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共有19位作者的23部诗集，参加2024年新加坡文学奖华文诗歌组的评奖。在这些诗集中，绝大部分展现了诗歌美学的特质，而当中，特别值得一提的是叙事史诗与庸常生活抒情小诗的交汇与交响。

在叙事史诗方面，希尼尔诗集《弹性系数外的浮云》不乏可举之例，如《从此，一个没有鸡鸣的小岛》。在此诗中，物竞人择是人世间的物种存亡原理，人是决定物存亡的主宰；这是大自然生态的悲哀，更是人类的悲哀。除了主题内容重视本土人文色彩外，诗集中，诗人把文字技巧与典故运用等艺术特色发挥得淋漓尽致的例子也比比皆是。

许维贤对马国政治文化不乏思考，展现在诗集《蜗牛起义》中，如《健力士世界纪录大全：第2020页》讽喻政治生态的翻云覆雨和尔虞我诈，批判政治人物的愚民政策；诗人嘲弄这种失败的政治，讽刺政客的食言而肥。《在密室中》也是政治寓言，批判密室政治导致权力无法在阳光下运行。诗集中尚有不少诗作能触动读者对政治与文化层面的反思。

陈志锐的诗集《长夏之诗》中也有史诗般的涌动，如组诗《追寻童年的 Sadvijnana》。诗人在写诗的同时，记录了关涉国族建构与文化认同的历史的真实；他正是以这种文学创作方式，来回应这块生于斯长于斯的土地和童年记忆。诗人在经意或不经意营造的长短句中，在抑扬顿挫的字义锻铸中，展现了一以贯之的学者风范。

至于庸常生活抒情小诗，周德成诗集《用整个白天使黑夜安静》中例子甚多，其《熟悉4段》一诗便有耐人寻味的庸常化诗句。如果说周德成是诗的实验主义者，相信没有太多人会反对。诗人尝试以诗为多元文化的载体，进行诗与跨界、跨文类、跨媒介的结合，在诗集中有着明显的实践痕迹，这种艺术探索的勇气不同小觑。

《平庸之作》的作者王哲以敏锐的洞察力和深挚的感情，真实地描述了在疫情期间的真实感受，用极具创新意识的语言为无法言说之事发声，以感人的力量描述了我们的悲剧性经历，写尽了至暗时刻的悲痛和绝望。诗人以独立见解完成了这部与时代遭遇相称的力作，他的诗因其所具有的理想主义和人道主义精神闪耀出沉郁的诗意之美。

 

A total of 23 poetry collections from 19 authors were submitted in the 2024 Singapore Literature Prize Chinese Poetry category. Most of them showed poetic aesthetics, and among them, the confluence and symphony of epics and lyrical poems about everyday life is a particular highlight.

Xi Ni Er’s Floating Clouds Beyond The Elastic Limit has a number of notable epics, such as “Henceforth, an Island without Rooster Crows”. In this poem, amidst the competition for survival among species, humans are the ultimate arbiter. This is both a tragedy of nature and mankind. In addition to the emphasis on local characteristics in its content, there are also many places in the poetry collection where the poet fully demonstrates his artistic flair, such as literary skills and the use of allusions.  

Hee Wai Siam has plenty of views on Malaysian political culture and they are on display in his poetry collection, Small Revolt. For example, in the poem, “Guinness World Records: Page 2020”, he satirises its unpredictable and deceitful political ecology, and criticises the foolish policies of its politicians; the poet mocks this failed brand of politics and satirises politicians who break their promises to enrich themselves. “In the Secret Room” is also a political allegory that criticises the shady politics taking place behind closed doors. Many other poems in his collection also precipitate political and cultural reflections in readers.

There are also impulses of epic poetry in Tan Chee Lay’s Poems from the Eternal Summer, such as his set of poems on “The Chasing of Childhood: Sadvijnana”. In his poems, the poet documented historical truths in nation-building, identity-forging, and cultural identity. Through literary creation, he responds to the land where he was born and raised, and his childhood memories. In the long and short sentences created intentionally or otherwise, and in the sounds and meanings of words, Tan exhibited a consistent scholarly style.

