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ARTS&LEISURE
November14
Rojak – Stories from the Singapore Writers’
Group
Compiled by Alice Clark-Platts
Available from Amazon as an e-book or limited-run paperback and in
selected Singapore bookstores
rojakthebook.com
This anthology of 19 short stories embodies its title –
rojak
is a
Malay term meaning mixture – and just like the famous dish, this
disparate collection somehow works and comes together nicely
as a whole.
The stories take you to an array of destinations as far-flung as
the nationalities of their authors. Both of what I feel are the two
strongest stories in this collection, “Lions in the Morning” by Alice
Clark-Platts and “Africa Sucks” by Tara Mitchell, are set in Africa,
one in colonial times and one in contemporary Mozambique; both
stories are astutely assured and each one leads to a denouement
that astonishes the reader.
Ta’afuli Andrew Fiu’s “Not my Mother” and S. Mickey Lin’s “Adrift”
are evocative tales focussing on the pull of family memories. “Not
My Mother” takes place aboard an aeroplane and is told from
the point of view of a child; “Adrift” takes place aboard a patrol
boat where a Singaporean immigrant faces refugees from his
former home country in circumstances similar to those he once
experienced.
“A Deviation” by Vincente Miguel Locsin features a jet-setting
businessman passing through Singapore on a brief visit, and is a
heart-warming distraction after some of the heavier pieces.
Two other excellent stories, “Mr Lim and Minah” by Kim Ong S.K.
and “Mangala” by Sarah Salmon touch upon the lives of domestic
workers fromdiffering points of view. Also worthy of mention is “New
Guinea Gold”, a clever and amusing story about the cockeyed plan
of a student and his girlfriend to trade arms for drugs.
Some of the pieces are very brief and read more as vignettes or
as a taster of the author’s budding potential. Others leave too many
questions, looking like the beginning of a larger work.
Nevertheless, I
enjoyed this quirky
collection. Each
story is accessible
a n d i n t r i g u i n g ,
perfect to read while
waiting in a queue
or out and about
on public transport.
A number of the
authors are already
published, either
working in the field or
seasoned bloggers,
and no doubt the
others will continue
to be nurtured and
spurred on by this
diverse and inclusive
writing group.
Raelee Chapman
Flash Fiction Writing
If you’re quick
and if you’re
l u c k y , y o u
might still find
a place at this 8
November full-
day workshop
o n w r i t i n g
flash fiction,
led by brilliant
Singaporean
a u t h o r a n d
u n i v e r s i t y
lecturer Felix
Cheong. It takes place at the Singapore
Training and Development Association and
costs around $70. For more information
and registration, visit alap.bookcouncil.sg.
Singapore Writers’ Festival
“The Prospect of Beauty” is the theme
of this 17th edition of the festival, held
at SMU Campus Green, the Arts House,
the National Museum, the Art Museum
and other venues. Featuring award-
winning writers such as Raymond E.
Feist, Karen Joy Fowler, Paul Muldoon
and Naomi Wolf alongside emerging
Singaporean and Asian writers, it’s
presented in all four Singaporean official
languages: English, Malay, Chinese
and Tamil.
From 31 October to 9
November. Tickets from sistic.com.sg.
singaporewritersfestival.com
Text in the City Poetry
Competition
Fancy yourself as a poet? To encourage
the creation of poetry, The Arts House
is organising a poetry competition in
conjunction with the Text in the City
campaign. Write your own poem about a
place in Singapore – in any of Singapore’s
four official languages – and submit it in
either the public or youth category, via the
Text in the City app or online at textinthecity.
sg, before 25 December 2014. Remember,
it must be an original, unpublished work.
Writers news ’