Keep calm and carry on. With how awful 2020 has turned out to be, it’s more important than ever to embrace the idea of mindfulness, and learn how to take care of our mental health so we don’t fizzle out all of a sudden with no warning. And according to PK Poniah, who has a masters in guidance and counselling, one way of doing that … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Book Review: Calm – A Journal For Myself by PK Poniah
Crime-solving child sleuths take to Singapore’s offshore islands. I’ll admit, despite it being the fifteenth book in the series, this is actually the first Sherlock Sam book I’m reading. But even as a newcomer, it’s easy enough to dive into the fast-paced exploits of our local child detectives. And this time around, Sherlock Sam and the Wonderful Watson Online Detective Agency are taking their adventure … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Book Review: Sherlock Sam and the Seafaring Scourge on Sentosa by A.J. Low
Capturing the intersection of a tumultuous adolescence and national tragedy through beautifully wrought language. The bildungsroman form has long been a staple of literature for good reason – there’s something inherently powerful about reliving someone else’s childhood alongside them, finding those all too familiar roads you’ve both walked down and the confusing feelings of first love and adolescence. What makes Danton Remoto’s Riverrun more than just your … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Book Review: Riverrun by Danton Remoto
A meander through the annals of time that leaves us wanting more. Because of the controversial plan to exhume its graves to make way for more land, Bukit Brown is probably Singapore’s most well-known cemetery, and whose significance is both historical in value and as an integral example of our country’s almost uncaring approach towards preservation when it comes to progress. In Sun Jung’s novel … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Book Review: Bukit Brown by Sun Jung
It’s been five years since The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye was first published, and since then, has gone on to win a slew of awards, ranging from the 2016 Singapore Literature Prize for English Fiction, to three Eisner Awards in 2017 for Best Writer/Artist, Best Publication Design, and Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia. But for graphic novelist Sonny Liew, life hasn’t changed … Continue reading By The Book: An Interview with Sonny Liew, creator of The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye
A genre-breaking graphic novel presenting the history of Singapore with charm, accessibility and power. I first picked up a copy of The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye when I learnt about its Eisner nominations back in 2017. While I’d previously read creator Sonny Liew’s shorter work in anthologies such as Kazu Kibushi’s Flight or Liquid City (edited by Sonny), a full-length graphic novel from the cartoonist was unexpected, to … Continue reading ★★★★★ Book Review: The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye (5th Anniversary Edition) by Sonny Liew
There’s never been a literary festival quite like the 2020 Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), thanks to the ongoing pandemic. With travel restrictions preventing international stars flying in and social distancing measures in place across venues, it didn’t make sense to hold live events. Still, with all the efforts that went into planning the festival, it didn’t make sense to cancel it. Which is precisely why … Continue reading Review: Singapore Writers Festival 2020 – Intimacy
Your actual kids and furkids will love listening to these furry tales by local canine celebrity Leia. ‘Godfather of Singapore Fashion’ and rescue dog advocate Daniel Boey is already the author of multiple books, with titles ranging from fashion tomes to personal memoirs, to an anthology of stories about rescue dogs. Now, he’s ready to take the world of children’s books by storm, as he … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Book Review: Daniel Boey’s Furry Tales by Leia
The Epigram Books Fiction Prize, one of the region’s most renowned literary prizes, is back, and has now longlisted 12 authors vying for the 2021 prize, following Malaysian author Joshua Kam’s win in 2020 for his debut novel How The Man In Green Saved Pahang, And Possibly The World. Hailing from Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Thailand, due to the pandemic, the event next … Continue reading By The Book: 12 writers longlisted for 2021 Epigram Books Fiction Prize
The 23rd Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) will see 10 international headliners in its upcoming digital edition, a record-breaking number in festival history. Organised by the National Arts Council (NAC), the multilingual literary festival brings together writers, thinkers and audiences from Singapore and around the world to explore the theme of ‘Intimacy’ through words and stories in this time of distancing. This edition embodies the festival’s … Continue reading By The Book: Singapore Writers Festival 2020 reveals more international authors, including Margaret Atwood and Naomi Klein
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