As for lyrical poems on everyday life, numerous examples can be found in Chow Teck Seng’s poetry collection, The Diminishing Daylight Makes the Night Fall into Silence. His poem, “4 Familiar Paragraphs”, has intriguing verses about everyday life. Few would disagree with labelling Chow an experimentalist. Using poetry as a multicultural carrier, he combines it with cross-border, cross-genre, and cross-media. There are obvious traces of such practice in his poetry collection and his courage in artistic exploration should not be underestimated.

Wang Zhe, the author of Mediocre, describes authentic emotions during the Covid-19 pandemic with keen insight and deep feelings. The poet uses highly innovative language to speak for the unspeakable, describes our tragic experiences with moving power, and writes about the grief and despair of the darkest hour. This is a masterpiece commensurate with the times and replete with independent insights. Its poems shine with the melancholy of poetic beauty through their idealism and humanitarian spirit.

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This year has garnered an impressive showcase. The entries are rich in their diversity—in subject, voice, aesthetics. Many are of excellent literary merit. Adjudicating for literary awards is always challenging, terrifyingly demanding on the judge as reader and critic. One has to prepare to sit long and hard with the works—with generosity of spirit, to share the page with the author’s own lived/imagined world. Many questions come to mind: What does the work attempt to say? With what voice are important themes articulated? How distinctive is the work’s concept? What literary craft makes these poems glisten in their lyric/narrative brilliance, defining the author’s voice as noteworthy?

This year’s five shortlisted titles are remarkably different. They are all works of great ambition, working through important themes with such elegance and strength of voice. These books should be read with great intelligence. They should be afforded good time and space, as immersive as these texts construct their imaginative landscapes. Several other works, too, were more than deserving to be included in the shortlist. They were accomplished collections, with such an eye on the self and the world.

In their strange and wonderful creation, these five works eventually rose to the fore. The five books each exhibit some distinct, exceptional quality, which sets them apart. Singularity is a word that comes to mind. Singularity—of purpose, of concept, of testimony perhaps. How does one grapple with describing, comprehending such deeply owned lyric? The poems so confidently staging themselves on the page. Their powerful images and metaphors, their way with sound and syntax, their working through of the line. The textual strategies, the technical dexterity, the tactical playfulness. The constant movement, of reaching out and into, going farther afield and returning to self and home.

What uncharted territories these poems wander into, descend into. As self-referential as they are self-interfering, percolating threaded associations right through, the reticulations reproducing even more of the intriguing, the invitational, the enigmatic. The works map their topographies with a cleverness, with such definition; yet, upon rereading, one is surprised by how their terrain may shift in shape, in texture. There is density, rigor, fragility, vulnerability, much pain yet courage. The intimately confessional and the textually experimental seat comfortably in this line-up. These are not writers simply trying their hand at something, having a go at something. No, these are seasoned, trained writers taking on demanding projects of their own, and breathing life into them. These are writers of astonishing gifts and talent.

Two of the books are debut works, which says a lot about the caliber of our emerging voices in Singapore. Both poets delve into deeply personal histories, affording such hard-won introspection. How To Live With Yourself, the title of Ang Shuang’s book, perhaps helps encapsulate and characterize this suite of five works—that of the intense, delicate, daunting, elaborate work of living the examined life through the poetic lens. These two writers will, no doubt, go on to write more important works, and receive their deserved accolades. The other three books are written by experienced writers, who admirably work in various genres and media, no less. They also remain incredibly committed to the arts, as literary organizers. Their poetry collections take on meaningful purpose, and are conceptually robust, brilliantly conceived. They weave a stunning mélange of the psychological, intellectual, emotive, sociocultural, all held together by truly remarkable aesthetic coherence. Upon close reading and rereading of all these works, one notices the dignity accorded subject and language. There remains great drama in these lyric story-worlds. There remains a boldness, a strangeness, an alluring luster. These extraordinary books stand tall, even as they navigate complex, sometimes difficult ideas. These are staggering poetries of witness, of what it means to be a poet of our times.

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Dalam proses penganugerahan Hadiah Sastera Singapura 2024, panel penilai telah sebulat suara meletakkan dua buah karya dalam senarai pendek.

Kedua-dua karya ini mempunyai kekuatan dan keaslian masing-masing dalam mengungkap persoalan tentang masyarakat, politik, budaya, bahasa, agama, nilai dan kemanusiaan sejagat.  Ada karya yang mengecam kekejaman dan ketidakadilan serta menyuarakan empati terhadap pihak yang tertindas.  Menyedari hakikat ini, kedua-dua penyair telah memikul peranan sosial mereka dan membenarkan khalayak pembaca untuk mengapresiasi dan mengamati pemikiran dan pendirian dalam karya masing-masing.

