programme download - Singapore Writers Festival

PROGRAMMES 4 NOVEMBER
BRAND NEW BOOKS: Antologi Cerpen
Malaysia dan Singapura (Anthology of Short
Stories from Malaysia and Singapore)
Sun 4 nov | 4.30pm – 5.30pm | FREE
festival Pavilion, campus green, Smu
Co-published by the Malaysian Institute of Translation
& Books and the National Arts Council, this special
bilingual collection of 12 short stories in Malay and
English provides a sampling of fiction from Malaysia
and Singapore. The anthology features a varied and
colourful selection of fresh, contemporary works by
young, emerging writers from both countries and
includes introductory prefaces on each country’s
literary offerings.
PANEL: Where is South Asian Writing Going?
featuring: jeet thayil, Shehan karunatilaka,
krishna udayasankar
mOderated By: deepika Shetty
Sun 4 nov | 5.30pm – 6.30pm | FESTIvAL PASS
glass Hall, Sam
Three newly-published writers of South Asian descent
talk about their works, their inspirations and peek
into their crystal balls to speculate on what is next for
writing from the sub-continent.
MEET THE AUTHOR: Seno Gumira Ajidarma
mOderated By: Sa’eda Buang
Sun 4 nov | 5.30pm – 6.30pm | FESTIvAL PASS
ilovebooks.com Pavilion, campus green, Smu
Join award-winning author Seno Gumira Ajidarma
as he elaborates on his credo: “When journalism
is silenced, literature must speak. Because while
journalism speaks with facts, literature speaks with
truth.” But what is truth and just how far do you go to
speak it?
This session is in Malay.
BERTEMU PENULIS: Seno Gumira Ajidarma
dimOderatkan OleH: Sa’eda Buang
ahad 4 nov | 5.30ptg – 6.30ptg | PAS PESTA
ilovebooks.com Pavilion, campus green, Smu
Sertai penulis yang telah memenangi pelbagai
anugerah, Seno Gumira Ajidarma, apabila beliau
menjelaskan pegangannya bahawa: “Apabila
kewartawanan disenyapkan, sastera harus bersuara.
Ini kerana manakala kewartawanan berbicara
dengan fakta, sastera berbicara dengan kebenaran.”
Namun, apakah sebenarnya kebenaran dan sejauh
manakah harus anda usahakan untuk mengutarakan
kebenaran?
Sesi ini dalam Bahasa Melayu.
PANEL: Critically Speaking
featuring: mayo martin, akshita nanda, cyril Wong
mOderated By: venka Purushothaman
Sun 4 nov | 5.30pm – 6.30pm | FESTIvAL PASS
the ixora room, tPm
Reviewers and critics have the power to shape tastes
and build audiences. But is their role all-important
or over-estimated, this panel asks. And, without the
critic’s opinions and analyses, will only popular works
rule the day?
PANEL: Growing Up is Tough – Or Is It?
featuring: monique truong, mick foley,
ahmad fuadi
mOderated By: neil Humphreys
Sun 4 nov | 5.30pm – 6.30pm | FESTIvAL PASS
the Salon, nmS
The child is the father of the man, so said Wordsworth.
Childhood remains a rich source of literary inspiration,
these writers reveal, as they share their popular
coming-of-age stories, shaped by growing pains,
family ties and first loves.
Monique Truong’s and Mick Foley’s appearances are
supported by the United States Embassy, Singapore.
OFF THE PAGE: anothersundayafternoon
Sun 4 nov | 7pm – 7.30pm | FREE
festival Pavilion, campus green, Smu
Alternative pop/rock band anothersundayafternoon
was formed in 2006 and comprises front man Caleb
Lye, Xu Zhiwei and Kamal Yacob. The trio released
their debut The Uncanny Tree of Fractured Hearts
... featuring the Peculiar Case of Janet Leno and
other short stories in 2009. This year’s release is The
Bookmark EP, a collection of darker and edgier songs.
