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Daniel Vuillerman: Outgoing Coordinator

Daniel Vuillerman was Spittoon Beijing’s coordinator for the latter half of 2020 — a university lecturer, musician, creator of Spittoon Nonfiction, and DJ known as Boss Cuts. At the 6th birthday party at Aotu Space, he played his retirement DJ set. We caught up with him beforehand.

On how he got involved: “Spittoon was always on the periphery of my consciousness. I started becoming involved indirectly through drunken conversations with Matt Byrne — Spittoon’s founder — at Temple. We would discuss ideas, he would recite poetry, I would vomit on my shoes. A typical night at Temple.”

On taking over as coordinator: “As Matt was preparing to leave Beijing he invited me to brunch. I don’t usually see my friends in daylight so I suspected something serious was happening. We went down the Spittoon ideas rabbit hole and Matt offered me an apprenticeship of sorts — to learn how to better lead community events so that in the future I can create my own chapter of Spittoon.”

On the experience: “Taking over from Matt was terrifying, but everyone was very welcoming. My biggest challenge was time. I have a full-time job, a four-year-old boy, and play in a few bands — so while it was enthralling, I had to start taking a step back to regain some balance.”

On what Spittoon means to Beijing: “It gives us laowai a sense of community but also a creative outlet. Of course Spittoon is for everyone, but it tends to attract more foreigners than locals — and in a city where, as the census shows, there aren’t many of us, that matters.”

Know Your Organisers

For the past year, Spittoon Beijing’s monthly events had been helmed by the same five people. As the 6th birthday party approached, we asked each of them to introduce themselves.

Anthony Tao — Poetry Night

“Poetry Night has only had three hosts in its illustrious history, and I’m humbled to say I’m the third. The first, of course, was the founder of Spittoon himself, Matthew Byrne, and the second was Poornima Weerasekara. This sprawling literary and artistic community, which now spans multiple cities, began as a small monthly poetry open mic at a cosy bar that no longer exists. I will always remember how it began — with its spirit of inclusivity, ingenuity, and community.”

Deva Eveland — Book Club

“I’m Deva, the Fearless Leader of the book club, though I can be found lurking at most of the Thursday events. What do I enjoy? Dissecting novels with a small group of thoughtful people. Personal revitalization through exposure to poetry, fiction, and storytelling. And interviewing the writers we publish to get deeper into the mind that created the writing.”

Ana Padilla Fornieles — Fiction Night

“I am Ana, a translator and creative juggling a series of hats. When I first joined Beijing’s underground literary community it was thanks to the kindness and guidance of strangers. It’s only fair that I try and guide others too — hopefully finding their way into this wonderful and vibrant community.”

Amy Daml — Storytelling

“I host Spittoon Storytelling on the third Thursday of every month. I really enjoy it because it’s very simple and relatable. Everyone is constantly engaging in storytelling in their everyday life. Now you get to share that with strangers.”

Abigail Weathers — Poetry Workshop

“I think I most enjoy being able to facilitate a welcoming space where anyone can gather to appreciate the craft of poetry. I love that the workshop is often the first time some people have shared their work with an audience — and it’s incredibly gratifying to see people continue to share, or gain the confidence to present at Poetry Night or elsewhere.”

Originally published May 2021 on the Spittoon WeChat channel. Spittoon’s 6th birthday party took place at Aotu Space, Beijing.