Kedua-dua karya yang disenarai pendek mempunyai keupayaan yang seimbang dari aspek pemikiran dan perasaan serta sensitiviti dan imaginasi dalam melahirkan fenomena-fenomena sosial sebagai suatu bahan untuk dipersoalkan, direnungi dan difahami.  Terdapat usaha ke arah  penyampaian yang inovatif dan pengucapan yang segar menerusi penggunaan imejan, bentuk serta gaya bahasa yang estetik. 

 

In the process of awarding the Singapore Literature Prize 2024, the judges are unanimous in placing two works on the shortlist.

Both works possess distinct strengths and originality in expressing issues related to society, politics, culture, language, religion, values and universal humanity. There are poems that condemn cruelty and injustice and express empathy for the oppressed. Fully aware of reality, the two poets had assumed their social roles and provided a space for readers to appreciate and analyse the thoughts and principles reflected in their respective works. 

Both shortlisted works have equal capacity, from the aspects of thought, emotion, sensitivity, and imagination, to express social phenomena as subjects to be interrogated, ruminated, and understood. The use of imagery, forms, and aesthetic language styles reflects the effort to offer an innovative delivery and fresh modes of articulation. 

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இறுதிச் சுற்றுக்கு மூன்று நடுவர்களால் தெரிவு செய்யப்பட்ட கவிதை நூல்கள் மூலம் கவிஞர்களின் மன உணர்வுகள், புலம்பெயர்ந்ததால் இயல்பாக ஏற்படும் இழப்புகள், காதல், காமம் , நட்பு போன்ற ஏக்கங்கள், வலிகள் , வாழும் நாட்டின் நெருக்கடிகள் என இன்னோரன்ன பாடுபொருள்களைப் பாடுவதில் ஒன்றுபடுகின்ற தன்மையை அறியமுடிகிறது. நிலம் சார்ந்த கவிதை நூல்களைப் படைக்கும் மூவரும் எழுபது கவிதைகளுக்கு மேல் தொகுத்துள்ளனர். இவர்கள் சிங்கப்பூரின் பிரச்னைகளைப் பாடுவதில் வெவ்வேறு விழுக்காட்டு அடிப்படைகளில் வேறுபடுகின்றனர். அதே வேளையில் மூன்று படைப்புகளும் படைப்பாளிகளை அடையாளம் காட்டுவனவாய் அமைந்துள்ளன.

ஒரு தொகுப்பில் விரசம்/ காமச்சுவை விஞ்சியுள்ளது. மற்றொரு தொகுப்பு படிமஅழகுடனும், உவமை அழகுடனும் திகழ்ந்து படைப்பாளியின் படைப்பாற்றலை வெளிப்படுத்துகிறது. இவருக்குப் பிரகாசமான எதிர்காலம் உண்டு என நான் கருதுகிறேன்.

மற்றொரு தொகுப்போ படைப்பாளி என்னுரை என்னும் பகுதியில் கூறியுள்ளது போன்று கவிஞரின் கவிதைப்பயணத்தில் அவர் அடைந்துள்ள வளர்ச்சியைக் காட்டுவதாய் உள்ளது.

 

The poetry books selected by the three judges for the final round show that the poets are united in expressing their emotions, the natural losses of migration, the longings and pains of love, lust, friendship, and the crises of the country in which they live.

The trio who present land-based poetry has compiled more than seventy poems. They differ in different percentage terms in writing about the problems of Singapore. At the same time, all three works distinctively show the creators identity.

Desperation and lust surpass in one collection. Another collection is full of imagery and metaphorical beauty that expresses the creativity of the creator. I think he has a bright future.

The third collection depicts the growth attained in the poet's poetry journey.

