Academics recognize significance of Love and Lust in Singapore anthology

2 NTU assistant professors, Joel Gwynne and Angus Whitehead, have written a 16-page essay on how our book “Love and Lust in Singapore” emblematises the cultural and sexual politics of the city-state. The essay was published in Asiatic, the IIUM Journal of English Language and Literature. 

The work studies 6 stories in particular – “Swimming out of Bounds” by Jacyntha England, “Rain Ponies” by Chris Mooney-Singh, “A Fraction of a Whore” by Zafar Anjum, “Dad Jeans” by Linda Collins, “I Got You Babe” by Dawn Farnham, and “Truth or Dare” by Femke Tewari.

As editors, from very early on, we marveled about how the stories in the book reflect so many different aspects of modern-day Singapore and the book is therefore of social-politial and cultural relevance. It’s wonderful to see that the anthology has been the subject of such a serious study.

Here’s the link: http://asiatic.iium.edu.my/article/Asiatic%205.2%20pdf%20files/Article_Joel_and_Whitehead.pdf

Congratulations to all our contributors!

Femke Tewari

Love and Lust at Kinokuniya

Femke in Kino

Last week I paid a visit to Singapore’s best and biggest bookstore – Kinokuniya on Orchard – and what did I find? Love on the floor, Lust between the aisles, steam coming from underneath brown and pink covers. Yes, the book was everywhere – right at the entrance, opposite the cashiers, at the Local Lit stand, it was impossible to miss. There really is no better feeling after a year of hard work… Hope all of our wonderful contributors feel as much pride as me when they see that smashing piece of work in the stores.

Femke

Book Launch Party on 18 September in Earshot Cafe

Dear friends,

The Love and Lust in Singapore Launch Party will take place on September 18 from 7.30pm. The Earshot Cafe is part of the Arts House located at 1 Old Parliament Lane (close to the Singapore River and the Asian Civilizations Museum). Please come and support the cause! We will soon update you on the program for the evening.

Please kindly RSVP to femke.tewari@studiodutch.com

See you there!

Femke

The Book Is Ready To Be Read!

Dear L&L writers and friends,

Yesterday I finally held a physical copy of the book in my hand… It felt good, it looked good and it smelled great!

Now the book will go to the distributor, which in turn will take it to bookstores. The publisher will send the book to several magazines and other media, hoping that they will review it.

To all the contributing authors: please kindly e-mail me your physical address so we can send you your copies of the book!

Femke

Love and Lust in Singapore goes to print!

Cover Love and Lust in Singapore

Dear Readers and Writers,

Finally, the day has come. On July 15th, the manuscript was sent to the printer. The image above shows the full cover: back, spine and front. Now you all know what to look for in the bookstore

The editors Caz, Femke & Joe

The Day I Met Our Publisher

April 14 2010, 11am, terrace of The Coffee Bean, Holland Village. My shirt glued to my back despite the fans whirring overhead. I sipped on Moroccan mint tea and chewed my nails. Of course I was nervous. This was the day we had been working towards for a long time. Caz, Joe and I had sent the ‘Love and Lust in Singapore’ manuscript to Phil of Monsoon Books the week before and he had asked for a meeting 2 days later. A good sign. With both my co-editors out of town, I was the designated person to meet with our potential publisher.

The night before, Caz (Goodwin) had wished me luck over the phone from Australia, and threatened: “Don’t you dare coming out of that meeting without a verbal agreement from him to publish the book. And call me immediately after the meeting.” Such pressure!

My nerves disappeared as soon as Phil sat down with what I think was an ice latte. He was enthusiastic about the book, and we went through the stories one by one, talking a little about the writers, about what the title of the book should be, back cover blurb, etcetera.

At the end of the meeting it was obvious to me that he wanted to publish the book, but hadn’t said it in so many words, so I told him what Caz had told me. AND HE SAID YES!

I called Caz. We danced around screaming in different time zones, me on the pavement in front of Seven Eleven, she in chilly Melbourne, only wanting to go out and get drunk together.

