14 June 2016 - Filipino literary artists recently figured in separate events in Singapore held on May 27 and 28, respectively.

On May 27, the book “Sula’s Voyage,” authored by Ms. Catherine Torres, First Secretary and Consul of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, and “What Things Mean,” by Ms. Sophia Lee, were officially launched by Scholastic Asia during the ASEAN Festival of Children’s Content at the National Library in Singapore. “What Things Mean” is the story of a Filipino girl searching for her father, a man whom she has never known, and one her mother never speaks of. In 2014, this story won the Grand Prize at the Scholastic Asian Book Awards, seconded by “Sula’s Voyage”. Ms. Torres and Ms. Lee are the first two Filipinos to win this literary award.

Officials of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore, where Ms. Torres once served, led by Minister and Consul General Victorio Mario M. Dimagiba Jr., attended the launching program.

A post-launch event was held at Littered with Books on May 28.

Two Filipino contributors to the anthology “Get Lucky”, Ms. Shy Lhen Esposo and Ms. Myrna Eneria, were chosen to read their nature poems during the Singapore National Poetry Festival held at the Supertree Groove, Gardens by the Bay.

The event, which was spearheaded by well-known poet Eric Valles Tinsay, also featured renowned local poets Edwin Thumboo, Marc Nair and Lily Teo, and emerging poetic voices Md Mukul and Amrakajona Zakir.  Performances by the Filipino group Psalmideo choir, shadow puppeteers - Grace Leong and Lim Fei Shen and dancer Nishalini from Bhaskar's Arts Academy, highlighted the event. END