After getting 3 books published in 5 years, there is still much for me to learn about the publishing industry and just how many things I had assumed wrongly. It has been a really interesting journey and I believe it is only getting started. Growing up with my nose in books, it had always been my dream to have a book with my name on it as the author. Little did I know that writing is but one of many tasks an author does. Alongside the creative process, significant time […]
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The Forbidden Cultural Arts: Mak Yong & Kuda Kepang
The convergence of tradition, spirituality and cultural preservation presents a complex challenge for indigenous art forms, particularly those deeply rooted in animism and shamanistic rituals. Mak Yong and Kuda Kepang are two traditional Southeast Asian performing arts that have captivated audiences with their blend of dance, music and rich storytelling. Despite their artistic beauty, both art forms have faced substantial criticisms and scrutiny, and in some regions, shunned, due to their perceived conflicts with Islamic religious practices — particularly in Malaysia and Singapore, where Malay communities in both countries are […]
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Book Review: The Malay Community’s Post-Independence Experience in Suratman Markasan’s Penghulu
The perception of literature has always been diverse in society. While some perceive it as a medium of entertainment and a form of escapism, there are others who view it as a tool. A tool to bring social change and social reform. A tool to plant seeds of empathy, conscience, and humanity. These perceptions influence how people read and study literature differently. Amidst these differences, it is important that we hold on to a pluralistic view of literature so that we are able to extract diverse benefits from it as […]
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City of Stars or City of Tears?: A Questioning of Singapore’s Development
When development comes to mind, it is almost instinctive to relate it to economic achievements, capital accumulation or profit maximisation of a society or country. However, when understood as a discourse, development is indeed a vast subject, which is not limited to purely economic terms. Since independence, the dominant discourse on development in Singapore has remained largely focused on economic and physical advancements.
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Classical Malay Texts: Of Relevance and Reverence
William Shakespeare – a figure so far away from us here in Singapore, and yet we are well familiar with his works: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, as well as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to name a few.
Similarly, Islamic scholar Imam Al-Ghazali, though not a literary figure, has produced works that are so renowned, such as Ihya Ulumud-Din, Tahafut al-Falasifah, and Al-Kimiya’ as-Sa’adah or more commonly known as The Alchemy of Happiness, that they are often referred to as authoritative religious texts for Muslims around the world.
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Stories and the Theatre
When I was growing up, stories were avenues of exploration and escape. The dystopian futures of comic books were scary but that was all they were at the time – stories. Imagining living a life as a superhero trying to right the wrongs of society, while at the same time stopping the world from destroying itself, occupied many of my evenings after homework was claimed to be done.
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The Feasibility of Writing: Always an Open-ended Examination Paper
Study your personal, social, economic, and educational contexts carefully, and then answer all the questions.
1. How did you come by this profession? Why not be a doctor, or a wife? [5 m]
As a disclaimer, I am a doctor. Though not the kind who would be able to help you if you have a heart attack in a coffee house.
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Yes, I Go to Acting School
ACTING: WHERE DO WE START?
Whenever I tell people that I am studying theatre acting, I always get the same set of responses: “Can make money?” “Acting so easy, must go school ah?” “So I will see you on Suria soon?”
The answer to all of these questions is “Yes”, although I don’t know how soon you will see me on Suria or television. I can only hope that I would get the opportunity.
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Othman Wok: The Man and His Literary Legacy
On 17 April 2017, Othman Wok passed away in Singapore General Hospital. In the days that followed, many citizens shared their memories of this remarkable man, who had rose from obscurity to become a member of independent Singapore’s first Cabinet. Some thanked him for his work as our first Minister of Social Affairs, a role which he used to found the National Council of Social Services.
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The Story Behind A Novel
To the uninitiated, the tears that Nuraliah Norasid shed, upon being announced as the winner of the Epigram Books Fiction Prize on 24 November 2016, were simply for the joy of clinching the $25,000 award — the richest literary award, and the only one dedicated to the novel genre in Singapore thus far.
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