THE STATE OF PLAY
What are your hopes and fears with regard to writers, the content they produce, and the publishing industry?
The publishing industry has become a marketplace where products are created, produced and sold to consumers. And yet it is also an industry of great significance, because these products – stories we tell about where we come from, who we are, what we value – help us make sense of our place in the world and how we belong. Our current economic system is entirely market-based, and it is hard for a writer to make a living from writing alone. One way to counter this will be for the State to step in and provide more financial support to the literary scene, but of course, this can come with its own set of issues.
To you, what role or purpose does literature perform?
Literature contributes to one’s sense of social identity: where we come from, who we are, and what we value. It helps to shape culture and society, and maybe even offer a sense of purpose.
What do you feel people are seeking when they read books, and especially books by Singapore authors?
I think when Singaporeans pick up books by Singapore authors, they want to connect, they want the story to resonate with their lived realities – this feeling of, “Oh, so I’m not the only one!” or “Oh, I know someone just like that!” Non-Singaporeans who read Singapore literature will be looking to understand Singapore society better, to get a glimpse of what makes Singaporeans tick. And it is our duty as Singapore authors to deliver that.
What are your criteria for a good book or story?
I love stories with a good, strong plot that keeps the pages turning. And of course, characters that you can really care about, characters that you root for as if they’re your friends. I also love books that transport me to a different world from the one I know. It doesn’t have to be science fiction or fantasy though! For example, many years ago I read “The Color Purple,” which is about the lives of African-American women in the Deep South in the 1930s, and it made a deep impression on me.
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