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作者写作的身份与动力，带出了不同层次的感染力。他们书写不同时期的观察与心情，有方块小品，在生活的细微滋味里移动，也有重量厚实的记录，用冷静的文笔写一辈子的感叹。独排众议不难，脱颖而出，谈何容易。

要在优秀的作品中分出高下，评审们反复咀嚼，斟酌推敲。这是一个一再推翻，又重新说服自己的过程，很考验心力。参赛作品呈现出丰富面貌，有个人记忆、地方印刻、国家历史，也有人物描述、食物气息、艺文体验，这些多元呈现，在阅读上都有互文性的趣味。评审们感谢所有作者的用心，让阅读经验惊艳，也更美好。

 

The identities and motivations of the authors brought different layers of appeal. They wrote about their observations and feelings at different life phases in light pieces about the subtleties of life and in long, serious pieces that calmly describes the laments of a lifetime. While it is not difficult for a piece to stand apart from the rest, it is no mean feat to stand out. To pick a winner from such excellent works required the judges to ruminate and ponder time and again. This was a highly demanding process in which we repeatedly refuted and convinced ourselves. The participating entries covered a multitude of topics from personal memories, geographical imprints, national histories, character descriptions, food flavours, to artistic experiences. Such diversity makes for intertextually interesting reading. The judges would like to thank all the authors for their efforts to provide us with amazing and enjoyable reading experiences.

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The submissions under this category for 2024 totalled 30 publications. They revealed interesting differences in how the impulse towards the factual related to the creative impulse.

Books that focus on specific topics, or on reflective writing that culls facts towards specific themes or motifs have much more scope to balance the nonfictional elements with the creative elements. No wonder then that our shortlist figures more publications from this category, and very few from the biographical side. Then there are those works in which the author has explored a scope for whimsy, fancy, and the unexpected or the unusual. Thus we have a couple of examples in the popular and overcrowded sub-genre of books on cooking tackled imaginatively, with the personal element woven into the advice on recipes, and also supplied with colourful illustrations.

Finally, in overview mode, we might say that the quality of the books submitted, or the impact they made on the judges, varied widely. Thus, any form of literary judging is always difficult: first, because it entails dissembling subjective assessments as objective judgements; and second, because it is never simple to compare oranges to apples or durians.

That notwithstanding, the judges did arrive at some form of unanimity, and we note that this year’s shortlist is quite diverse and includes three women, covers a spectrum of career points: from debut writers to the more established, and includes artists who practice in different mediums (graphic memoirist, poet, visual artist). We can honestly report that the reading was for the most part intriguing and enjoyable.

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இறுதிச் சுற்றுக்குத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ள மூன்று நூல்களும் வரலாற்றைப் பதிவுசெய்யும் இருவகை எழுத்துமுறைகளில் அமைந்துள்ளன. முதல் வகை, நினைவுக் குறிப்புகளாகவும் வாழ்க்கைச் சம்பவங்களின் தொகுப்புகளாகவும் அமையும் ஆளுமைகளின் வரலாறு. இரண்டாம் வகை, ஒரு நிலப்பரப்பில் சில நூற்றாண்டுகளுக்கு நிகழும் அரசியல்-சமூக மாற்றங்கள் விட்டுச்செல்லும் சுவடுகளின் வரலாறு.

சிங்கப்பூர் என்னும் நவீன நாடு, தன் வரலாற்று வேர்களைத் தேடிக் கண்டடைவதில் கொண்டுள்ள ஆர்வமும் ஒரு சமூகமாகத் தனித்துவ அடையாளங்களைப் புரிந்துகொள்வதற்குச் செய்யும் முயற்சிகளும் இம்மூன்று நூல்களிலும் வெவ்வேறு வகைகளில் வெளிப்பட்டுள்ளன.

தகவற் செறிவுடன் அமைவதுடன் உணர்வுரீதியாக ஒன்றி வாசிக்கும் வகையில் இந்நூல்கள் எழுதப்பட்டுள்ளன. அதேவேளையில் மொழிநடை, விமர்சனக் கண்ணோட்டம் ஆகியவற்றிலும் இந்நூல்கள் கவனம் செலுத்தியுள்ளன. அவற்றின் வழியே, பெருமிதங்கள் மட்டுமின்றி குறைபாடுகளையும் சேர்த்துக்கொள்ளும் புறவய வரலாற்றுப் பதிவுகள் சாத்தியப்பட்டுள்ளன.

பெரும் சாதனையாளர்கள் அல்லது விளிம்புநிலை மனிதர்கள் ஆகியோரின் வரலாறுகளே பெருமளவில் எழுதப்படும் சூழலில், சாதாரண மனிதர்களின் வரலாறுகள் இந்நூல்களில் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளமை குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது. அவ்வகையில் படைப்பாக்க அம்ச அபுனைவுப் (creative nonfiction) பிரிவில் புதிய போக்குகள் தொடங்குவதற்கும் தொடர்வதற்கும் இந்நூல்கள் வழிவகுத்துள்ளன.

