G

G is a sound. Phonetically, it is represented as [?]--and corresponds to ? in the Arabic alphabet--a guttural resonance shared between Afrikaans and Persian. Hinging on this mutual fricative sonically prominent in their respective languages, and a playful inclusion of homonyms across English, Afrikaans, and Persian, Klara du Plessis and Khashayar "Kess" Mohammadi composed G collaboratively in a shared Google document, an act of hospitality into their languages. Amplifying common etymologies, but centering communication beyond the delimitation of verbal systems, this work stages a conceptual project of human interconnection through the metaphors of tongue, speech, and poetry as sound. G builds on both poets? earlier translingual and translation work, including du Plessis? award-winning Ekke and Mohammadi's Me, You, Then Snow.

Klara du Plessis is a poet, scholar, and literary curator. Her debut poetry collection, Ekke, won the 2019 Pat Lowther Memorial Award and her critical writing received Arc Poetry Magazine's 2022 Critic's Desk Award. Welcoming collaborative formations, her book-length narrative poem, Hell Light Flesh, was adapted and produced as a mono-opera film with composer Jimmie LeBlanc, premiered at the International Festival of Films on Art in 2023. Klara develops an ongoing series of experimental and dialogic literary events called Deep Curation, an approach which posits the poetry reading as artform. She holds a PhD in English Literature, and lives in Montreal and Cape Town.

Khashayar "Kess" Mohammadi is a queer, Iranian born, Toronto-based poet, writer and translator. They are the winner of the 2021 Vallum Poetry Prize and the author of two previous poetry collections. G, in collaboration with Klara Du Plessis is their third book.

Khashayar "Kess" Mohammadi is a queer, Iranian born, Toronto-based poet, writer and translator. They are the winner of the 2021 Vallum Poetry Prize and the author of two previous poetry collections. G, in collaboration with Klara Du Plessis is their third book.