membership process, saying “How do you become a member of Peel Street Poetry? You just start showing up.”
This regular gathering allows poets from all walks of life to share their spoken word, making poetry accessible and inclusive for both participants and audience members, which Hamilton expressed, is one of the goals of the society.
Amanda Chan, one of the finalists, performed her piece, “X-ray”, which took the singer-songwriter only 10 minutes to write, based only on a prompt that showed pictures of an X-ray and a reversible octopus toy. “I wanted to use them in a way that was kind of related to my own situation,” said Chan, adding, “I usually write about sad emotions or, you know, mental health.”
Looking back on her first time performing, Chan recounted that she had teared up, but not because she was emotional. “There was something in my eyes, I was so embarrassed, and then I felt like, oh no, I’m never coming back here,” she laughed. Encouragement from friends proved this otherwise and she eventually became a regular.
Another finalist who performed her work the same evening was Alexa Mae Bautista, a writer based in Hong Kong, who has been coming to Peel Street Poetry’s gatherings for more than seven years. Bautista performed her poem, “No Culture Kid”, which was an homage to her identity as a Filipino-Hongkonger, who usually writes on love, inspired by her relationships.
The zine launch not only showcased the literary talent of current members but also served as a gathering point for the community to celebrate their shared love for the written word. As the night unfolded, many newcomers to the scene walked up to the stage to deliver compassionate thoughts of all sorts, including politics, technology and mental health.
As the Peel Street Poetry Society goes on into its twentieth year, the enthusiasm from the zine launch event showed the community’s passion for poetry. Bautista, who has been coming to the gatherings for seven years, expressed, “Especially when newcomers come it’s just so refreshing to hear new voices. It’s just a really lovely community.”
The evening ended on a sanguine note for the future. Hamilton, who hosted the open mic, recited the Exquisite Corpse game’s ending that he wrote: “Floating towards a future I can’t bear to see, but you can’t stop the river, can’t fight the sea, so we ride the waves ‘til the end of life, where the exquisite corpse of the future will drink the new wine.”