HAPPENIN’ . programmes + events
Two doctors are coming in August! No, the Heartlands Book Club has not diversified into clinical therapy though discussing books is a therapy for some! Two authors with Phds are discussing their books.
For the first book discussion, meet Dr Nigel Barley as he discusses “In the footsteps of Stamford Raffles”. The details:
Date/time: Friday, 4.00pm, 8 August 2008
Venue: The Activity Room, Bukit Batok Community Library
Author in appearance: Dr Nigel Barley
Co-facilitator: Ms Margaret Brinham
Title/author of book: In the footsteps of Stamford Raffles by Nigel Barley
Call no. of book: SING English 325.21092 BAR
What the book is about: In this enchanting pastiche of history, biography and travelogue, the British Museum’s assistant keeper and director of the Museum of Mankind resurrects the “real” Thomas Stamford Raffles (1781-1826), founder and British governor of Singapore. Following in Raffles’s footsteps, Barley plays the known facts about his life against the contradictory local myths and gossip about him in a witty portrait of a man now known primarily by the name of the famous Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Born poor, Raffles was dubbed “the Duke” by an aunt for his elegant airs. From a menial job at the East India Company, he rose to a position that enabled him to help take Java from the cruel rule of the Dutch to the more (controversially) beneficent one of the British. The book is also an entertaining visit with the intrepid author and a host of high and low characters Barley drew into his adventure. (Taken from Publisher’s notes).
About the author: Nigel Barley is the author of 10 books with Penguin, Monsoon, Time Warner and Little, Brown, including three set in Singapore/Malaysia: ‘White Raja’. ‘In the Footsteps of Stamford Raffles’ and ‘Rogue Raider: The tale of Captain Lauterbach and the Singapore Mutiny’. With a PhD in Anthropology from Oxford University, he spent many years working at the British Museum in the Ethnography Department. He is now a writer and broadcaster and divides his time between London and Indonesia.
UPDATE (11 August 2008) - Some pictures from the book discussion:
The second book discussion is by local poet Dr Rosaly Puthucheary . The details:
Date/time: Friday, 4.00pm, 29 August 2008
Venue: The Activity Room, Bukit Batok Community Library
Author in appearance: Dr Rosaly Puthucheary
Co-facilitator: Mr Lawrence Chew
Title/author of book: Footfalls in the Rain by Rosaly Puthucheary
Call no. of book: SING English S821 PUT
What the book is about: Footfalls in the Rain, in four cantos, is a long poem about the journey from youth to age. Each canto deals with one aspect of the psychological journey. However, many of the individual poems are reflections inspired by actual trips made between 1989 and 2001 to different parts of the world. The musing in each poem is grounded in the reality confronted by the poet during her travels. The inroads into her emotion convey the underlying tension, giving the sequence a certain poignancy (Taken from Publisher’s notes).
About the author: Dr Puthucheary, an octogenarian, is a prolific author and still continues to write. In the midst, she has several unpublished works which she is sourcing for publishers. One of them is “Singaporeans/Malaysian novel: Different voices” will be available this year. She completed her Phd in English Literature in 2006 at the National University of Singapore. Former teacher at ACJC for 17 years, she does art, painting and writing for leisure.
UPDATE (01 September 2008) - Some pictures from the book discussion:
If you are interested in participating, please email Soon Huat at Soon_Huat_KWEH@nlb.gov.sg.
Contributed by Kweh Soon Huat, Adult and Young People’s Services
Have you participated in this event?
Post your comments, or email to HBeditor@nlb.gov.sg
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14 responses so far ↓
1 soonhuat // Jul 30, 2008 at 2:15 pm
We are in luck to have two authors coming in August’s book discussions. The first is on the eve of our National Day which the author Dr Barley will be discussing Stamford Raffles within the context of the fictional mix with historical circumstances. What will Raffles think if he were to watch the National Day Parade today? The second author is the former teacher of ACJC for 17 years. I have sought Dr Puthucheary’s permssion to broadcast her discussion to ACJC. She hopes to meet some familiar faces on that day
2 soonhuat // Aug 4, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Please dress in red to celebrate our National Day this Friday at our bookclub discussion. Most appropriate too is the author himself discussing his fictional book on Stamford Raffles, the founder of our island.
If you wish to bring food to share in the potluck (must be halal), for this occasion, red food is the theme. By this, it means red colour predominates eg. ang koo kueh (halal) or red cake with peanut paste. Margaret our co-facilitator for this discussion is doing overtime as she promises to bake for us a vegetarian white and red cake
Do post your National Day wishes here.
