By The Book: 12 writers longlisted for 2021 Epigram Books Fiction Prize

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

Review: The Escape Game by s**t kingz (da:ns Festival 2020)

When we last saw them at FULL OUT! for da:ns Festival 2019, Japanese street dance quartet s**t kingz charmed us with their cheeky choreography and their commitment to fun as they danced their hearts out onstage. While they can’t be physically present this time, the Esplanade has commissioned and co-produced a brand new digital show from them for this year’s da:ns Festival, one that’s sure to … Continue reading Review: The Escape Game by s**t kingz (da:ns Festival 2020)

Review: Failing the Dance – A Double Bill of Lecture-Performances (da:ns Festival 2020)

The lecture-performance form often feels loaded, if only because it sometimes seems like an excuse to showcase incomplete work that fills in the blanks with academic rhetoric. But in the case of the Esplanade’s Failing the Dance, the double-bill of lecture-performances makes a compelling case for the viability of the form, and its ability to raise awareness of issues and dialogue, and manifesting these arguments through … Continue reading Review: Failing the Dance – A Double Bill of Lecture-Performances (da:ns Festival 2020)

Music Is: shy-c releases single ‘Solace In My Sleep’

Singaporean based indie-electronic producer shy-c  has announced the release of his latest EP ‘Solace In My Sleep’. Due on 11 December 2020, shy-c pre-empts the EP release with a new single of the same title. Released under Springroll Records, the single marries shy-c’s love for dreamy lo-fi synth pop beats with acoustic instruments, and is slated to be released on 30th October 2020, Friday. The … Continue reading Music Is: shy-c releases single ‘Solace In My Sleep’

The Banter: An Interview with the cast of SRT’s Tuesdays with Morrie

With the restrictive circuit breaker measures, it’s been far too long since members of the public have been allowed to step into a theatre. But this November, Singapore Repertory Theatre is set to be among the first to begin public performances once again, with their production of Tuesdays with Morrie, their first performance in the KC Arts Centre in seven months. Based off Mitch Albom’s bestselling memoir … Continue reading The Banter: An Interview with the cast of SRT’s Tuesdays with Morrie

By The Book: Singapore Writers Festival 2020 reveals more international authors, including Margaret Atwood and Naomi Klein

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

The Banter: An interview with rising pop star Jannine Weigel on new single ‘Passcode’ and working with RedRecords

It’s never an easy feat getting a record label off the ground, but for RedRecords, a new joint venture between AirAsia and Universal Music Group, they seem to have hit upon a real winner with the very first artist they’ve signed: Thai-German artist Jannine Weigel. Born in the small town of Steinfurt, Germany, Jannine moved to Thailand when she was just 10. As a teenager, … Continue reading The Banter: An interview with rising pop star Jannine Weigel on new single ‘Passcode’ and working with RedRecords

★★★★☆ Film Review: System Crasher dir. Nora Fingscheidt (German Film Festival 2020)

If you think kids are bad, you’ve obviously never met Benni. A regular tiny terror, the protagonist of Nora Fingscheidt’s debut film System Crasher is a sight to behold, incredibly rude and chaotic. From shoplifting, to insulting others, to taking out her violent rage on the people around her, she’s constantly expelled and quickly moves on from every place she’s sent to. It’s not long … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Film Review: System Crasher dir. Nora Fingscheidt (German Film Festival 2020)

★★★★☆ Film Review: Styx dir. Susanne Wolff (German Film Festival 2020)

If you’ve watched Tom Hanks in survival drama Cast Away, then you’ll know that the wide open sea can be one of the most terrifying forces of nature to behold. And for those who don’t even make it to a deserted island, even the smidgen of hope seems to lie far beyond the horizon. In Wolfgang Fischer’s Styx, our protagonist is quite different Cast Away’s Chuck Noland, where we … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Film Review: Styx dir. Susanne Wolff (German Film Festival 2020)

Music Is: Charlie Lim teams up with Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara for ‘Ashes’

Singaporean singer-songwriter Charlie Lim has teamed up with Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara to release a bilingual duet, titled ‘Ashes’. The collaboration started late last year when Miho was in Singapore, and they continued working on the song over the next few months, sending ideas back and forth online.  The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted everyone greatly. With travel restrictions and country lockdowns, Fukuhara who is … Continue reading Music Is: Charlie Lim teams up with Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara for ‘Ashes’