Friday, November 13, 2009
Alerted by Gwee Li Sui's Facebook notes! The Jakarta Post covered Singapore Writers Festival in this article, which included the following paragraph:
"There were almost 70 Singaporean literary luminaries directly participating in events, including established writers like Catherine Lim (The Bondmaid, 1995), a self-described “incorrigible, unstoppable storyteller”, and de-facto poet laureate Edwin Thumboo (Ulysses by the Merlion, 1979) to emerging talents like Wena Poon, who won the Singapore Literature Prize for her debut novel Lions in Winter."
Well, as most of you know:
1. "Lions in Winter" is a collection of short stories, not a novel.
2. Wena's debut novel was actually the self-published sci-fi thriller "Biophilia".
3. She didn't win the SLP. She was shortlisted the same year that, ahem, I won. (She was my favourite to win, though.)
Wena's pretty pissed at them too. They referred to her latest book, "The Proper Care of Foxes", as a romance.
Speaking of literary gossip, there's been an intriguing spate happening between NUS English student Nicholas Liu and Gilbert Koh, a banker who also goes by the nom de blog of Mr Wang.
Basically, Nicholas did a QLRS review of Gilbert's first collection of poems, "Two Baby Hands". It's a very, very cutting review, but I have to say I agree with the points made - I've got a certain style and approach to poetry, after all.
Gilbert, however, hasn't handled the criticism well. And it's quite natural to be upset - I'm always upset when I read bad or even mediocre reviews of my theatre work. But he got really - well - snarky and ad hominemly defensive in his responses: see here, here and here.
I dormed with Gilbert at the Pulau Ubin writers' retreat, so I can say he's a pretty nice guy in person. His poetry's a hell of a lot more accessible than mine, too.
But he's gotta learn something: almost all coverage is good coverage. More people are going to check out his book because of the review, and a lot of them are going to like the book. And the controversy caused by this is making more people think about our work in new ways.
Now if only Jakarta Post would write something, good or bad, about me...
Friday, November 06, 2009
It's on Wordpress this time. Go to http://flyingcircusproject.wordpress.com.
B).
Wednesday, November 04, 2009

TheatreWorks / 72-13 presents
The first-ever dancing museum in Singapore hosted by the Flying Circus Project, expo zéro is a unique exhibition without objects conceived by acclaimed French choreographer, Boris Charmatz and Musée de la Danse.
expo zéro is only open on two days: 7 & 8 November at 72-13 between 1pm and 6pm.
An `exhibition' project with no photographs, no sculptures, no installations, no videos. Zero things, not one stable object. But artists, and areas occupied by gestures, projects, bodies, stories, dances which everyone will choose to imagine.
In the process spirit of the Flying Circus Project (FCP) conceived by Ong Keng Sen, expo zéro is a kind of 'think tank' through analysis, description, performance, movements and ideas which each guide-artist will develop with the audience. This comes at a timely occasion as Singapore has no dancehouse (tanzhaus, dansens hus, centre chorégraphique national), a question which TheatreWorks / 72-13 is presently pondering.
expo zéro is headed by Boris Charmatz in collaboration with dancers-choreographers, François Chaignuad, Mette Ingvartsen and actor-director Yves-Noël Genod. In Singapore, it collaborates with Asian artists, architects, theorists of FCP 2010 like Padmini Chettur, Heman Chong, Torrance Goh of FARM, Donna Miranda, Joavien Ng and Ong Keng Sen.
For all bios, please go to www.theatreworks.org.sg / www.72-13.com
Visitors will experience these individuals' visions, subjective and utopian, of what a dancing museum can be.
Join us and be part of expo zéro now!
EVENT INFORMATION
Flying Circus Project Platform 01
expo zéro by Musée de la Danse
Date: 7 & 8 November 2009
Musée hours: 1pm – 6pm daily
Venue: 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Road
Admission: Free
Please call 6737-7213 or email tworks@singnet.com.sg to register your attendance.
For more information:
www.theatreworks.org.sg
www.72-13.com
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
And informing you of changes to events I'm involved in! Yes, I'm still in all the events I blogged about earlier, and right now I'm specifically working on the walking tour I'm doing for the Library's Experiencing Singapore Literature.
30 Oct 2009, 6:00 pm
Launch of Tumasik: Contemporary Writing from Singapore
Price: Free
Venue : Play Den
Co-published with the Iowa Writing Program, University of Iowa, the anthology Tumasik features the works of Singapore’s finest writers hailing from the four official languages of English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Edited by poet Alvin Pang, the anthology includes Singaporean writers such as Anuar Othman, Madeleine Lee, Quah Sy Ren, Johar Buang, Toh Hsien Min, Kirpal Singh, Verena Tay, MK Narayanan, Latha and Wong Yoon Wah.
Event end: 7.30pm
31 Oct 2009, 6:00 pm
The Creative Writing Experience
Price: Free
Venue : The Hall
Featuring: Alvin Pang, Suchen Christine Lim
This October, 15 Singaporean writers are taking part in a week-long creative writing camp on Pulau Ubin, based on the renowned Arvon retreats in the United Kingdom and organised by Catalyst Central, a not-for-profit arts initiative directed by Alvin Pang and Fong Hoe Fang. Some of the participants and tutors will share their camp experiences and discuss the value of structured writing residencies in sharpening writing skills. You can also find out about how you can participate in future creative writing residencies!
