Over There, an anthology of poetry from Singapore and Australia.Co-edited by local poet Alvin Pang and Australian writer-critic John Kinsella.
The volume features over 150 pages of poetry from each territory, including new and recent material from some of the most prominent living poets in Singapore and Australia. New works included in the volume are poems by Lee Tzu Pheng, Madeleine Lee, Ng Yi-Sheng, Enoch Ng Kwang Cheng, Teng QianXi, Kirpal Singh, Edwin Thumboo, Toh Hsien Min, Cyril Wong, Robert Yeo and a host of others.
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Velouria, a collection of super short stories.By writer-lawyer Daren Shiau.
Lawyer and writer Daren Shiau (right) took seven years to complete this varied collection of microfiction, or very short stories. Most of the pieces are a few hundred words long; the shortest is just 39 words long. The title story is a subtle, well-wrought tale about the uncomfortable relationship between two friends.
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Tilting Our Plates To Catch The Light.By poet Cyril Wong.
Poet Cyril Wong, who has always written about love, is traversing old territory in new ways. In this collection of poetry, he plays with a story about two shape-shifting Hindu gods, interweaving it with poems about lovers far and near.
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Dying To Marry And Other Stories.By first-time writer Syed Manzur Ahmed.
This is a collection of nine short stories by the retiree, who used to be a lecturer and a former sea captain. The stories are about a range of themes, but some drawn from his nautical past. For example, Screams From The Past is set in the Mediterranean Sea, and Athena is about a British sea cadet who comes to Singapore for the first time.
VARIETY is the over-arching theme unifying the new books being launched at the Singapore Writers Festival.
Some 20 new books are making their debut during the biennial celebration of the literary arts, which ends tomorrow.
The books include a poetry anthology, a collection of very short stories or microfiction, a cookbook, a whimsical children's tale, a government publication about the history of the Singapore Arts Festival and one man's recollections about his childhood in Malaysia.
The writers themselves range from first-time authors, such as retiree Syed Manzur Ahmed publishing his first collection of short stories to established names like poet Cyril Wong, winner of the 2006 Singapore Literature Prize, and novelist and lawyer Daren Shiau, whose novel, Heartland, is on the O-level literature syllabus.
Most of the publishers, writers and editors Life! spoke to say launching their books during the festival is convenient and beneficial, the event being Singapore's main literary event in the arts calendar.
The National Arts Council co-published two books launched at the festival: Over There, a poetry anthology from Singapore and Australia, and Suchen Christine Lim's collection of short stories, The Lies That Build A Marriage.
Poet Alvin Pang, 35, co-editor of Over There, says the book will benefit from 'the festival's publicity and through-traffic'.
He adds: 'It also has a chance of reaching the attention of the festival's international guests, including expatriate Singaporeans like Boey Kim Cheng and Goh Poh Seng. They are a lot less likely to be all in one place during any other stretch of time.'
Writers Boey and Goh live in Australia and Canada respectively.
For others like publisher ArtPostAsia, which published the cookbook Foodlore And Flavours: Inside The Southeast Asian Kitchen, the festival is a way of tapping into different audiences.
The publisher's previous book launches were timed with cooking demonstrations and aimed at foodies. This time at the festival, the book garnered interest from a wider audience.
First-time writers such as Syed Manzur, 66, are also chuffed to see their books introduced to the public. He wrote a collection of nine short stories called Dying To Marry And Other Stories.
The former ship captain and lecturer in nautical studies at the Singapore Polytechnic says: 'It's a fantastic feeling. So many aspiring writers send out manuscripts, but so few get published. I feel very privileged.'
His background gives some of his stories a nautical flavour. Screams From The Past is set in the Mediterranean Sea, and Athena is about a British sea cadet who comes to Singapore for the first time.
He says: 'I hope to keep writing more books. Now that I've published one, I know how to go about things, and approach publishers with some confidence.'
For more information on the details of the book launches, log on to http://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/
