SWF 2013 – Our picks for… teachers & students

As an educator, we pride the teaching of values and knowledge through the subtlety of our influences that cannot be conveyed through superficial texts. Conversely, words are “merely shadows cast by realities”. How do we stoke interest in today’s youth so that literature remains relevant in the study of language in present day?

As the number of Literature students dwindles, the question is notwhy there are lesser students doing Literature. Instead, we should be focusing on the significance of literature.

How can literature do good?

The Chinese has a proverb “三日不读书，面目可憎” that loosely translates to mean: “to have not read for three days, is to become repulsive in appearance” (due to the ignorance). Can reading counter the excesses and vices of modern culture?

How does the penumbra of meanings embedded in literal texts arouse different perspectives on a stereotype or a stigmatized issue?

Join us in these Panel Discussions to bring your invaluable perspectives into this year’s SWF and make a difference!

Here are our picks:

Sense of Place
Young Adult authors discuss their usage of the role of place in their stories. Some choose the familiar and local, while others take a fantastical journey into outer space and other worlds. Join the panel to discover what works for their different audiences.
Moderated by: Wena Poon
Featuring: Adeline Foo, Eliza Teoh, SherMay Loh

2 Nov, Sat | 10:00am – 11:00am | Festival Pass | The Salon, NMS

Singlish in Sing Lit
Authenticity – that’s why writers use the local patois in their writing. Find out how Singapore writers deploy Singlish and how readers and audiences have responded. Very fun one – must come, okay?
Moderated by: Angelia Poon
Featuring: Colin Goh, Faith Ng, Joshua Ip

2 Nov, Sat | 4:00pm – 5:00pm | Festival Pass | Binary Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU

In the Penumbra of Meanings
Poetry can be frustratingly opaque. Yet, when unlocked or read thoughtfully, it yields wisdom and pleasure. This panel of critically acclaimed poets explores how the best verse can obscure and hide secrets, yet illuminate.
Moderated by: Leong Liew Geok
Featuring: Cathy Park Hong, Kirpal Singh, Madeleine Lee, Yeow Kai Chai

2 Nov, Sat | 7:00pm – 8:00pm | Festival Pass | Binary Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU

You Can Write Too!
New voices on the writing scene tell us more about their creative process – and what it took to get their first book out. Expect tell-all autobiography, honest poetry and more!
Moderated by: Philip Jeyaratnam
Featuring: Claire Chiang, Jerrold Yam, Rodney Ee, Vernetta Lopez

3 Nov, Sun | 10:00am – 11:00am | Festival Pass | Binary Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU

Can Literature do Good?
Can literature with its range of diverse voices build empathy? Panellists ponder over whether reading can counter the excesses of modern culture: short attention spans, narcissism and crass consumerism… or is it too tall an order?
Moderated by: Stephen McCarty
Featuring: Colin Cheong, Leonard Ng, O Thiam Chin

3 Nov, Sun | 2:30pm – 3:30pm | Festival Pass | The Salon, NMS

Ku●lit: Asian Literature for the Language Classroom
“Ku●lit” is derivative of “wayang kulit” (Indonesian shadow puppet theatre), so we may be inclined to think that the word means “shadow” even though it actually refers to “skin”, or the leather used for the puppets. Likewise, words are shadows cast by reality, representing and manifesting what lies beyond their meanings. Find out how Ku●lit, a joint publication between NAC and Pearson Education South Asia, can stoke interest in the “cool lit” of Singapore and our Asian neighbours so that literature remains relevant in the study of the English language.

7 Nov, Thu | 8:30pm – 9:30pm | Free | Festival Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU

Popularising Science
A popular Young Adult author meets a prominent science historian and Darwin guru. How can creative fiction and print media get readers excited about the possibilities of science? Join Hugh Mason, a former broadcast TV producer on the BBC’s science show, ‘Tomorrow’s World’, who chairs this special panel, with science taking centre stage.
Moderated by: Hugh Mason
Featuring: John van Wyhe, Lucy Hawking

10 Nov, Sun | 2:30pm – 3:30pm | Festival Pass | Binary Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU

Carol Ann Duffy in Conversation with Edwin Thumboo
Hear from UK’s current Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, and Singapore’s literary pioneer and Cultural Medallion recipient, Edwin Thumboo, in this exclusive conversation. Hear them read their poems and get a deeper understanding of their literary inspirations.
Featuring: Carol Ann Duffy, Thumboo, Edwin

10 Nov, Sun | 4:00pm – 5:00pm | Festival Pass | Binary Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU