a few things have happened since 2015 has swung round:

1. I've moved house - to something much more roomy and of a significantly higher (hipsterier) quality of living. Basically, I now have ace workshop space - a long table that sits 8 beside an airy stairwell with tons of natural light, with high ceilings and wooden floors on the second floor of a shophouse in Kampong Glam, just between Haji Lane and Artistry Cafe. I continue to share the space with elite design firm - Sarah and Schooling, who have insisted on naming me "Writer-in-residence" - yeah, i sleep here.

I've already tried out the space for a couple of the regular workshop groups I host - Burn After Reading, Image Symbol Department, and Math Remedial - I also made the octogenarian Prof Thumboo climb up the flight of stairs twice (apparently he drove himself and found parking in the area too!) so it can't be that hard to get to. Manuscript Bootcamp will be hosted in this space, too. 

I've also started referring tongue-in-cheek to the space as "Banana Arts Center" - so many possibilities!

2. Manuscript Bootcamp is happening and the list is firmed up:
Samuel Lee, Amanda Chong, Daryl Lim, David Wong, Jennifer Anne Champion and Tse Hao Guang will be the first batch of 6 to graduate (hopefully) from the programme, and be released as the Class of 2015 (or the class of SG50, erk).  I've set aside the money to publish them, and intend to launch them simultaneously in the month of October after a good 9 months of polishing. The only question is - what do I intend to publish them under?

3. I've set aside the prose writing group for a while, but the news that a talented young lad is finishing up his first manuscript has led me to thinking of resurrecting it in a digital format - a mailing list, basically, of serious prose writers with or working towards a full-length manuscript, hammering through each other's work online. basically a prose version of what i've been doing with the poets.

And hell, if it turns out well enough, maybe I'll publish them too.

Any ideas for what to call the imprint / new press / programme?

what Singapore Literature has been doing really well at in the past few years is getting new voices into print. specifically, Math Paper Press has been utterly heroic in taking risks on dozens of new, unpublished poets since 2012. several of these have had no publishing history for the last decade (me), or are university students or younger (Jerrold Yam, Jollin Tan, Tan Lixin etc). and if you take a swing at the average age of poets published, Math Paper Press bats significantly lower than the other local presses, and I'd venture on a global level too.

so it's great that young and new voices get heard, and that it's more easy to get a first book out - but, at the same time, a lot of us aren't going through the same grinder that many of our predecessors had to go through - countless rejection letters from print and online journals, brutal criticism and development and review to even get a manuscript through the front door of the publisher... and the speed at which we can go from first draft manuscript to publication has really shot up, to the possible detriment of the quality of our work.

so... I'm throwing together a "manuscript bootcamp" (working title: Math Tutorial) to help the next generation out in putting together their first collection, with an eclectic administrative/sai kang warrior team: Pooja Nansi, Ann Ang and Teh Su Ching.

4-6 of the best young writers I can find will be thrown into a small room for 3D2N (venue TBC) from Feb 27 to Mar 1. their draft manuscripts will be sent out to a bunch of evil panellists/mentors/facilitators a month prior. during the actual camp, the evil crew will tear them apart in public workshop/private interview, and they'll have a chance to stand up for their own work, and/or just learn from a wide variety of experienced professionals / their talented peers.

most importantly, the workshop will focus not so much on the craft of putting together a poem - which all of them had better have to be even selected (!) - but on the art of putting together a collection. selection, sequencing, thematic development, sectioning, the nuances and tics that link poem to poem... nobody taught me that, and to be honest i'm really looking forward to be a fly on the wall for these sessions for my own learning. there'll be a panel of academics, one of publishers, one of editors, one of "pioneer generation" writers, and one of award-winning local writers, plus just a few of the young writers having it out with each other.

if you're (a) interested (b) haven't published a full collection yet, please send in your draft manuscript to my email by 9 Jan 2015.

there are just two criteria:
(1) QUANTITY: At least 30 poems, preferably 40, 50 or more. We're going to cut some.
(2) QUALITY: At least 3 pieces should have been published in local/international print/online anthologies/journals/prizes. Reference this in your submission. If you haven't worked at this enough, feel free to send in the manuscript, but it'll be taken into consideration.

the good news: i co-won the singapore literature prize in english poetry for sonnets from the singlish, with yong shu hoong (the viewing party). other winners here.

since then it's been a mixed 48 hours, dealing with downstairs neighbor from hell, missing the SLP ceremony and finding out i won (tragicomic moment), overflowing with gratitude, hosting a reading in a bar of the best young Singaporean talent around (with Pooja Nansi and Ann Ang), coming home to read something affecting and having only this to say in indirect response, watching the fallout the next morning and wondering where to put my mouth, deciding to put my money instead, observing the lively and respectful debate by fellow writers, and being generally overcome by the whole kerfuffle (kerfluffle?).

this is the best and most honest advice i got all day, and i'll hang on to it.
"The worst part of me wishes, this morning, that you will be spoiled by the prize and churn out the same stuff as sonnets and scrabble tiles, and so never progress beyond this level of achievement. The better part of me wants you to move beyond, and so make a permanent contribution to literature."



