December 2003
NOVEMBER SUCCESS
ASIAN CONGRESS OF STORYTELLERS (ACS) 2003
ACS 2003 has delivered! This is going by comments from the feedback forms which include, “My wish list for ACS 2004: To be here again, to listen to more stories!”; “I wish I can attend ALL the workshops!”; “Good Job! Had lots of fun and picked up some good tips!”
ACS 2003 was held over two days on 14th and 15th November. Eth-Noh-Tec of America and Dan Yashinsky of Canada set the mood for the Congress with inspiring keynote addresses while the rest of the international storytellers delivered workshops that covered storytelling for beginners down to storytelling for self-rejuvenation, for teenagers and for the elderly. The wide scope of topics bore testament to the varied applications of storytelling.
More than 200 people from over 10 countries (some from as far as the United States) attended ACS 2003. We are indeed encouraged by the active participation as well as the positive comments. This will certainly inspire us to make ACS 2004 bigger and better!
STORYTELLERS’ SHOWCASE 2003 – AN EVENING OF ASIAN TALES
What an evening it was! For 2 hours, eleven storytellers from all over the world enchanted a full-capacity audience at the Esplanade Recital Studio with tales from Asia. Roger Jenkins and Dennis Tan of the See-Hear Storytellers artfully brought everybody on a whirlwind tour of Asia by stringing together the stories told by professional talespinners from America to Japan. The audience was so enthralled that they gave a standing ovation at the end of the performance, testimony to the power of storytelling! The performance on 16th November was graced by Mrs S R Nathan. For those of you who couldn’t beg, borrow or steal a ticket, there’s always Storytellers’ Showcase 2004!
ASIAN CHILDREN’S WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS CONFERENCE (ACWIC) 2003
ACWIC 2003 brought together a dedicated group of participants, all devoted to writing, illustrating and publishing children’s books. The speakers did not disappoint them, Vayu Naidu and Tanya Batt, accomplished children’s book writers and storytellers, delivered keynote addresses that gave participants fresh perspectives and certainly opened their minds. Lioba Betten, whose trip to Singapore was supported by the Goethe Institut, shared in her keynote address her lifelong work for children’s literature. Jessie Wee gave a very local perspective of her experience publishing children’s books in Singapore while Michael Katz talked about his publishing experience in Canada.
Over two days on 20th and 21st November, participants eagerly learned from the foreign speakers and networked with fellow writers and illustrators. The consensus was clear: we need more events like ACWIC to give the industry impetus to grow!
To quote a participant’s feedback, ACWIC 2003 was “… a great time to learn and reflect. Well worth it!”
BOOK INDUSTRY NITE
2003
The social networking industry dinner event of the year lived up to its
billing as more than 300 guests turned up to celebrate and honour the
book community on 21 November. Chairman of the Book Council, Mr Ramachandran
inspired everyone with a grand vision for publishing and the literary
arts while Dr Catherine Lim captivated the audience with a thought-provoking
Distinguished Author Lecture. Ms Tanya Batt from New Zealand provided
the night with some witty and colourful storytelling while the band filled
the Venus Ballroom of the Novotel Apollo hotel with soothing and nostalgic
music, entertaining all present. See you in 2004!
.
COMING UP!
READASIA
18 December
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: “A Quiet Life” by Kenzaburo Oe
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 program in our drive to promote the love for and learning of literature, this tour will cover many famous British authors and literary haunts. The 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 log onto our website
http://www.nbdcs.org.sg in January for full registration details or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
to register your interest.
THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE THE BOOK BUSINESS
CREATIVITY FORUM
5 – 6 December
A discussion on creativity as the common and key element in the arts, science and technology and how it can be identified and nurtured.
Keynote Speakers include:
Professor Sir Harold Kroto FRS (UK), Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Royal
Society Research Professor, University of Sussex, Dr Jung Chang (UK),
Author of "Wild Swans-Three Daughters of China" and Mr Jack
Neo (Singapore), Film Director & Scriptwriter
Time: 9am-5pm (Day 1); 9am-4pm (Day 2)
Venue: SPRING Singapore Auditorium
Fees: $15 per person (includes 2 lunches & teas)
For further enquiries and registration, please contact: Tan Kah Kee Foundation
Tel: 64638464; Fax: 64621192; Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
BOOK LAUNCH I
5 December
"Sustaining Competitiveness in the New Global Economy: The Experience of Singapore" by Ramkishen Raja, Institute of Policy Studies. While the Singapore economy has experienced one of the highest rates of growth in the world over the past three decades, questions have recently been raised about the sustainability of the Singapore development model and continued relevance in the global economy.
