梅香的岁月
《 梅香的岁月 》讲述的是作者的母亲，梅，一生的曲折故事，描写了那个年代的人，尤其是女性的辛酸苦乐，其背景横跨香港、中国与新加坡三地，时间可追溯到1900年初并跨越其后的数十载，是一个时代的血泪史。梅出生于马戏世家，从小与家人相隔两地，直到十一岁才与他们相聚。十一年养成的生活习惯和获得的教养与家人迥异，在生活中面对了种种的艰难和挑战，全靠她坚强的意志力和乐观的心态才得以求存，勇敢地活出属于自己的人生。
The Scent of Plum Blossoms
The book is based on the life of its narrator, Mei, a daughter born to a circus troupe. It tells of her experiences and tribulations over a period spanning time and geography as she moved from China to Singapore against the social and political upheavals of both countries from the early 1900s onward. It is a story of the women of an era challenged by roles and identities prescribed by patriarchal structures and norms. In it, Mei's personal struggle for change is depicted, along with the difficulties she faced in doing so: from being an outsider due to being left in China as a child, to later finding a place for herself in her husband’s family. In this is the record of the tears, toil and sacrifices of our forefathers, and the indomitable spirit that brought our nationhood to birth.
作品节选 | Excerpt
星作家出版社, 2023
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
陈裕丽
陈裕丽, 60年代生于新加坡，在新加坡国立大学人文与社科学院主修中文系与日本研究学系，拥有日本研究学系荣誉学位。结婚后，作者以全职家庭主妇作为终身职业。作者对语言、文学与艺术特别感兴趣。写作是她的新挑战，也是她突破自己的新尝试。
Tan Ju Li
Tan Ju Li was born in Singapore in the 1960s. She graduated from National University of Singapore, holding an Honours Degree in Japanese Studies. She became a full-time housewife after marriage. Nonetheless, she continued to pursue her interest in the arts such as literature,music and painting. Writing is a new and exciting challenge to her as she is constantly seeking ways to maximise her potential.
陈裕丽写作心得 | Short Notes with Tan Ju Li
在写作方面，“心眼”对于您意味着什么？
What does "Mata Hati | 心眼 | Eye of the Heart | மனக்கண் வழியே" mean to you in writing?
“心眼” 可以解为“用心去看或感受世上的人与事。要看清万物的真正意义和价值，单靠肉眼去看或用脑去判断是不够的，我们很多时候必须用心去感受和体会。
“Eye of the Heart" can be explained as “using one’s heart to see and feel the true meaning of all existence”. To understand life, it is not enough to simply use our naked eyes to see nor our mind to think. Many a times, we need to see or feel with our hearts.
请分享您的写作习惯：手写还是打字？是否有好几份草稿、长时间的停顿或短暂的灵感泉涌?
What does your writing process look like? Do you type or write? Are there multiple drafts, long pauses, or sudden bursts of activity?
首先要确定主题，从收集好的资料中开始构思，打草稿。灵感来了，立刻记下来。从草稿中，把原来的架构慢慢地改进，添加有血有肉的情节并加以逻辑化，组织及整理，使之成为一个完整通顺的故事。
After ascertaining what I am going to write about, I will start gathering all my information and write an outline for my story. When inspirations come, I will immediately jot them down. Organising my ideas and thoughts into a cohesive and logical story is a very crucial process that enhances the readability of the book.
请形容一下您的写作空间。
What does your working space look like?
一部笔记本电脑、一张桌子和一个安静的角落。
A quiet corner, a table and a laptop.
请以不超过30个字向读者们推荐您的入围作品。
Make an elevator pitch for your shortlisted work in 30 words or less.
梅香的岁月”是献给我母亲的礼物，也是献给上个世纪苦难一代的女性的一本书。它道出‘世上的一切都在变，唯有人性不变‘的真理，在歌颂人性的坚韧不拔的同时，也感叹人性的脆弱与无奈。
“The Scent of Plum Blossoms” is a dedication to my mother and also a gift to the women who had suffered much in the last century. It tells us that all things in life change except human nature. It sings in praise of the indomitable human spirit but at the same time, sighs in regret at its weakness and vulnerability.
请分享在创作入围作品当儿的一个关键时刻。
Could you share a pivotal moment as you were writing this work?
在写作的初期，我的本意只是想记录母亲的一生，供亲人阅读。在疫情期间，我与母亲常常谈心，追忆往事。想不到一两年过后，我发现母亲的记忆开始变得越来越差了，竟然记不得很多事情，于是在此关键时刻，我下定决心要认真把书写完，才不辜负她对我的期望。
At first my intention was to just record my mother’s life. I spent many hours with her, reminiscing about her past which she could remember vividly. After a year or two, in my despair， I started noticing that she was gradually losing her memory and could not recall a lot of things. That was the pivotal moment when I decided to take my writing seriously and make her proud.
回顾入围作品的写作过程，您会给当时的自己一个什么建议？
If you could give one advice to yourself when you were writing this book, what would it be?
写作的过程虽然艰辛却非常十分有意义。它不仅能提供给读者阅读的欢乐，更能提升作者的知识水平，促进其心智上的成长。用文字把自己的感想和故事写下来不但能抒发情绪，记录生活,还可以让读者从中收益，得到一些人生的启发。
The process of writing is both arduous but rewarding. Writing a book not only gives readers the joy of reading, it is also a growing and learning journey for the author. Putting one's ideas and stories into words is a very effective and powerful way to express oneself and hopefully it serves as an inspiration for others .