Event end: 7pm
In collaboration with British Council and Catalyst Central
Monday, October 19, 2009
24 Oct 2009, 12:30 pm
Listen to This
Venue : Living Room
Featuring: Madeleine Lee, Ng Yi-Sheng, David Leo
Moderator: Eleanor Wong
Cutting beneath Singapore’s sceptic veneer, Madeleine Lee, Ng Yi-Sheng and David Leo lyrically weave the nation’s essences into poetry. These poets are politically aware, transnational and cosmopolitan, frequently presenting their intensely focused, self-questioning and highly individualised perspectives of Singaporean life, society and culture via their collections. Listen in and find out how Singapore has inspired and challenged them.
Event end: 1.30pm
30 Oct 2009, 6:00 pm (TIME AND DATE CHANGED!!!)
Launch of Tumasik: Contemporary Writing from Singapore
Venue : Play Den
Co-published with the Iowa Writing Program, University of Iowa, the anthology Tumasik features the works of Singapore’s finest writers hailing from the four official languages of English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Edited by poet Alvin Pang, the anthology includes Singaporean writers such as Anuar Othman, Madeleine Lee, Quah Sy Ren, Johar Buang, Toh Hsien Min, Kirpal Singh, Verena Tay, MK Narayanan, Latha and Wong Yoon Wah.
Event end: 7.00pm
31 Oct 2009, 5:00 pm
Award-Winning Writers from Singapore
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Venue : Blue Room
Featuring: Ng Yi-Sheng, Chia Hwee Pheng, Yeng Pway Ngon, Mohd Latiff Bin Mohd, Latha
Moderator: Kirpal Singh
Singapore’s multi-language and multi-cultural landscape is reflected best in its varied and colourful literary scene. Join Singapore Literature Prize winners and Cultural Medallion award winners as they discuss their roles as writers, their literary adventures in the four official languages of English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil, and their hopes for literature in Singapore.
Event end: 6pm
01 Nov 2009, 3:00 pm
Evolution: The Curious Case of Books
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Venue : Blue Room
Featuring: Thangavel Palamalai, Appala Narasiah, Meira Chand, Robert Yeo
Moderator: Ng Yi-Sheng
How do books affect or change our lives? What is this medium that moves and transforms? Does it have any place in our visually saturated and fast moving world? Join four of our top writers from India and Singapore as they share their favourite books and debate on the contemporary role of books and literature.
Event end: 4pm
01 Nov 2009, 5:00 pm
Dissecting the Merlion
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Venue : Chamber
The Merlion is a many-splendoured thing, alternatively praised and parodied. From its birth as a uniquely Singaporean tourism symbol to its reputation for endless literary exposition since its lyrical lionisation by Edwin Thumboo, the completely made-up creature has earned much currency. How it has come to take on the baggage of a nascent nation is a compelling phenomenon. Dissecting the Merlion brings together eight writers from different backgrounds and generations for a fun, no-holds-barred debate to expound on the topic: the Merlion has been maligned.
Writers include Alfian Sa’at, Desmond Kon, Leong Liew Geok, Ng Yi-Sheng, Alvin Pang, Adrian Tan, Teng Qian Xi and Ovidia Yu. The moderator-host is Eleanor Wong. Also to be launched at the event is a poetry anthology inspired by the Merlion across the four national languages.
Event end: 7pm
Friday, October 16, 2009
Back from Bali! I'm gonna talk about the events I'm doing for the Singapore Literature Festival real soon, but first, here's a special side event that I've been planning with the National Library, happening on the night of Fri Oct 30 to the afternoon of Sat Oct 31. I'm pretty stoked.

Join us for a Symposium on 30-31 October! Forget about sitting and listening to boring discussions. We will be bringing you unique Experiences which are more exciting and on a bigger scale! As the name suggests, we want YOU to Experience literature. Come along and meet the ‘greats’ of the literary circles!
For more details and registration to the different segments of the Symposium, please access our blog at http://blogs.nlb.gov.sg/esl/symposium/.
Supper Club,
Kick off at Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library Board
*open to those aged 16 years and above
Breakfast Club & Explore Singlit,
The Pod, Level 16, National Library Building
Admission to the two segments are free and on a first-come-first serve basis as seats are limited. Registration is from now till 20 October 2009. Supper, Breakfast and Lunch arrangements are included accordingly to the different segments.
*Your registration is complete when you receive a confirmation email from us. Seats are limited, so please register only if you can really join us.
Friday, October 09, 2009
First time officially. Was corralled into replacing an absent speaker yesterday at the Lands of Chocolate event, where I read poems about mooncakes and vegan ex-boyfriends and shared anecdotes about how my father hates chox after being given flavoured laxatives as a child.
Friday 10.45 – 12.15, Neka Museum
Queer Asian writing
Ernest JK Wen
Ng Yi Sheng
Cok Sawitri
Chair: Dede Oetomo
Saturday, 10.45 – 12.15, Left Bank Lounge
Literary communities
Angelo Lacuesta
M Aan Mansyur
Omar Musa
Ng Yi-Sheng
Dian Hartati
Antony Loewenstein
Ng Yi-Sheng



