ESL Symposium 30-31 October 2009

We had the Supper Club..

then Breakfast Club, before topping it off with the exploration of Singapore literature after lunch.

This is an archive of our publicity for the symposium held on 30-31 October 2009. Provide us your feedback and if you missed it, what you think would have been interesting or your thoughts on what you would like to see this year!

Literary Manoeuvres In The Dark of Night and Light of Day:

Experience Singapore Literature Symposium

30-31 October 2009

We have a proposition for you. We would like to redefine the meaning of ‘symposium’, or at least how it’s been done for local literature. We would like to bring to you the now beloved Experience Singapore Literature programmes writ large, devising more ways for you to experience Singapore literature.

Do you need a PhD in the English Language or Literature to sign up? Hardly. The only prerequisites are an open mind and an inquisitive spirit. Take the opportunity to rub shoulders with the leading lights of the Singapore literary scene, as they lead you into hitherto undiscovered realms of local literature.

Join us for the evening (Supper Club), morning (Breakfast Club & Explore Singapore Literature), or both if you can. We would love for you to join us on this groundbreaking journey.

Click here for registration details
Registration Form found here

[Problems in registering? Contact Athena_AZIZ@nlb.gov.sg or email her your name, contact no.,address & choice of segment; 'Supper Club' or 'Breakfast Club'. She will get back to you]

Supper Club

Start 11.30pm Friday 30 October
End 6.30am Saturday, 31 October
Are you a night owl curious about the local literary scene? Ever find yourself intrigued to find out the ‘ingredients’ that define Singapore literature? To help you get the most out of Singapore literature, we have various segments in our supper club to whet your taste buds on everything that sums up Singapore literature. Let us walk you through to the ‘other’ side of the local literary scene and offer you a glimpse of alternative perspectives to help you discover what really goes on behind the scenes.

Your experience starts at the National Library and involves guided walks.

Registration: Friday, 30 October 2009
Time: 11.30 pm
Venue: Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library Building

Singapore Literature Overview
Start the journey with a self-reflection of Singapore literature – its past, present and possibly what the future beholds. Influenced by the rapid changes of Singapore’s skyline, rewriting of Singapore history and the changing expectations of society, Associate Professor Kirpal Singh will reveal how Singapore literature is surprisingly colourful and intensely dynamic!

Past & Present
Just how accurate does one’s writing style truly reflect the historical setting of a nation or mark a society’s progress? In this segment we look at how writers and practitioners like Poet Ng Yi-sheng, Natalie Hennedige of Cake Theatre and Kaylene Tan of Spell#7 adapt to changing time, spaces and people and adopt these influences in their writings and works. We also bring you to examine the historical sites that set the impetus to past literary works.

The Unknowns
Ever heard of the unseen? Spooked by the mystery of strange happenings and the hauntings, local writers like Paul Pereira and Pugalenthii (‘Nightmare’ series VJ Times) used the tales of these experiences as a source of inspiration to their writings, which are guaranteed to raise some goose bumps. In this segment, we dare you to speak of the unseen and tread on the unknowns…

Drama Across Languages
Singapore thrives as a “rojak” society, colourful and vibrant in its multiculturalism. As we position ourselves as an advanced, English-speaking-majority country, we must never neglect the existence of literatures in other languages on our shores. Join director Alvin Tan from The Necessary Stage, Associate Artiste from Drama Box and theatre practitioner Li Xie and Tamil Dramatist Vadi PVSS from the Ravindran Drama Group as they share the experiences and challenges of writing about and for their communities.

Breakfast Club & Explore Singapore Literature

Saturday, 31 October, 9.30 am – 2.00 pm
The POD, Level 16, National Library Building
Inclusive of breakfast & lunch

Singapore Iconic Writers
9.30 am – 12.00 pm
The POD, Level 16, National Library Building
Come face to face with Singapore literary iconic writers. Meet Colin Cheong (author of Tangerine), Stella Kon (author of Singapore classic, Emily of Emerald Hill ), Singapore literary idol Catherine Lim and who could possibly forget author of The Teenage Textbook, Adrian Tan? If you have always wanted to know what goes into the making of Singapore’s bestselling novels or understand what goes into the writing of local literature that makes it distinctively Singaporean, this is a session that you simply cannot miss! Did we mention that a hearty breakfast awaits you? Now that’s what you call simply irresistible!

Experience Singapore Literature Symposium: Explore Singapore Literature
12.30 pm – 2.00 pm
The POD, Level 16, National Library Building
Explore the depth, beauty and future of Singapore literature as we take you on a discussion with our distinguished panel of speakers; Assoc Professor Kirpal Singh, Poet Alvin Pang, Stephanie Yap from Straits Times and Matthew Lyon from The Flying Inkpot. Take a look at the indicators that speaks volume of our local literary health situation and understand the landscape from various angles: academic, writing, media and drama.