Time: 6.00pm
Venue: Old Parliament Building
Contact details: Brenda Foo at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
BOOK LAUNCH II
13 December
Cooking Demo and Booksigning: Award winning chef, Emmanual Stroobant from
the renowned St. Pierre restaurant will demonstrate a recipe from his
new cookbook: “Cuisine Unplugged” and sign copies of his book.
Time: 3pm
Venue: Borders Bookstore
Contact details: Audrey Chow at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
and 62139390.
BOOK LAUNCH III
17 December
Steve Stine reads from his new children's fantasy book: “Kayla And
The Magical Tree.” Illustrations will be presented on large screen.
Time: 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Venue: Borders Bookstore
Contact details: Pamela Fahey at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and Tel: 62139314
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)
DANCE INDIA, TASTE
INDIA
21 - 28 December
Temple of Fine Arts (TFA) brings you "Dance India, Taste India",
a week-long celebration of Indian Culture, Cuisine and Craft.
Venue: Fort Canning Park
Time : 10 am - 10 pm daily
Free Admission. All are welcome.
TFA is a non profit, culture and service oriented organisation. All proceeds
of Dance India Taste India go towards sustaining and supporting TFA's
various activities and charities. For more information please log onto
http://danceindiatasteindia.com or http://templeoffinearts.org/sg/ .
WORDFEAST 2004
15 -18 January 2004
Singapore's first international poetry festival, will be held from 15 to 18th January in 2004. Set in novel locations across the south-eastern region of Singapore, the festival will feature themed readings, special performances, discussions, workshops, wine & dine events, and more. Organised by The Literary Centre (Singapore) Ltd and presented by the Southeast CDC, the festival will celebrate the art and appreciation of poetry in Singapore and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Almost 20 international poets are lined up for the festival, including Marjorie Evasco (Philippines), Goenawan Mohamad (Indonesia), Jam Ismail (Hong Kong), Eddin Khoo (Malaysia), John Mateer (Australia), Mani Rao (Hong Kong), Leonard Schwartz (USA), Madeleine Slavick (Hong Kong/USA) and Zheng Danyi (Hong Kong/China).
If you are interested to read, contribute, participate or assist in any way at the festival, please register with the coordinators before 20 November 2003. To find out more about WORDFEAST 2004, visit http://www.wordfeast.com. For enquiries, email the coordinators at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
APEX 2004
18 - 20 February 2004
This conference 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)
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.
JADE MAGAZINE
A five year-old Asian American women's monthly online magazine based in New York City, will publish non-fiction writing by Asian women around the world. Stories from the Asian male viewpoint will also be considered. Jade like most independent online magazines cannot pay for published work. However, you are encouraged to include a bio, an e-mail address and your website link to go with your article. Please e-mail Wena Poon at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more details or visit http://www.jademagazine.com.
TASMANIAN WRITING
RESIDENCY
The Tasmanian Writers' Centre is offering international writers residencies
in Tasmania in 2004. Applications close on 19 January 2004. For more information,
go to http://www.tasmanianwriters.org and follow the links.
BOOKS SPOTLIGHT
INTERPRETER OF MALADIES
(A READASIA SELECTION)
Jhumpa Lahiri
USA: Mariner Books, 1999
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2000, Jhumpa Lahiri's debut
is an elegant collection of stories about the lives of Indians in exile,
of people navigating between the strict traditions they have inherited
and the baffling new world they encounter everyday. An interpreter guides
an American family through the India of their ancestors and hears an astonishing
revelation, a young Midwestern woman is drawn into a tantalising affair
with a Bengali man, a young couple exchange confessions each night as
they struggle to cope with the loss of their baby and Mr Pirzada, whose
watch is always set to Dacca time, worries about his family back in Pakistan.
In stories that travel from India to America, Lahiri speaks with universal
eloquence to anyone who has ever felt like a foreigner.
PERSONALIZED POLITICS:
THE MALAYSIAN STATE UNDER MAHATHIR
In-Won Hwang
Singapore: ISEAS, 2003
This book is an innovative analysis of regime maintenance and transformation
in Malaysia. It goes beyond familiar approaches centred on communal politics,
or the corporate workings of Malaysia Inc., to stress the importance of
power maintenance -- tracing a path from consociational bargaining, to
UMNO dominance, to Dr Mahathir's personal dominance.
For more details, log onto http://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg/bookmarks/BM237/index.html.
