The line up!

Here’s the line up guys. (For the official poster of the event, click here.)

National Library, Multipurpose room (basement 1) at 6.30pm (till 8.30pm)

The theme: Superheroes (people are gonna dress to the theme so don’t get freaked out, you’re at the right place!)

Anyone can leave before 8.30pm but that’s the maximum time slot we can be there because the library would close soon after.

Who should come?

  • Nanowrimo-ers
  • Readers and writers
  • Comic fans and geeks

First we’ll have the Nanowrimo kick off! Things start at 6.30pm and all and it’ll lead on towards the mini launching of Bubble G.U.M (because some of us Nanowrimo-ers wrote it)! The book is just $15 just for the launch. You guys will want to buy it there because when it gets stocked at Kino or any other store, they’ll put GST and everything on it which could get the book priced above $19 or something. (We’ll have our previous publication Happiness at the End of the World there at $15 too.)

After the mini launch, we would end the main Nanowrimo events but stay to talk to each other and have our cake while we discuss on the evening’s theme of graphic novels and of speculative fiction in it! They’re related since graphic novels ARE a graphic form of speculative fiction. Batman, Superman, Powergirl and much more! If you’re there just for the discussion, come around 7.20pm! Our main programme isn’t going to be that long, the kick off is more for people to know each other and what they’re writing and reading anyway!

Continue reading The line up!

Time to get sticky

Hey guys! BUBBLE G.U.M IS OUT! Or rather, it’s printed and ready to be shipped by the distributors. HOWEVER, it will take time before the stores will receive it but I’m able to get copies from the publisher themselves. Ah! What’s BUBBLE G.U.M? If you read the last pages of Happiness at the End of the World, you’d be able to see a preview of it.

Here’s a brief description of what the story is though:

It’s 2045 and Prix Chan is beginning her National Service. Her father, Pierre, believes she can handle it but her mother, Su, is hysterical at the thought of her daughter leaving the safety of Singapore’s Green Underwater Metropolis, the Bubble G.U.M., a self-sufficient city-state protected three miles beneath the waves by a dome of chewing gum.

Little does anyone know that in less than a week Prix will cause the biggest crisis to hit Singapore since the planet went into meltdown creating a world of water and a human civilisation on the brink of annihilation.

Yes, it’s science fiction about futuristic Singapore! It’s a young adult with elements of comedy and adventure in it too. A very interesting 6 person collaboration by the Happy Smiley Writers Group.

You guys get can it during the Nanowrimo Kick-Off on the 30th October, 6.30pm at the National Library or email me to “pre-order” it if you want to have a copy before the date or to make sure you do get a copy before then. Why pre-order? Because it’ll take time for the distributors to put it in the stores and I might just have limited stock in my hands when I get some stacks of them from the publisher.

It’s not up for online sale at Two Trees yet but it will be.

What’s the price? $18! It’s probably going to be more expensive in stores when they include GST though. (Un?)Fortunately, you can only get a special sale price of $15 if you go to the Nanowrimo Kick-Off! But hey, if you’re going to the kick-off, you’ll be able to meet the writers, get autographs, listen about writing, talk about geekery such as books and comics while having cake!

It’s totally more worth it to pre-order one and collect it at the event itself. What’s my email? Check my about page, heh. Or ok. It’s sarah @ seriouslysarah.com

A whole bunch of talks or competitions!

Woooh, a whole bunch of events! Well, usually these things tend to run in the second half of the year onwards. Click the more cut to read more. We have:

  • Talk: ‘In the Footsteps of Raffles’
  • Workshop: What’s Your Singapore Memory?
  • Talk/ Book Launch: ‘A life of its Own’
  • Competition: e-Mote Digital Storytelling
  • Workshop: e-MOTE storytelling
  • Competition: 2010 Adelaide Review Short Fiction
  • Competition: Man Asia Literary Prize 2010
  • Competition: The Iowa Short Fiction Award
  • Competition: The 30th Arvon International Poetry Competition 2010
  • Competition: Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2011

Uuuungh. I did wonder to split this post into two or something but whatever. I’ll put them under headlines so you can scroll and pick at it at your own pace or something. Or usually, I’d just copy just the title of the event and press ctrl+f it or apple+f depending on which computer I’m on.

Onwards we go!

Continue reading A whole bunch of talks or competitions!

Happiness at the end of the Nano Kick Off

hatwoe

First up, yes. Our book is published! You can buy it online here. Currently, since it just got printed and all, it will take quite a bit of time before the distributors would distribute the copies into the various bookshops here (may be in the coming weeks). If you’re wanting the book now, then it’s best to just order it online first from Two Trees, the publisher. Quick summary, 8 short stories, set at the end of the world but with happy endings. Press release found when you click on the above links. It’s a very interesting compilation by the way! I’m not saying that just because I’m one of the writers there but because I went “Ooooh!” at the other stories too.

Now onwards to Singapore’s NaNoWriMo kick-off!

nanosign

Ours was 2pm but we came around 1.30pm YET, the cafe was filled with people. Some of them Nanowrimo-ers too. Uugh, uugh! It was slightly crowded so we hurried and set up our signs, books and goodie bags. We didn’t want the guests to wait too long even when it wasn’t yet our session!

Continue reading Happiness at the end of the Nano Kick Off

A Council of Comic Geeks

Long post is long: Featuring Wena Poon, Mark Waid, Lat, Sonny Liew and Amanda T. Of science fiction, comics, children’s books, cabbages and kings.

wenamic

Day 1 of Singapore Writers Festival… 24th October and Wena Poon sang karaoke in the morning. HAHA, okay not. It was a reading of the Biophilia Omnibus at 11am. Before hitting up the Arts House, I went to Spotlight at Plaza Singapura because they had a grand reopening after their renovation.

Wasn’t aunty enough to arrive there early to be the first 500 people to get the free goodie bags. Nonetheless, I checked out the Halloween section and went ooh since there was something I wanted to buy there… And left because I didn’t want to be late for the reading at the Arts House.

Continue reading A Council of Comic Geeks

Get Mentored!

I got this in my email today. You writer/artsy types, go apply!

The Mentor Access Project (MAP), organised by National Arts Council,
is now open for applications for its sixth intake starting in July
2008. MAP is an 18-month mentorship programme to ensure the sustained
development of emerging writers by providing them with mentorship
opportunities and ongoing critical feedback.

Apart from having the privilege of being tutored by an established
writer/playwright, participants will enjoy opportunities for peer
interaction and to foster stronger connections with the Singapore
literary scene.

Selected applicants can also participate in Masterclass Talks and
workshops conducted by established writers, public readings, as well
as discussion forums and talks covering the business of publishing,
such as copyrights and literary representations (agents).

The New Book Initiative enables promising original works submitted by
MAP participants to be considered for book publication, in conjunction
with NAC’s Publishing and Translation Grant. This is on top of
enjoying publishing opportunities in an online literary journal to be
produced by MAP at the end of the mentorship period.

MAP is managed by mediaexodus whose team members include Yong Shu
Hoong, a published poet and Singapore Literature Prize 2006 winner,
and Enoch Ng, General Manager of mediaexodus (and its imprint,
firstfruits publications), a Golden Point Award first-prize winner.

Applications are open to Singaporean citizens or permanent residents,
aged 18 years and above, writing in the field of poetry, prose or
drama in any of the four official languages. The deadline for
application is May 31, 2008, and application forms can be downloaded
from http://www.nac.gov.sg/lit/lit03.asp#men