PANEL: Finding my Muse
featuring: O thiam chin, timothy O’grady,
felix cheong
mOderated By: Philip jeyaretnam
Sun 4 nov | 7pm –8pm | FESTIvAL PASS
glass Hall, Sam
In the classic tradition, the Muse is a goddess who
speaks through the writer. Who do contemporary
authors invoke as they pen their stories? Our featured
writers on this panel talk about their diverse sources of
inspiration.
PANEL: Up and Coming
featuring: nirrosette, Zafar anjum, gwen lee
mOderated By: corrie tan
Sun 4 nov | 7pm –8pm | FESTIvAL PASS
ilovebooks.com Pavilion, campus green, Smu
Introducing up and coming literary talents who
are making an impact here and abroad, this panel
discusses how these emerging writers got their
breakthrough, their style as writers and whether they
get support—or face resistance—from their literary
forbears.
PANEL: Writing in a Multi-Cultural World
featuring: charlson Ong, jonathan campbell,
monique truong
mOderated By: Phan ming yen
Sun 4 nov | 7pm – 8pm | FESTIvAL PASS
the Salon, nmS
As the world becomes more multi-cultural, urbanised
and globalised, how do writers create narratives that
draw from this colourful cultural milieu and are yet
unique and enticing to you, the reader?
Monique Truong’s appearance is supported by the United
States Embassy, Singapore
LITERARY MEALS: Eat Your Words with
Michael Cunningham
HOSted By: Ben Slater
Sun 4 nov | 7.30pm – 9pm | $80
viet lang @ the arts House
Best known for his novel The Hours, Pulitzer Prizewinning
author Michael Cunningham also does a
dozen other things besides writing fiction. He edits
books, has adapted a screenplay, produced a film and
teaches at Yale. Take this rare opportunity to join him
for what promises to be a memorable dinner and find
out how one of the major forces in American writing
today juggles it all.
Supported by the United States Embassy, Singapore.
Curated by The Arts House.
BRAND NEW BOOKS: The Dancer by Ahmad Tohari
Sun 4 nov | 8pm – 9pm | FREE
festival Pavilion, campus green, Smu
A trilogy of novels, The Dancer focuses on the forces
that gave rise to Communism in Indonesia and the
tragic aftermath of the abortive coup in 1965. Set in
Central Java, these political events form the backdrop
for the tragic love story of Srintil and Rasus. Noted
director Shanty Harmayn Hoffman, who adapted this
novel for the big screen, will share a sneak preview of
her eagerly anticipated film.
Please refer to pg 48 for after dark programmes.
MONDAY | 5 NOVEMBER
SWF 2012
WORKSHOP: Editors Boot Camp
facilitated By: cheryl klein, executive editor,
arthur a. levine Books/Scholastic and
francesca main, editorial director, Picador
mon 5 nov – Wed 7 nov | 9.30am – 5.30pm | $200
living room, taH
A three-day master class for editors of fiction and
children’s literature offers in-depth training and
exposure to the entire value chain. Learn about
acquisitions, writing incisive editorial letters,
developing a critical eye, contracts, marketing and
distribution. With hands-on activities, the camp will
hone your skills in developmental editing, proofreading
and crafting eye-catching blurbs.
Please refer to the SWF website for updates and
booking details.
Organised by the National Book Council Development
of Singapore.
BRAND NEW BOOKS: An Inordinate Fondness for
Beetles by Paul Sochaczewski
mon 5 nov | 7pm – 8pm | FREE
festival Pavilion, campus green, Smu
Paul Sochaczewski has created an innovative form of
storytelling in this book which combines biography
and personal travelogue. While AR Wallace is
recognised as co-discoverer of the theory of natural
selection, he was also an edgy social commentator
and a voracious collector of ‘natural productions’.
Join the author as he examines Wallace’s themes
and interprets them through his own layers of
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