Reading Singapore with BooksActually on ABC Radio National

In any society, what you can and can’t write, what you can and can’t publish, what you can and can’t read, tells you a fair bit about the place: about its political system and its social values. So, what would you expect to find in a bookshop in Singapore?

In this special report for Australia’s ABC Radio National, Debra McCoy finds out, with her first stop being at BooksActually in the Tiong Bahru Estate, where she meets co-founder Kenny Leck and poet Alvin Pang. Debra also speaks to writer and political candidate Teo Soh Lung about her memoir, Beyond the Blue Gate.

Listen to the programme, here.

More about Singapore on ABC Radio National

Listen to a previous edition of the Artworks programme, exploring Singapore’s performing arts scene, here.

Listen to a further edition of the Artworks programme, exploring Singapore’s visual arts scene, here.

Listen to a two part Poetica special, exploring Singaporean poetry, here.

In Rear Vision, also on the ABC, the story of public housing in Singapore is explored, , starting with the very first developments along Tiong Bahru Road.

More on Writing

Throughout the Civic Life project in Singapore, leading writers have shared their thoughts with us on ideas of identity, belonging and community.

You can read three pieces, which feature in the booklet accompanying the TIONG BAHRU DVD, below.

Ng Yi-Sheng on the ever-changing landscape of Singapore.
Alvin Pang on a geography of Singapore mapped through personal reminiscences.
Tan Shzr Ee on the rich linguistic identity of Singapore and Singaporeans.

Writing The City

You can watch all of the episodes of WRITNG THE CITY, an online creative writing programme inspired by TIONG BAHRU and written and presented by Singapore Literature Prize Suchen Christine Lim and UK novelist Jeremy Sheldon, below.