 

The three books selected for the final round are in two forms of writing that record history. The first type is the history of personalities which form memoirs and collections of life events. The second type is the history of the imprint left by political-social changes that take place over a few centuries in a landscape. The interest of the modern nation of Singapore in tracing its historical roots and its efforts to understand distinct identities as a community are expressed in different ways in these three books.

These books are written in such a way that is informative and emotionally connected. At the same time, they have focused on language and critical thinking. Through them, objective historical records have been made possible that include not only pride but also shortcomings.

At a time when the histories of great achievers or marginalised people are largely written, the histories of ordinary people are included in these books. In this way, these books have paved the way for the beginning and continuation of new trends in the field of Creative Nonfiction.

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本次新加坡文学奖小说组整体水平相当高，展现了写作人对社会现实的敏锐观察力，聚焦于探讨社会、文化与历史的多样性，作品取材十分多样，题材涵盖了马共历史、性别文化、人际关系、人类生存、时代变迁、都市观察、以及人类与大自然的共生关系。

所读到的小说颇多跨界论述与叙述穿织，使小说不限于传统的，老老实实说故事方式，而是多种跨界的尝试。从自然生态、民俗传说如幽灵与转世，挪借元素，以及跨越诗歌、小说等文体变化，也使小说文本可以转化成多向维度的想像，这样的实验，不仅见于年轻世代，亦有出现在新加坡追溯历史与个人记忆的叙事中。在入围的5部作品中，有些作者具多年新马两地的生活体验，也都关注跨越两地的生存体验与问题，在越界流动过程中，寻求融入新地时，时间与身心其实有种种困惑，迎接崭新生命的自我也必须衔接过去，并从过去或阴影中获得连接，个人生命为何会来到此地此刻的意义。入围本次新加坡文学奖小说组的作者也都有丰富写作经验，他们在驾驭沉重大叙事主题，或书写新马政治、同性恋等敏感课题，可说得心应手，能够通过细腻的描写和深刻的情感表达，将复杂的社会关系和历史记忆具体展现出来。作品在主题的深度和广度上都有所突破，有一定的思想内涵，对于新马华文文学的发展具重要意义。

 

The overall level of this year’s Singapore Literature Prize (SLP) Chinese Fiction category is quite high. The participating writers demonstrated keen observation of social realities and focused on exploring social, cultural, and historical diversity. Their works are based on a wide range of subjects, such as the history of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), gender culture, interpersonal relationships, human survival, the changing times, urban observations, and the symbiotic relationship between mankind and nature.

Many of the participating works involve cross-domain discussions and weaving narratives, freeing the novels from the traditional storytelling approach to become a multitude of cross-domain experiments. From nature to folklore like ghosts and reincarnation, the borrowing of elements and crossing over of genres such as poetry and novels transform the novel into a multi-dimensional work of imagination. Such experimentation is not only seen in the works of the younger generations, but also appear in narratives that trace the history of Singapore and personal recollections.

For the five shortlisted works, some of their authors have many years of experience living in both Singapore and Malaysia, making them concerned with life experiences and problems that are common to both places. In crossing borders and seeking to integrate into one’s new environment, there are actually all kinds of confusions about time, body and mind. The self that welcomes a new life must also continue from the past, and connect with the past or shadows to derive meaning for its arrival to this place at this moment.

The authors shortlisted for the SLP Chinese Fiction category possess a wealth of writing experience. They are adept at handling heavy narrative themes or writing about sensitive topics such as Singaporean and Malaysian politics and homosexuality. They are able to present complex social relations and historical accounts through detailed descriptions and profound emotional expressions. Their works contain breakthroughs in the depth and breadth of themes, and have certain ideological connotations, making them of great significance to the development of Chinese literature in Singapore and Malaysia.

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This year’s shortlist brings together invigorating and noteworthy works that speak to the diversity and unfolding concerns of Singapore’s sociocultural landscape. New and established authors are honoured alongside each other, their novels providing insightful parallels between original and time-honoured perspectives on long-standing tropes that continue to enrich the literary terrain.

