This year’s tba presents was actually my first, so I guess I lost my “tba-presents-virginity”. But actually that’s something I don’t regret losing.

The event took place on December 7 2017 in a club called Cascadas and even though the club was not big, there were still many guests who came for tba presents.

The evening had a healthy mixture of poetry, short stories and music that was worth paying the entrance fee for. It was wonderful to hear mundane feelings expressed through different types of art and also to experience the emotions through the artists’ performances, which made those feelings even more special.

Listening to lyrics about being in love made one want to hold their partner forever and when listening to a poem about heartbreak, one wanted to scream and shout at those who hurt you. It was fascinating how I could even see a Ukrainian bus or train form in front of my eyes when one of our artists, Pat, read out a poem about Ukrainian public transport.

Yet not every piece was about love, heartbreak or public transport: there were also a few humorous short stories.  Plus, the hosts of the evening were a great counterweight to the sometimes very depressing pieces.

I have to admit that it bothered me that the bartender was mixing drinks while artists presented their work because it was disturbing their presentations. It was sometimes very hard to concentrate on what was being presented when someone was shaking some ice in a cocktail mixer.

All in all, I would like to thank tba journal for hosting tba presents and creating an atmosphere of belonging and understanding all in one evening, for giving talented artists a chance to present their work in front of an audience and for a highly entertaining event. I look forward to the next tba presents.

By Joana-Maria Beaty