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Going beyond our shores even as we remain rooted in the Singapore Story is the theme of the 3 September First Friday Writers' Corner (FFWC).
Date: Friday, 3 September 2010
Time: 7:30 (see below)
Location: YMCA Terrace (4th floor, Orchard Road YMCA)
Topic: Going beyond our shores
Aspiring children's book author, Daphne Hedley, will facilitate discussion on the relevance of themes, symbolism and motifs of children's and young adult fantasy stories like Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland to the millennia generation.
But will the Z Generation as they mature want more than immediate gratification that lies in entertainment, fantasy, escapism.
Will we see a renaissance in literature that is not only fantastical but also delivers subliminal messages to an audience that is actively looking for complexity in what they read? A "neo-classical" approach to young adult literature?
Closer home, Adeline Foo's best selling children's books carry an unabashedly 'Only in Singapore!' label. Her first series of books explores unique backyard creatures like the changeable lizard, long tailed macaque, plantain squirrel and even the common fruit bat. Moving on from nature, her heritage series explores the peranakan culture.
She writes about childhood stories she heard as a little girl, and created this character, Puteh, as her alter ego. She travels back in time to learn about her grandmother's wedding, and the traditions of Dongzhi, Rice Dumpling Festival and the worship of The Kitchen God which Mama observes.
Her best selling series, The Diary of Amos Lee, talks about life of a local boy who's 11 and in the throes of growing pains. The usual stuff, falling in and out of friendships, experiencing girl problems, tackling puberty and bullying issues in school.
Her books connect young readers with what they know about Singapore, and make them proud to call these stories homespun tales.
Adeline is a mother of three and a published children’s book author. She has written 15 books, with two national best sellers. "The Diaryof Amo Lee: I Sit, I Write, I Flush!" also won the International School Libraries Network's Red Dot Award for Best Junior Book. She is currently on a scholarship, pursuing an MFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia.
SSW resident resource person, author and veteran journalist Ismail Kassim will as usual be there.
You are welcome to join us for our regular First Friday Writers' Corner, where writers gather to discuss the art of writing. This month we will be examining how to remain true to the Singapore Story when going beyond the shores of Singapore.
The formal programme starts at 7:30. The time between 6:00 and 7:30 is for you: if you have written anything you would like to have critiqued, come by early. We’ll be glad to provide expert comments. All genres welcome.
The YMCA Terrace is located on the fourth floor of the YMCA building, 1 Orchard Road. We will be meeting outside on the terrace (go straight after exiting the elevator), but you can find us first at the Y Cafe (turn left after exiting the elevator). We meet informally, so you can give us a ring if you don’t see us:
Maurice: 9475 5379
Thomas: 9720 3353
Daphne: 9137 1983
Thomas O’Dell
Secretary, Society of Singapore Writers
"The word has more than nine lives"
Why not plan your evening to include a meal at the Y Cafe! They have an excellent weekly menu. Coffee and dessert are also available for those who have eaten elsewhere.