February 2004
CHAIRMAN BIDS FAREWELL
Chairman
of the Book Council, Mr R. Ramachandran, the person most instrumental
in reviving the Council and establishing a new vision and mission,
will be leaving the Council and Singapore in March this year. Mr
Rama, as he is popularly known, will be taking up a new job as Secretary
General of the International Federation of Library Associations
and Institutions (IFLA) in the Hague, Netherlands. He will take
the job on April 1 and is the first Asian to head a world umbrella
body for librarianship. His appointment is a recognition of his
expertise, and his role in the transformation of the libraries in
Singapore as Deputy, Chief Executive of the National Library Board
(NLB).
The
Council will greatly miss Mr Rama but he departs with the assurance
that he is leaving behind a well trained, passionate and progressive
team which will strive towards the Council's vision of developing
Singapore as the Asian Hub for Publishing and the Literary Arts.
Vice-Chairperson, Ms Lim Li Kok of Asiapac Books will take over
Mr Rama's duties till the next Council elections in July 2004. On
behalf of the Council, we wish Mr Rama all the best and thank him
for his years of leadership and dedication.
COMING UP!
READASIAFebruary 19
Readasia is a book club organised by the Book Council and library@orchard to promote Asian literature. This is where you will meet like-minded people, fellow book lovers and find a captive audience to share your thoughts and views on the book you’ve read.
Time: 7 pm
Book to be discussed: "The Glass Palace" by Amitav Ghosh
Venue: library@orchard, Programme Zone
Registration and enquiries: Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
LITERARY TOUR TO BRITAIN
June 2004
The Book Council and Language Arts Educational Services are planning to organise a Literary Tour to Britain. As a key programme in our drive to promote the love for and learning of literature, this tour will cover many famous British authors and literary haunts. This 10-12 Day tour will feature: Tracing the footsteps of Literary Legends; Literature & Writing Workshops; Castles, Cathedrals & Archaeological Ruins; Coastal Walks, Quaint Villages, Historic Inns & English High Tea; Famous Museums, Theatre Experiences and Shopping.
Please e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to register your interest or for more details.
THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE THE BOOK BUSINESS
CHINA OPENS BOOK INDUSTRY TO PRIVATE SECTORThe Chinese government has signed an agreement that opens up the otherwise state-organised cultural sector to private companies from the book and media industry. This decision could also be extended in future to include foreign companies that produce a work permit by the end of 2004. Up to now, cooperation of this kind with a state-owned cultural organisation has only been possible for foreign companies that have an agreement with Chinese companies. This represents an important step for China in its economic system that is still dominated in almost all areas by the public sector.
(Source: Delibros)
ANITA SARAWAK RETURNS HOME
Renowned celebrity, Anita Sarawak will be in town to promote her first cookery book, Cooking With Love. It features the sumptuous recipes she devised and contains personal pictures of her family members, childhood photographs and other cherished memorabilia like the love poems her husband wrote to her. Anita will talk about her book and meet fans at the following book-signing sessions:
Date: February 7
1st Appearance
Venue: Kinokuniya Main Store, Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Level 3
Time : 1pm - 2pm
Tel: 6737 5021
Date: 7 February 2004
2nd Appearance
Venue: Borders, Wheelock Place
Time: 2.30pm - 3.30pm
Tel: 6235 7146
Call 6319 9931 for details. Part of the proceeds of this cookbook will be donated to a children's charity.
SILVERFISH TO ORGANISE KL LITERARY FESTIVAL
Silverfish Books (Malaysia) is organising the 2004 Citigroup Kuala Lumpur International Literary Festival tentatively set for July 2004. Details will be announced shortly by the organisers. Check the http://www.silverfishbooks.com for update or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for details. The Festival is also looking forward to a contingent of Singaporean writers and/or academics. Those interested may wish to contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) as soon as possible.
BALI TO HOST WRITERS' AND READERS' FESTIVAL
Heather Curnow of Coast Lines Connections is planning to organise an inaugural Ubud Writers' And Readers' Festival, which will take place in Ubud, Bali, from 11 - 17 October 2004. Very positive responses have already come in from Indonesia, Australia and the other Asia Pacific regions. About 50 writers and cultural workers are expected to participate with both locals and visitors filling the event venues. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more details.
LEARN TO MAKE MONEY AT APEX 2004
The APEX 2004 conference to be held from February 18 - 20, focuses on making money from new business models and technology applications for print and publishing. Would you like to explore all the most important issues facing Asia’s print, graphic arts and publishing professionals today? Are you ready to pioneer new business strategies to ensure you win your share of the world’s print business? Would you like to meet your global customers, end users, peers and competitors?
