LINE BY LINE

Do you feel we’re reading enough poetry?

First of all, I think we’re not reading enough, but that’s been leveled at Singaporeans for quite a while. Certainly we’re not reading enough poetry. Efforts are being made in schools to integrate more local literature into the curriculum – that’s fantastic – but you still have to figure out what to do with all the generations of people who have gone through school and come out with a negative reaction to poetry. People shy away from it, or they associate it with a traditional form of poetry, and when faced with something that’s spoken word, they can’t quite comprehend or place it.

How has your experience as an educator influenced your views on the teaching of literature?

The fact that I’m a writer translates into how I teach, but also as a teacher you must also be a reader and love what you’re teaching. I think teaching literature isn’t just a job, it’s teaching something that’s alive and has the potential to shape people’s minds, change the way they think, broaden or narrow how they feel about something, and that’s a sacred responsibility.

Where do you feel the Singapore literature scene is right now?

I think it’s in a good place: There’s a good mix of fiction writers, poets and playwrights; you wouldn’t think there’s a failing in any area. I would say it’s the readers that need to emerge: We have to cultivate them or people must want to read, and not just confine themselves to smartphones and digital realms, and also think about the value they can get out of books, even though it’s not always obvious. Singaporeans can be direct — “Can I make money out of this? Can this get me an A?” Maybe, maybe not, but must everything be like that? Because then you end up going through life being one-dimensional, and unfortunately that’s a conclusion I come to when I interact with the majority of my countrymen: onedimensional.

What do you think of the competition for attention books face from other forms of media?

Visual culture has replaced reading culture, and TV shows and movies are readily available. These are stories too, but I think there are differences in the way we perceive words on a page and give ourselves space to imagine when we read a book, versus watching a film where everything is laid out for us and it’s about transfixing us for that period. When you read a book, you have to do some work; it’s not entirely passive. Watching a video is easier. It comes down to the individual to realize that a book has as much value as watching a film.

Read the full interview on www.portfoliomagsg.com.