i do think it's time for me to take a break from poetry, and let it all steep for a while. i took a ten-year break once, which turned out to be an incredibly good idea. i don't think the next one will be that long, but hey. who knows.


the emotional stages were wtf, omgomgomghappy, TANKS EVERYBARDY TANKS, ooerghherghhoherghgrrrgh, and now, what am i going to do now?

so back to the drawing board.

if 2011-2013 were all about personal productivity, i'd like 2014-2016 to be about collaboration. (well, and prose.) every dollar of prize money i win will continue to go to publishing projects i believe in.


and this is the list:
- poetry anthologies - A Luxury We Cannot Afford co-edited with Christine Chia, SingPoWriMo 2014: The Anthology co-edited with Ann Ang and Pooja Nansi. (ALMOST DONE)
- critical anthology - UnFree Verse co-edited with Alvin Pang and Tse Hao Guang (OPEN CALL)
- mixed-medium anthology - Why I Stopped Writing co-edited with Marcia Vanderstraaten (CALLING SOON)
- workshops - Math Remedial, the Image-Symbol Department, the Ministry of Noise, and Burn After Reading. perhaps time to cut them loose and form new groups. perhaps a prose workshop. (STILL RUNNING)
- SingPoWriMo 2015. (LOOKING FORWARD)
- graphic novel - Ten Stories Below (previously titled After The Flood) with Tim Wang and Adam Jay (PATIENT PLODDING)
- short story collection - Ex Machina (SLOW BURNER)
- novel - Beautopia (BACK BACK BURNER)

moving on moving on moving on.

2. SINGAPORE WRITERS FEST!

The Writers' Fest returns again, and here's my events this time round:

(a) APART - a poetry-play 
9 Nov 14 7-8pm
with Cyril Wong, Tania de Rozario, Pooja Nansi, Joshua Ip and Jollin Tan, dramaturged by Joel Tan
National Museum, Gallery Theatre

This one's really really special. How often do you see five poets thrown together on a stage to do what may seem like a play but is actually gut-wrenching gasps of confessional poetry interspersed with Joni Mitchell orgasms? Basically - never. Four of Singapore's premier confessional poets bringing the massive feels, and one comic stirred in to lighten the mix... what more could you ask for? This is so good they put it at the same time slot as the usually crazy Closing Debate of SWF. Except we're better. Come see us instead. [Festival Pass]

(b) Love Lorn, Love Lost
2 Nov 14 530pm-630pm with Cyril Wong and Gwee Li Sui, moderated by Zhang Ruihe  
Singapore Art Museum, Glass Hall 

This is my only proper panel event for this year's SWF. And a humdinger it is, with Cyril (wiki | webpage) who has been bleeding epic keep keep bleeding love through 12(?!!) volumes of poetry now, and Gwee (wiki | webpage), whose comparatively slimmer output of two volumes does not diminish the epicness of his i-loved-a-Korean-girl-and-we-broke-up-but-this-book-is-our-love 2nd collection. I try not to malu. [Festival Pass]

(c) Off the Page - Reads: The Beholder Has Many Eyes - A Poetry Reading on Beauty
5 Nov 14 630pm-830pm
featuring the Ministry of Noise and Image-Symbol Department, moderator with Ann Ang and Pooja Nansi   
Molly Roffey's Irish Pub

I'm not actually reading for this one, but I am damn friggin proud to present a selection of the best young voices reading in Singapore poetry and spoken word today, from the poetry collectives Ministry of Noise and the Image-Symbol Department. I came into contact with these talented poets through the inaugural SingPoWriMo last April, where they wrote circles around our feeble challenges. As an indicator of how awesome they are (or maybe just how awesome I think they are), the people involved in this reading compose >40% of the output for the SingPoWriMo 2014 collection launching shortly. I would like to list all their names but I have a feeling that everybody will know them very very soon.

*Also, there is a high possibility that you may see 1 or 2 of the anthologies (see below) for sale at this event!

(d) Off the Page - Reads: Eye/Feel/Write
1 Nov 14 3-5pm
with Joshua Ip, Isa Kamari, Alvin Tan, Tan Chee Lay, Jollin Tan, Edwin Thumboo, curated by Joyce Toh and Desmond Kon
Singapore Art Museum

If you like contemporary art, and if you like poets responding to contemporary art, drop by and have a look at what inspired us to write what we did!
My humble offering = 3 x liwuliiluwils.

4. ANTHOLOGIES ARE DROPPING LIKE LIKE LIKE THE BASS

(a) SINGPOWRIMO 2014: THE ANTHOLOGY
So if you were anywhere on the Singternet in Apr 2014 you may recognise the above as the banner for SingPoWriMo (Singapore Poetry Writing Month), a fetishized form of ritual torture where poets squeeze a poem out of themselves on a daily basis for 30 days. With the encouragement of Alvin Pang, three of the moderators/participants decided to toss together a collection - Ann Ang, Pooja Nansi, and me-self. We threw together an indiegogo pyramid scheme to fund it, and separated many unwitting people from their money. At some point it will be payback time (uh-oh) but the good news is we are going to print in the next 48 hours! It's going to be a massive volume, so expect Value For Money to read the most exciting new work off the Singternet today.