For more details log onto http://www.apexasia.net/conference/programme.asp. For more information, please call Saulin at 6319 2653 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
LEARN WRITING FROM CHILD PRODIGY BOOK
Written by child prodigy Jiang Fangzhou, The Adolescent was a bestseller and the success of the book attracted the interest of language experts who tried to analyze the factors that shaped the young writer. Find out more about this highly readable book and its impact on the education of essay writing.
Date: February 21
Time: 3pm to 4pm
Venue: Bedok Community Library, Programme Zone
Language: Mandarin
Visit http://www.nlb.gov.sg/fr_events.html for more info.
POETRY SLAM CABARET
Every last Tuesday of the month
Poetry Slam Cabaret, organised by 'Word Forward', is held at 7:30pm every last Tuesday of the month at the Velvet Underground (Zouk Club,17 Jiak Kim Street, Singapore 169429). Attractive prizes to be won. Entrance is $10 per head. For more info, visit http://www.wordforward.org or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
CASH AWARDS FOR SCHOOLS BEST IN ARTS
Calling all secondary schools, junior colleges and centralised institutes! The National Arts Council invites applications for the National Arts Education (NAE) Award 2004, which recognises and rewards schools with good arts practices and programmes that provide opportunities for all students to be involved and show excellence in the arts. Participating schools stand to win cash awards of up to $20,000. Closing Date: 14 February 2004.
For more info and to download application form log onto http://www.nac.gov.sg/.
SILVERFISH CALL FOR ENTRIES
The Malaysian based bookseller/publisher is calling for short stories, essays or chapters from works in progress of not more than 5000 words for a collection called ‘Silverfish New Writing 4'. All material has to be previously unpublished. They welcome all writers from Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and beyond. Closing Date: March 31, 2004. For more details, log onto http://www.silverfishbooks.com.
CALL FOR ESSAYS ON FICTION
The International Fiction Review, now in its thirty-first year, is a reviewed scholarly periodical devoted to international fiction. It publishes articles and book reviews. The editor invites essays on contemporary fiction by international writers, new and established, including minority writers. Equally welcome are essays on literary and narrative theory, comparative studies of world fiction, and surveys of contemporary national literatures or writers. Contributors are invited to explore all narrative forms in any interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and critical context. Please send submissions to the editor via .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). The journal is available online to subscribers at http://www.lib.unb.ca/Texts/IFR
THE WRITE PAGES
The Write Pages, a new free monthly online literary magazine, seeks contributions of unpublished poems, short fiction (under 2000 words) and true stories. For more info or to submit contributions (include a brief bio) email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ESPRESSO FICTION
Espresso Fiction will pay for short stories under 3000 words for weekly distribution. Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for contributions or info.
BOOKS SPOTLIGHT
THE GLASS PALACE (A Readasia Selection)Ghosh, Amitav
New York: Random House, c2001.
Starting with the threads of his own family memories, Indian author Ghosh has created a rich tapestry of a novel, set in the Indian subcontinent and spanning more than a century. As British troops take the Burmese royal family into exile in Mandalay in 1885, burly 11-year-old Rajkumar, who has lost his entire family to illness in India, spies lovely 10-year-old Dolly, an orphan who serves the queen, and he vows he will see her again. When they meet nearly 20 years later, Rajkumar has become wealthy from the teak business and Dolly is managing the royal household. Through friendship and marriage, their lives become intertwined with members of two other families, and all are seen in the context of the political conflicts and movements of the time in Burma, India, and Malaysia.
GATEWAY TO EURASIAN CULTURE
Compiled by Asiapac Editorial
Singapore: Asiapac, 2003
The famous author Rudyard Kipling once wrote: "East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." Yet they have met in the Eurasian people, blending cultures and worldviews profoundly alien to each other. From the surprising blend of flavours in Eurasian cuisine to their distinctive language and customs, synthesis and fusion are the keywords that define the Eurasian people, long before the concept was popularised by the rise of the global village. What does it mean to be Eurasian? Bridging the traditional divide between East and West, the Eurasian people are able to draw on an unmatched wealth of traditions for inspiration in the arts and cuisine.
Log onto http://www.asiapacbooks.com/ to find out more details about the book.
FRAGILE DAYS: TALES FROM BANGKOK
Bunnag, Tew
Singapore: SNP International, 2003
A collection of short stories revealing the lives of a wide cross-section of Thai society - the poor peasant who goes job-hunting in the city, only to end up yet another victim of urban decay; the middle-class corporate executive whose lack of social responsibility renders him unable to instil moral values in his own child; the prominent socialite who will do anything to maintain her image and social position. Characters and situations come across all the more powerfully for their familiarity. These tales reflect the distorted values in today's Thailand, where economic progress has resulted in lost traditions, changing social structure, materialism, emotional isolation and shifting ideals.
