In the surrounding darkness, bright lights focus on the speaker on the stage, a famous writer. The noise of an electric generator competes with his speech. He uses vivid metaphors to illustrate the wrongdoings of those in parliament and the government. The audience responds with a roar of cheers and applause:
"Yes, they are idiots! Curse them some more!"
The speaker needs to wait a while for the people to calm down again. But soon enough, words from his speech hit a nerve once again, and the audience goes wild.
This is a typical scene at literary talks in Myanmar. Historically, these talks were traditional events that became popular during Myanmar's colonial days, but they were unofficially banned by the military junta during its rule. Though they have once again become popular since the relaxation of restrictions in 2010, most attendees have never experienced such events before. In fact, the audience, especially those from rural areas, has had no exposure to literature at all, given the overwhelming censorship in the junta years.