(b) A LUXURY WE CANNOT AFFORD
If you are a Singapore poet, you will recognise these lines by that most towering of Singapore figures - "Poetry is a luxury we cannot afford."

Hence, this anthology. This one is a different kind of beast than SingPoWriMo- a bit less colourful, a bit less raw and fresh in flesh and tooth and claw, and a bit thinner too... but more nuanced, more weathered, more heart-sick and tired and hopeful and bitter and respectful and angry and in love all at the same time. Read it.

Both these collections are launching on 23 Nov 4pm at the Arts House, and we're bringing an amazing selection of readers together for your listening pleasure.

Not to be missed.

After the massive success of SingPoWriMo 2014 in April, Pooja Nansi, Ann Ang and me sat down and culled the best of the nearly thousand poems that were written in a month. Alvin Pang has joined the team to publish it, and we're sourcing for cash to defray the printing costs on indiegogo. To that effort, we've thought of a bunch of random exciting perks, ranging from uh, signing a copy, to doing a nice print of your favorite poem, to writing you your very own poem! for a price, of course.

The fundraising campaign is right here.

There's a facebook group for 'sonnets from the singlish' now! watch for exclusive information on the origin of the collection, detailed notes on the individual poems (that may be useful to teachers/students alike...) and perhaps some new poetry!

Also check out the other exciting book discussion groups from the BooksActually people...

- Alvin Pang's "What Gives Us Our Names"
- Pooja Nansi's "Love is an Empty Barstool"
- Cyril Wong's "Tilting our Plates to Catch the Light"
- Tania de Rosario's "Tender Delirium"
- Christine Chia's "The Law of Second Marriages"
- the Verena Tay-edited anthology, "Balik Kampung"

i've been much remiss in updating this website over the past months, but a quick peek at the 'events' tab on the right should show that i've been running around quite a bit this year (and yes, it's only updated till june.)

bits of updates: first, up i had a ball at the recently concluded APWriters' Conference 2014 - "Bridging Cultures - Creative Writing and Literary Translation in Asia Today", held at the Arts House with the aid of the NBDCS.

thanks to the National Arts Council, i was introduced to APWriters last year via their Bangkok conference, where i met many lovely writers from around the region, and was able to share a bit of my work at the closing reading. this year, i was able to moderate a quintuple book launch and a reading with a collection of diverse talent, and read a bit of my latest work at three different occasions, so was quite pleased to represent Singapore, in Singapore. [here's a sample poem - "elitist writers", of mild entertainment value, relevant to the events and online commentary of the past week.]

after the event, the inimitable Alvin Pang played host as we brought a few overseas writers around to sample the joys of East Coast Food Village, and the view from One-Altitude. looking forward to keeping up the connections I made with various writers, translators and publishers during the conference, and hopefully (if work allows) to returning for the Manila edition of the conference next October.

that aside, some minor project updates:

1. TEN STORIES BELOW / AFTER THE FLOOD - the graphic novel!

the amazing team of Adam Jay (pencils), Tim Wang (colors) has been joined by the talented graphic design firm Sarah and Schooling (letters) and the immensely experienced comics editor, Joyce Sim (editor). We've put in our first grant submission, and hopefully that should power us ahead to releasing this very exciting graphic novel by the end of this year.

check this space for more updates on the graphic novel project, because we're looking into releasing into two very interesting bits of promotional material very soon - the first episode from the graphic novel, hopefully in time for STGCC 14, and a separate 20-page mini-comic... featuring PENGUINS. wait for it!

2. POETRY COLLECTIONS

"making love with scrabble tiles" was launched late last year, and is available in bookstores near you now. as alluded to previously, my first collection, "sonnets from the singlish" has sold out its initial print run, and is now back in print with a saucy new RED cover. 

thanks to the ceaseless efforts of my publisher, sonnets now has its own facebook discussion group - so feel free to pop over to make rude comments, leave nasty reviews, or ask questions about stuff that you didn't get or are curious about. i haven't ramped up my gigantic self-promotion machine yet, but i'll definitely try my best to answer questions on the text, especially from teachers/students in need of some local lovin'...

3. NEW STUFF?

i haven't decided yet whether my next collection will be short stories, novel, or another poetry collection. currently i'm at 4.5 stories, 25,000 unedited words, and 15 poems respectively -- so at least a good month or two of intensive labor from completion. but let's see how that goes.

in a somewhat retroactive push to promote my 2nd book, making love with scrabble tiles, i'm trying to spam the internet with bookselfies!

how you can help:
1. get your copy of the book! (available at booksactually, kinokuniya and other cool places)
2. take a photo of yourself with the book! 
3. post the photo on facebook, tagging me, and adding the hashtags #makinglovewithscrabbletiles #joshuaip. remember to set the privacy settings to either 'public', or at least 'friends of friends' if you're worried about who's going to see your face... 
4. bonus points for sexfaces or creative use of scrabble tiles.


examples below. thanks friends!

this is happening people.

1 poem a day for the month of april.

open to all.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/singpowrimo/