When I got home, adrenaline pumping through my veins, I needed to do something to celebrate. I wanted to tell all our contributing authors, but couldn’t since we had to wait until we signed the contract. I called all my non-working friends in Singapore, trying to rally a few to celebrate with me, but could find no one. So I sat down outside in the garden and shared a drink with the neighbour’s cat.

Femke Tewari

The Cover….

The Love and Lust team is working hard with Monsoon’s editors to put the finishing touches of the manuscript before it goes to print by mid-to-end July. In the meantime, Phil Tatham sent us a couple of cover options yesterday, that were designed all the way in Ireland. They all look great, so it will be a tough choice. Hopefully we’ll be able to show you something over the next few days!!

Stay tuned…

The LALIS team

Ladies and Gentlemen

However you celebrate, celebrate with us

 

Lend me your eyes. 

I take great delight in notifying you that we have signed a contract to be published with Phil Tatham of Monsoon Books. The project is officially green-lighted! Thank you so much, Phil. 

So, what does that actually mean? At this stage, we do know that the Love and Lust in Singapore anthology will definitely be in print. The editorial team are swiftly throwing together intros and back cover blurbs masterfully composing the remaining production text and uncorking the champagne remaining calm and acting in a very mature fashion. 

While we take care of the remaining work, we’re also urging you, dear contributors and readers, to start spreading the word! Remember, the more successful we make this anthology then the more the WISH foundation benefits from it. Let’s make this anthology a number one best seller in Singapore. 

Stay tuned for more exciting announcements. 

LALIS team. xxx

A Week of Love and Lust

 

The Wheeler Centre

 

The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne is Australia’s newest hub for books, writing and ideas and the centrepiece of Melbourne’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature.  It’s dedicated to the discussion and practice of writing and books and hosts a diverse and extensive programme of talks, lectures, readings and debates throughout the year.

In July, the Wheeler Centre is featuring A Week of Love and Lust.   There are sessions and activities that reflect on all matters intimate and personal.  There’s a roaring trade in steamy bodice-rippers, but the topics extend from, “the techniques behind fine romance to the erotic possibilities in a night of storytelling.”  For more information, visit www.wheelercentre.com  We hope that within the next year, Love and Lust in Singapore will be on their agenda.

Caz Goodwin.

A Cuppa Coffee with Felix Cheong

Felix Cheong

Interview by Femke Tewari

A literary multi-talent, Felix has written poetry, detectives, short stories, plays and essays. His most recent volume of verse Sudden Youth: New and Selected Poems, was published in 2009. We are naturally very proud to have him as one of the contributors to our Love and Lust in Singapore anthology.

FT Can you tell us a little about your background?

FC   I was born in Singapore, almost at the same time as Singapore. I’m a late bloomer as a writer in that my first book of poetry was only published in 1998. I’ve since played catch-up and published another seven books! I was in the television industry for 11 years and currently earn my keep as a freelance reporter and adjunct lecturer.

FT When/how did you start to write?

FC   I wrote my first poem, as with most poets, to impress a classmate in junior college on whom I had a crush. It was a painfully pathetic poem that didn’t manage to woo her (“poetry makes nothing happen”, as W.H. Auden once advised us)!

FT Where do you find inspiration?

FC   That’s the most misunderstood thing about writers, that we’ve one identifiable ‘inspiration’. I draw my inspiration everywhere, within and without. It can be observing two teens playing with a lighter on the MRT, which eventually saw light as a poem, “Father and Son”. It could be a rhythm that runs through my head, such as the poem “Tick Tock”. But certain themes obsess me – writing, love and God, and how they find resonance and reasons in each other.

FT Who are your favorite writers?

FC   I’m promiscuous in that at different stages of my life, I owe my allegiance to different writers. I’ve run the gamut from Shakespeare to John Donne, from Mario Vargas Llosa to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, from Haruki Murakami to Chuck Palahniuk. They’re all my literary ancestors.

FT What is your favorite book?

FC   I’ll be dishonest if I didn’t say “Sudden in Youth: New and Selected Poems” by Felix Cheong!

FT Can you give us a little teaser about your story in the anthology?

FC   It’s a story about loss, about looking back and wondering where and when did you lose your way.