Live. Laugh. Love.

Join us for an episode of ‘Live’ where we explore the indigenous people of Singapore and the development of the Malay community from Orang Seletar to the kampungs in Sembawang and finally to modern towns.

‘Early Settlements’  Cultural Medallion Winner Isa Kamari
Saturday, 22 May, 9.45 am – 1.00 pm
Information Counter, Level 1, National Library Building

As Singapore progressed and settlements developed, many of the Orang Seletar community assimilated into the Malay community or moved to neighbouring Indonesia and Malaysia to continue their lifestlyes. Do they still exist? What would they have taught us? How have resettlements changed them?

Join Cultural Medallion Winner, Isa Kamari, as he shares the insights to his book Rawa. Rawa covers the lives and history of Orang Seletar against the backdrop of Singapore from the 1930s leading to the period of Singapore’s claim over Pedra Branca. We bring you on a journey of the early inhabitants of Singapore as well as two sites where scenes from the book took place. Find out more about how communities in Singapore progressed and how modernisation eventually stepped in and its impacts on these communities.

The Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang stands as remembrance of the community among vanished villages of Kampung Wak Hassan, Kampung Tengah and many more.  Marked as Singapore’s national heritage, the mosque was once in the danger of being pulled down. Now it stands as possibly the only village mosque in Singapore.

Due to limited places, please register! Registration can be made via http://golibrary.nlb.gov.sg at ‘Experience Singapore Literature’. As we would be outdoors, please be in comfortable wear and walking shoes.

Conducted in English.

Recommended related resources available here

Upcoming!  Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) organised by National Book Council of Singapore (NBDCS) and the Arts House.

For more information, visit www.afcc.com.sg or email jade@bookcouncil.sg

6 – 9 May 2010, Singapore

The inaugural Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC), is the first of its kind ever in the region. Join experts from around the world as they debate, discuss and chart new ways on how we can look at ourselves, our heritage and draw out treasures which we never knew before, as they share and imagine a new world for children and youth.

Organised by The Arts House and National Book Development Council of Singapore, the Festival will feature conferences, forums, workshops on writing and multi-media industry for children’s content.

The following events will be held as part of AFCC:

1. ASIAN CHILDREN’S WRITERS & ILLUSTRATORS CONFERENCE, 6-8 May 2010

Target Audience: Writers, illustrators, pre-school and primary school teachers, publishers, librarians, literary agents, distributors and retailers, translators, technology solution providers to the industry and other media professionals

2. ASIAN CHILDREN’S PUBLISHERS SYMPOSIUM, 8 May 2010

Target Audience: Publishers, book and media distributors and retailers

3. ASIAN PRIMARY & PRESCHOOL TEACHERS CONGRESS, 8 May 2010

Target Audience: Primary, preschool and kindergarten teachers and parents.

4. ASIAN PARENTS FORUM, 9 May 2010

Target Audience: Primary, preschool and kindergarten teachers and parents

For more information, visit www.afcc.com.sg or email jade@bookcouncil.sg

Discounts
10% discount for members of Singapore Book Publishers Association, 
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and International 
School Libraries Network. Not applicable for Workshops and One-on-Ones.

All information is correct at time of update. Please refer to afcc.com.sg for more information.

Have you heard of the Orang Laut? Who are they? Nomads, sea gypies?

Orang Laut are the earliest inhabitants of Singapore and lived along our coastlines in sampans. This community sustained their lives by fishing and collecting jungle and marine produce, combining their aquatic skills and knowledge of nature. By the early 19th century, more than 1,000 Orang Laut resided in Singapore, a percentage of whom are the Orang Seletar, inhabitants of Sungai Seletar. As Singapore progressed and settlements developed, many of them moved to neighbouring countries or were assimilated into the Malay community in Singapore.

Read up more here –>http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_551_2005-01-09.html

Coming up on ESL Vol 2!

>>> Spell#7.net

Stories and memories played out at different locations. At life’s end what does one remember?

Ghostwalking, is a series of audio-video walks by spell#7 funded by NAC’s Creation Arts Fund (ACF).

The artwork takes the form of a download, which people will listen to/ watch while exploring neighbourhoods off the North East Line (NEL).

An intermix of past and future, from love and innocence in the 60s to futuristic Punggol in 2021, the effect of the walks is cumulative. It is about all the little and big things that add up to a life. Does it mean anything? Does your life mean a thing?

Ghostwalking is a collaboration with Ben Slater (text), Evan Tan (sound) and Sherman Ong (video).

Watch out for more at http://www.spell7.net/

Live. Laugh. Love.

Experience Singapore Literature Volume 2.

Live well, Laugh often, Love much. Those are the words from John Mcleod’s inspirational poem. With this in mind, we invite you to explore the meaning of those words in ESL Vol 2 through the multi-ethnic literatures of Singapore. We hope that through this platform, you will be able to better explore at great depths life, laughter and love in our various showcase of literature.

Our programmes are bilingual in their ethnic languages and English or are purely in English to ensure that you’ll be able to enjoy the sessions regardless of whichever ethnic language(s) you speak!

Happening from April 2010.

Editor: When I was conceptualizing ESL volume 2 (don’t make me spell out what is ESL), I thought really hard. Too hard. Many drafts were pushed back and forth. I had to hibernate, run, hide.. Hibernate to try to think, run and hide from my boss while I was thinking.

And because Vol 1 was on local literature in English, we wanted to showcase local literature of the different languages, of the different communities. But we wanted it to be accessible to everyone as well. What was the point if a programme, eg.  on Tamil literature appeals only to the Indian community? Wouldn’t those who are not Indians want to learn something too? We wanted cross-learning, we wanted something multi-disciplinary, we wanted something experiential. Ambitious? Maybe. Maybe not.

In any case, here we present you ‘Live, Laugh & Love’. The three elements would be represented in our six core episodes from April to September 2010. We start off April with ‘Live’ as we bring you insights into the Tamil community and of the female community as a whole. And in everything we do for the first time, feel free to feedback to us (to me at Athena_AZIZ@nlb.gov.sg) what works, what doesn’t. But do give us some time to absorb it all in. I can’t promise you will see wonders the next time round but I surely, truly would value the feedback and ideas!

The National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS) would be awarding the Singapore Literature Prize (SLP) this year!

SLP  aims to promote Singapore literary talent through due recognition to outstanding published works by Singapore authors in any of the four official languages. Closing Date for submissions on 24 May 2010, 5 pm.

Check out their blog for more information –> http://singaporebookcouncil.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/slp-2010/

The rules and regulations may be obtained at info@bookcouncil.sg or from the SLP Secretariat (Tel no: 6848 8290).