By The Book: Asian Festival of Children’s Content 2020 draws to a close; speakers stress the importance of reading

The first-ever digital version of the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) concluded last weekend with a strong message to parents and educators: Books and reading are vital for children during times of crisis. The annual festival drew more than 3,000 attendees to its various events held between 2nd to 4th October online. At its closing ceremony, the biennial Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award (HABA) … Continue reading By The Book: Asian Festival of Children’s Content 2020 draws to a close; speakers stress the importance of reading

By The Book: Anugerah Persuratan (Malay Literary Awards) 2020 opens calls for entries

The Malay Language Council, Singapore (MLCS) will hold its biennial Anugerah Persuratan (Malay Literary Award) in 2020. First organised in 1993, this is an ongoing effort to recognise outstanding local writers for their contributions to the Malay language literary writing and to encourage the publications of quality literary works. In an effort to create a vibrant literary scene, a greater range of quality reading materials … Continue reading By The Book: Anugerah Persuratan (Malay Literary Awards) 2020 opens calls for entries

By The Book: New Epigram Releases – October 2020

October is here, and local publishers Epigram have a brand new line-up of books to dive into. For the kids, there’s a smorgasbord of sequels from some of their most popular book series, including Sherlock Sam, and My BFF Is An Alien. Meanwhile, the final entry of the 2020 Epigram Books Fiction Prize shortlist is being released, along with a journal to help teens and … Continue reading By The Book: New Epigram Releases – October 2020

By The Book: Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2020 to go virtual; shortlist announced

Six children’s books have been shortlisted for the Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award (HABA), a biennial literary award recognising the best children’s literature in English written by a Singaporean or permanent resident. The winner from this shortlist will be revealed at the award ceremony, which will be held online for the first time and will be live-streamed on the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC)’s … Continue reading By The Book: Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2020 to go virtual; shortlist announced

By The Book: Asian Festival of Children’s Content to tackle challenges faced by publishing industry in its first digital edition

The annual Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) will tackle the challenges as well as opportunities the publishing industry currently faces in a fully digital format. Over two days from 3rd to 4th October, more than 40 featured writers, publishers and speakers from Singapore and around the world will gather to discuss how the children’s books industry is responding and adapting to the global pandemic. … Continue reading By The Book: Asian Festival of Children’s Content to tackle challenges faced by publishing industry in its first digital edition

By The Book: Singapore Writers Festival 2020 – Intimacy (Preview)

If it’s one thing we’ve learnt during Singapore’s circuit breaker lockdown, it’s that there’s nothing more comforting to distract you from the terrors of the COVID-19 pandemic than curling up with a good book. And one book we did love reading during this time was acclaimed essayist and novelist Zadie Smith’s new writing Intimations, in which the beloved author details her thoughts and reflections on time … Continue reading By The Book: Singapore Writers Festival 2020 – Intimacy (Preview)

★★★★☆ Book Review: The Java Enigma by Erni Salleh

A UNESCO librarian is in for the adventure of her life.  Hear me out: librarians are cool people. They’re akin to academics, filled with a bastion of specialised information to dish out when you least expect it, plus, they’re masters of order and organisation. But rarely do they ever get a chance to show off these skills and display exactly what they’re capable of when … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Book Review: The Java Enigma by Erni Salleh

★★★★☆ Book Review: Just A Little Mynah by Evelyn Sue Wong and Dhanendra Poedjono

Introducing kids to our multilingual society with the help of a bird park.  How often do you get to read a children’s book that features more than one language? With Evelyn Sue Wong’s Just A Little Mynah, kids will be introduced to a whopping four languages (English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil), as the first in a new series of picture books to introduce preschoolers and … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Book Review: Just A Little Mynah by Evelyn Sue Wong and Dhanendra Poedjono

★★★★☆ Book Review: Mr Tino (Volume 1) by Russell Molina and Ian Sta. Maria

An elderly shopkeeper becomes an unlikely superhero in this exciting debut. You know the old adage ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’? Russell Molina and Ian Sta. Maria’s brand new graphic novel Mr Tino blows that wide apart, with a 66-year old sundry store owner as its protagonist. Set in the Philippines, the titular Mr Tino isn’t just an ordinary senior citizen though; on … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Book Review: Mr Tino (Volume 1) by Russell Molina and Ian Sta. Maria

By The Book: New Epigram Releases – September 2020

The September school holidays are upon us, and whether you’re a student or not, there’s always time to hunker down with a good book and dive into some of the region’s best new writing. This month, from Epigram, look out for the last of the Epigram Fiction Prize nominees, a brand new multilingual series for children, and a new edition of one of the best … Continue reading By The Book: New Epigram Releases – September 2020