Singapore Literature Overview

Singapore Literature

• Singapore's literature encompasses works written in four main languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil.
• Several Singaporean writers, including Tan Swie Hian and Kuo Pao Kun, have produced work in multiple languages.

Tan Swie Hian

• A multidisciplinary artist known for contemporary Chinese calligraphy, poetry, and sculptures.
• Published 35 books of poetry, essays, and stories
• Awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French government for his Chinese translations of works by Beckett and Romanian writer Marin Sorescu.
• Received the Cultural Medallion in Singapore in 1987 and the Marin Sorescu International Poetry Prize in Romania in 1998.

Kuo Pao Kun

• A playwright, theatre director, and arts activist.
• Wrote and directed both Mandarin and English plays.
• Founded three arts and drama centers in Singapore.
• Received the Cultural Medallion in 1990 for contributions to Singaporean theatre.
• His plays focus on dramatic and social commentary, use simple metaphors, and diverse multicultural themes; performed both locally and internationally.

Other Singaporean Poets and Writers

• Simon Tay, Leong Liew Geok, Koh Buck Song, Heng Siok Tian, and Ho Poh Fun were active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with varying levels of activity.
• Simon Tay is a law professor, author, and former Nominated Member of Parliament.
  • Author of two poetry collections (Prism, 5)
  • His novel, City of Small Blessings (2009), won the 2010 Singapore Literature Prize.
  • Also published a non-fiction book: Asia Alone: The Dangerous Post-Crisis Divide from America (2009).
• Leong Liew Geok is a renowned poet,
  • Included in an international anthology with 440 poets (W. W. Norton's 2008 international anthology)
  • Her writings focus on the challenges modern women face in balancing work and family life.
  • Edited the anthology "More Than Half the Sky"
• Koh Buck Song is a writer, editor, and consultant
  • Author and editor of more than 30 books.
  • Worked as a journalist for The Straits Times and editor for Singa journal
• Heng Siok Tian is a poet and educator.
  • Published five volumes of poetry (Crossing the Chopsticks, My City, My Canvas, Contouring, Is My Body a Myth, Mixing Tongues)
  • Staged a play "The Lift" in 1991
• Ho Poh Fun is a poet and teacher.
  • Published a collection of 68 poems, spanning different locales and experiences in Singapore.
• A wave of new Singaporean writing arose from independence in 1965, led by Edwin Thumboo, Arthur Yap, Robert Yeo, Goh Poh Seng, Lee Tzu Pheng, and Chandran Nair.
  • Poetry is the dominant mode, most published work in Singapore

Other Key Figures (Different Nationalities)

• Edwin Thumboo is a Singaporean poet and academic considered a pioneer
  • His notable work includes "Kelong" (1949)
  • He noted the role of history as an element in his writing.
• Arthur Yap Chioh Hiong is a poet, writer, and painter.
  • His collection, Only Lines, was published in 1971, when he was only 28.
  • He received the Montblanc-NUS Centre for the Arts Literary Award for English writing in 1998.
• Anne Lee Tzu Pheng is a Singaporean poet, awarded the Cultural Medallion (Literature) in 1985 and the prestigious Southeast Asia WRITE award in 1987
  • Author of several poetry volumes (including Prospect of a Drowning, Against the Next Wave, and The Brink of An Amen, all winners of the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS) Award).
• Chandran Nair was a Singaporean poet and retired Director and Mediator of UNESCO in Paris.
  • Also held the position of Founder President of the Society of Singapore Writers (1976-1981).
  • His first book, Once the Horsemen and Other Poems, was published in 1972 (University Education Press, Singapore)
  • His poem "Grandfather" was used by Cambridge International

Drama and Fiction

• Drama in English gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, spearheaded by figures like Goh Poh Seng, Robert Yeo, and Kuo Pao Kun,
• Fiction in English emerged after Singapore's independence, with short stories initially flourishing before the novel gained significant presence.
• Goh Poh Seng's If We Dream Too Long (1972) is regarded as the first authentic Singaporean novel.

Catherine Lim Poh Imm

• A leading figure in Singaporean short stories.
• Published several collections of short stories (including the widely recognized "Little Ironies").
• Her collection "Little Ironies" is an important part of her writing.

Japanese Literature

• Heavily influenced by Chinese literature, spanning from ancient times to the early modern Edo Period (1603-1868).
• Japanese literary works also show elements of Indian and later Western influences.
• The style has a distinct impact on both Eastern and Western literature.
• Divided into four periods: ancient, classical, medieval, and modern.

Ancient Literature

• Primarily focused on myths, legends, and creation tales of Japan (e.g., the origins of the islands, and the roles of gods).
• Notable writers include Ono Yasumaro, Nihon Shoki, and Man'yōshū.

Classical Literature

• Occurred during the Golden Age, or Heian period.
• Focused on the aristocratic Japanese court, under Empress Akiko.
• Marked by the significant work of Murasaki Shikibu, known as the author of the seminal text "Tale of Genji," which is widely regarded as the world's first novel.

Medieval Literature

• Intertwined with history during the civil wars and the emergence of the warrior class.
• Featured war tales, and the rise of renga (a linked-verse poetry style).

Modern Literature

• Divided into early modern (Edo Period) and modern (Meiji Period), when Japan opened to the West
• Marked by the rise of new genres (kabuki, haiku, and yomihon), highlighting simplicity and subtlety.
• The impacts of World War II.
• Notable figures contributing to modern Japanese literature include Yasunari Kawabata, Kobo Abe, and Takiji Kobayashi. Their styles developed further in the periods that followed.

Kabuki

• A traditional Japanese popular drama that integrates singing, dancing, and highly stylized performance
• Originated with a unique performing style.

Yomihon

• A type of popular Japanese literature (subgenre of gesaku).
• Often moralistic romances, focusing on schematized characters (such as witches, princesses, and noblemen).

Absurdist Fiction

• A literary genre represented in novels, plays, poetry, and other media that focuses on the experience of characters where they lack an inherent purpose in their lives.
• Features oftentimes meaningless actions and events.

Proletarian Literature

• A subgenre of the novel, often written by working-class individuals (the proletariat) for other workers.
• Focused on the struggles and experiences of common people.

Notable Japanese Writers

• Yasunari Kawabata: A prominent modern novelist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature; author of Snow Country, The Master of Go, The Dancing Girl of Izu, The Old Capital.
• Kobo Abe: A Japanese writer, playwright, musician, photographer, and inventor whose notable works include The Woman in the Dunes, The Face of Another, and The Box Man.
• Takiji Kobayashi: A Japanese author known for his proletarian literature works. Author of Kanikōsen (Crab Cannery Ship).
• Haruki Murakami: A contemporary Japanese writer known for his widely translated work (e.g., Norwegian Wood, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and Kafka on the Shore)