These writers provide us with authentic stories about intergenerational dynamics and interpersonal drama, transitioning from a pre-technological past to our hyper-modern age, as well as poignant dramatisations of existential challenges resulting from cultural and racial differences. Their books range from being structurally complex to stylistically ambitious. They innovate at the level of form without compromising on the stirring power of their storytelling, which can shift from instances of surrealism, affecting lyricism to extended moments of sharpened clarity. Whether they shy away from sentiment or indulge in affecting melodrama, these works keep the reader enthralled.

Prominent themes include confrontations with filial norms and expectations, the paradoxical fear of being vulnerable coupled with a longing for intimacy in an age of accelerated connectivity, and the frequent tragedy of emotional diffidence in the name of survival. Needless to say, these novels undoubtedly add to an unfinished discourse of nationhood. They expand upon the established conventions of Singaporean literature, while also subverting and deconstructing them to birth new narratives about identity, the urgencies of social justice, and that inward negotiation over what it means to belong.

Each authorial voice is unique and surprising in its broadening of individual style and a renewed tackling of difficult subjects. Especially of interest in this selection are specific topics both old and recent that are presented in unexpected but memorable ways: the struggles of minorities and marginalised voices, the Japanese occupation of Singapore, a celebration of Chinese opera, a nation’s passage from colonialism to social upheaval and political self-definition, the trauma of urban development, and individual vigilantism. Full of pathos, occasional humour and imaginative verve, the majority of these works encourage us to take a hard look at the shifting dynamics of multiculturalism in this country.

The authentic representation of minorities is a crucial dimension to these stories that are regularly haunted by familial pain. A more general feature that grounds these works is how each of them exemplifies the fragility of communication when characters repeatedly fail to connect with each other in the midst of sweeping historical change or the destabilisation of private circumstances.

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Sayembara Hadiah Sastera Singapura (SLP) tahun 2024 bagi genre fiksyen menerima lapan pencalonan daripada para penulis mapan dan yang sudah agak lama berkecimpung dalam dunia persuratan. Lima daripadanya, yang terdiri daripada jenis cereka sains, karya epik, dan fiksyen pendek atau koleksi cerpen, layak dikedepankan sebagai karya yang boleh dipertahankan dari segi mutu penulisan, tema yang segar dan pelbagai, dan pemikiran yang disampaikan.

Antidot Usia – Sebuah cereka sains yang mengutarakan paradoks kehidupan yang memungkinkan kewujudan naluri manusiawi apabila sifat kehaiwanan muncul dalam diri insan. Pengarang membentangkan dunia realiti gantian (alternate reality) dan suntikan sistem magitek (magitech system) yang mengundang pemikiran yang mendalam mengenai isu-isu kemanusiaan melalui watak-watak dan perwatakan yang berkembang. Novel ini unggul dalam teknik penceritaan yang cukup kemas.

Arca Di Muzium – Sebuah lagi cereka sains yang berpusat pada isu insan dan kompas moralnya (moral compass). Dengan menggunakan dunia metasemesta (metaverse), watak-watak biasa yang kita temui dalam kehidupan sehari-hari menggerakkan cerita yang padat dengan persoalan moral dan kewibawaan apabila berhadapan dengan isu kelangsungan hidup (survival).

Mustafa, Epik Kerohanian Seorang Kiai – Sesuai dengan tajuknya, novel yang panjang ini menelusuri perjuangan seorang pemimpin agama di tengah-tengah era penjajahan British di Singapura. Disuntik dengan adegan-adegan ‘sejarah’ lokal dan hubungannya dengan isu politik global yang berkaitan, karya ini mengajak pembaca memikirkan intipati kemanusiaan tanpa mengira citra politik, bangsa dan ideologi.

Membina Istana Di Angkasa – Membaca karya ini dengan menggunakan pendekatan psikoanalisis, dilema insan menghadapi ‘kebenaran’ terserlah menjadi tema utama yang menggerakkan cerita. Pembaca dibawa ke alam kehidupan watak utama yang mengalami kecelaruan keresahan (anxiety disorder) dan strateginya menghadapi trauma yang mencengkam kehidupan dan masa depannya. Sama ada watak utama dapat mempertahankan ‘istana’ yang diimpikannya di angkasa atau tidak, novel ini mengajak pembaca menyelami jiwa manusia melalui aliran bawah sedar.

Senja – Satu-satunya karya genre cerpen yang diterima untuk sayembara SLP kali ini. Mengandungi 15 buah cerpen, koleksi ini menyuguhkan watak-watak dari teks-teks sastera klasik dan keagamaan dalam konteks dunia sejajar (parallel worlds) yang bersulamkan fantasi dan realisme magis untuk mengangkat isu-isu moral dan kerohanian.

The fiction genre for the Singapore Literature Prize 2024 received eight submissions from established writers who have been involved in the literary world for some time. Five submissions, comprising genres such as science fiction, epic works, and short stories, have earned the recognition to be literary works of merit, for their quality of writing, themes that are fresh and diverse, and ideas presented.

Antidot Usia – A science fiction tale that presents the paradox of life that allows the existence of human intuition when animalistic traits emerge in humans. The author presents an alternate reality and inserts a magitech system that invites contemplation on issues of humanity through evolving characters and characterisations.

Arca Di Muzium – Another work of science fiction that centres on mankind and their moral compass. Applying the concept of metaverse, ordinary characters that we meet in our daily life drive this narrative, a tale compact with dilemmas of morality and credibility when faced with issues of survival.

Mustafa, Epik Kerohanian Seorang Kiai – Befitting its title, this lengthy novel traces the struggles of a religious leader amidst the British colonial era of Singapore. Infused with scenes of local ‘history' and their connection to related global politics, this epic pulls the reader to contemplate the essence of humanity rergardless of political, racial and ideological representations.

Membina Istana Di Angkasa – Reading this story through a psychoanalytic approach, the dilemma of humans facing the “truth” emerges as the main theme that drives the story. The reader is brought to the world of the main character who has anxiety disorder and their strategy of coping with the gripping trauma that affects their life and future. Whether the main character is able defend their dream “castle in the sky" or not, the novel calls the reader to delve into the human soul through the subconcious.

Senja – This is the only submission in the form of a collection of short stories in contention for this year's SLP. Comprising 15 short stories, this collection presents characters from classical and religious texts in the context of parallel worlds, interwoven with elements of fantasy and magical realism, to raise issues of morality and spirituality.

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ஐந்து நூல்கள் குறும்பட்டியலில் இடம்பெறுகின்றன. இந்நூலாசிரியர்கள் ஏற்கனவே ஒன்றுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட படைப்புகளை வெளியிட்டு அவர்களுக்கான தனித்துவத்தை வெளிப்படுத்தியவர்கள். குறிப்பாக நாவல்கள் சிங்கப்பூர் இலக்கிய சூழலின் வளர்ச்சியை பறைசாற்றுகிறது. இரண்டு வருடத்தில் நான்கு நாவல்கள் என்ற எண்ணிக்கையை தாண்டி அவற்றின் தரம் கவனிக்கத்தக்க வகையில் உள்ளது. சிங்கப்பூர் தமிழ் இலக்கியத்திற்கு வரலாற்று பாதையில் பல புதிய வரவுகள் வந்திருப்பது பாராட்டுக்குரியது. நிலம் வளர்ச்சியடையும் போது புவியியல் அமைப்பு எவ்வகையில் மாறியிருக்கிறது என்பதை இக்கதைகள் கூறுகின்றன. நாவல்களுக்கு சவால்விடும் வகையில் சிறுகதை தொகுப்புகள் அமைந்திருந்தன. சிங்கப்பூர் வாழ்வியலில் நிலமும் சூழலும் எந்த வகையில் முக்கியத்துவம் பெற்றதோ அதே இடத்தை தனிமை பெற்றிருக்கிறது. இங்கு மனிதர்கள் மட்டும் அல்ல பறவைகள், வீட்டு விலங்குகள், மரம், செடி, பூக்கும் பூ, கட்டிடங்கள் எல்லாவற்றிற்கும் தனித்துவமான தனிமை உண்டு. அதை நமக்கு பல சிறுகதைகள் உணர்த்துகிறது.

எழுத்தாளருக்கு தன் மீது நம்பிக்கையும் தான் எந்த வகையான எழுத்தை எழுதுகிறோம் என்ற தெளிவும் இருத்தல் அவசியம். எழுத்தாளர் என்பவர் கதைகளை செய்பவர்; அல்ல அவர் படைப்பாளி. ஆகவே யோசித்துச் செய்யப்பட்ட புனைவுகளைவிட இயல்பான வெளிப்பாடுகளுக்கு இப்பட்டியலில் முக்கியத்துவம் கொடுக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. கடந்த இரண்டு வருடத்தில் வெளிவந்திருக்கும் படைப்புகள் திறப்புகளை கடந்து பாதைகளை உருவாக்கியுள்ளது. குறும்பட்டியலில் இடம்பெற்றுள்ள படைப்பாளிகளுக்கு தேர்வுக்குழுவின் வாழ்த்துகள்.