3 margaret // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:48 am
We all had a great time on Friday, when Dr Nigel Barley came to Heartlands Book Club to discuss his book “In the Footsteps of Stamford Raffles”, a sympathetic biography, which told us much about Raffles the private man, his compassion and philanthropy, his passion for flora and fauna and the collections he amassed for posterity. And not least, the part Raffles played in the founding of Singapore in 1918.
The discussion lifted Stamford Raffles off the pages of Dr Barley’s book and brought him very much to life. As well as discussing his book at length with us, the erudite Dr Barley kept us amused with tales of his own life in the Ethnography Department of the British Museum in London, and his travels round Indonesia “In the Foosteps of Raffles”.
We celebrated National Day with a table laden with a feast of red and white food supplied by our members.
4 soonhuat // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:20 am
Dr Nigel Barley is a most erudite scholar and writer. His off-the-cuff “lecture” was peppered with much insight on Raffles as both office holder and private man, British relationship with Dutch Java and the Raffles exhibition by the British Museum, a world-class repository of historical items. Argued fervently that Raffles was a bad businessman but a brillant visionary, Nigel has left no doubt the impression that Raffles’ contributions, among other things, abolished slavery, left a priceless collection of flora and fauna artefacts of that time and of course, secured Singapore for the British, was a man of great vision.
5 Margaret // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:59 am
I was sorry to hear Nasreen would be leaving our book club, due to work commitments. I shall miss her intelligent, funny and warm hearted presence at our discussions.
Very best wishes for the future, Nasreen!
6 soonhuat // Aug 11, 2008 at 6:53 pm
We hope Nasreen can rejoin us after she has settled down in her new job. I will miss her witty exchanges and commitment to the bookclub, her wonderful generousity of homemade Indian food (each one of them was good :)) and her precocious daughter .. hehe mum and daughter will speak their minds in the discussion :p All the best to your future endeavours, Nasreen
7 Nasreen // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Dear All!
I thoroughly enjoyed the dicussion at our last session! As always, it was witty, frendly and interesting. The Heartlands Book Club has become a second family for me and I will so miss meeting up with you all every month….but I shall not say good-bye…only au revour…I may just land up at the tail end of each session! Margaret and Soon-Huat….Thanks for your kind comments and wishes !!C’ya real soon!
8 Kenny Nathan // Aug 12, 2008 at 7:48 am
Best wishes in your new job Nasreen. I am sure you will bring to it the committment and fervour you bring to all your engagements. Keep in touch with us thru this site!
9 Margaret // Aug 14, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Um.. Sorry everyone… Raffles founded Singpore in 1819, not 1918! Slip of the keys!
10 Pauline Chia // Aug 26, 2008 at 9:49 am
I really enjoyed my first ‘Heartlands Book Club’ meeting’. You’re a friendly group of people with a lot of good humour and made me feel very welcome. Even though I hadn’t read ‘In the Footsteps of Stamford Raffles by Dr Nigel Barley, Dr Barley certainly brought Raffles alive with his detailed narrative.
Thanks Soon Huat for the Photos.
I look forward to meeting up with everyone next Friday.
Pauline
11 soonhuat // Sep 1, 2008 at 11:24 am
Dr Rosaly Puthucheary shared her experiences in writing her fourth book of poems “Footfalls in the rain”. The poems examined the themes of time and travels as experienced by her. Rosaly gave the intricacies of writing a book and how to publish them. She was an inspiration for the group when she completed her Phd “for its own sake” in her 60s.
12 Margaret // Sep 1, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Two words come to mind when meeting Dr Rosaly Puthucheary - amazing and inspirational! Dr Rosaly discussed in depth several poems from ‘Footfalls in the Rain’ and spoke frankly about her life, giving us an insight into not only her creative side, but also the difficulties faced as a divorced mother bringing up her children. Turning adversity to advantage, Dr Rosaly was able to express herself through her creative side - she paints, designs jewellery and, of course writes both poetry and fiction - as well as obtaining a Ph.D!
With her wonderfully warm personality and humour, our discussion went on well past the allotted time. Come back soon, Dr Rosaly!
13 Siok Hwee // Sep 1, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Dr Rosalry’s talk - somewhat made me have this feeling that I have to read her poetry again & more carefully this time.
14 kennynathan // Sep 3, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Enjoyed Dr Rosaly a bit more than I enjoyed her poems! She is truly a vibrant and engaging soul - full of life and inspiration. Will be hunting down her short stories and looking forward to having her join us in the bookclub!
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