Review: All The Bodies We’ve Embraced: Letters And Poems

If the name Sheena Baharudin is familiar to you, then you would have encountered her through Malaysia’s small but burgeoning contemporary English-language poetry scene.

Sheena performs and hosts spoken word performances and events across the country, particularly in Kuala Lumpur. A Muslim feminist who draws inspiration from multiple influences (she has often mentioned 13th century Persian poet Rumi as an influence), Sheena’s poetry often examines and confronts the identities that claim her person: In her own words, “daughter, sister ... a Malay, a Malaysian, a Muslim, a Sunni, a Shafi’e...”.