 

Five books are included in the short list. These authors have already published more than one work and expressed their individuality. The novels, in particular, reflect the growth of the Singapore literary environment. Their quality is remarkable, exceeding the number of novels to four in two years. It is commendable that many new entrants have come to Singapore Tamil literature through the historical path. These stories tell the story of how the geography has changed as the land develops. Short story collections challenged novels. In Singapore, isolation occupies as much importance as land and environment in life. Not only human beings but birds, domestic animals, trees, plants, flowers, buildings, all have their own unique isolation. Many short stories show us that.

A writer should have confidence in himself and clarity about what kind of writing he is writing. A writer is someone who makes stories; Or he is the creator. Therefore, the emphasis in this list is on natural expressions rather than deliberate fictions. The works that have come out in the last two years have crossed the openings and created paths. Congratulations to the shortlisted creators.

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Being the first year of the first national awards for comic books / graphic novels in Singapore, the judges were pleased with the diversity of works submitted. The shortlist reflected this variegated landscape - from graphic medicine (Bearing Witness, The Pandemic Cookbook) to hybrid format (Work-Life Balance: Malevolent Managers and Folkloric Freelancers) which showcased the innovation of its creators to absolute mayhem (Cockman) that highlighted the uniqueness of the sequential art form.

It could be a thick tome (Cockman) or a pamphlet to share the intimate and heartbreaking experience of losing one’s unborn child (Bearing Witness). It can be a hybrid novel that mixes prose with comics and recipes (Work-Life Balance, The Pandemic Cookbook). It can even be a picture book (The Visitor) but wait, it can also be a comic book. It is this “anything goes” that the comics medium delights the readers with guilty and literary pleasures.

What the judges look out for is an interplay of words and sequential art that tells a compelling story, which can be serious and grounded in reality and emotional weight. Or it can be playful with out of this world characters and situations. We are looking for something that breaks new ground. Although this is the first year of the award, we demand of the medium that it should not be business as usual and the same old to be ushered in.

What is encouraging is that the shortlist is a mix of veterans and newcomers. No one particular style or genre dominates which augurs well for the experimentation (playing with form and content) that we hope to see in future works and submissions.

The comics medium is an established artform overseas. In Singapore, it is still in a nascent stage of development as compared to prose, poetry, plays, films, music and dance. It was only a few years ago that the Singapore Writers Festival started a sequential arts track and comic artists were conferred the Young Artist Awards. We look forward to more works that are demanding and challenge us as readers. It can only be beneficial to the growth of the medium.

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The titles on the shortlist reflect the standards we hope to see in future works produced by Singapore’s translators. Jeremy Tiang’s two translated titles, Zhang Yueran’s Cocoon and Shuang Xuetao’s Rouge Street: Three Novellas, give a glimpse into the masterful mind of a translator at the top of his game. We are particularly impressed with the way Jeremy’s work captures the different voices of each of the titles we read, as readers will notice when reading these two titles. The other two titles on the short list, Chatursen’s Bride of the City, translated by Pratibha Vinod Kumar and A.K. Kulshreshth, and Liang Wern Fook’s The Joy of a Left Hand, translated by Christina Ng, likewise demonstrate divergent styles which depict two very different worlds. We find this diversity of voices, styles, and stories to be one of the more invigorating parts of judging the works submitted for the Translation category, and we hope that readers will similarly enjoy being plunged into the diverse worlds these books invite us into. Without the work of these skillful translators, Pratibha Vinod Kumar, A.K. Kulshreshth, Jeremy Tiang, and Christina Ng, these worlds would remain closed off to readers who do not have access to the languages in which these works were originally written. We are profoundly grateful to these translators for bringing these titles to broader audiences.

It has been an honour to read the works that have been submitted, and it has been a particular joy to be a part of introducing the Translation category to the list of winners of the Singapore Literature Prize. The inclusion of translated literature in this year’s award is very welcome, and we want to acknowledge the work that has gone into giving translated literature its due recognition.