Writing the next chapter in Singapore's literature

Good evening, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. It is a great honour for me to be here today at the National Poetry Festival's launch of the SG Poems 2015-2016 anthology. This recognises notable poetic works over the last two years.

2. By celebrating poetry in our four official languages, the National Poetry Festival is highlighting one of the things that make our Singapore identity unique –our multi-lingual and multi-cultural heritage. With our very own Singapore literature, we are able to read stories and poems on places and things that we know and love. We recognise our traditions, habits, memories and even figures of speech in them. We are nourishing our mind and the soul.
   

Growing literary arts in Singapore

3. This notion of nourishing the soul is reflected in the recent findings of the National Arts Council's (NAC) National Population Survey on the Arts. More Singaporeans are now recognising the benefits and value of engaging in arts and culture. About 8 in 10 surveyed said that among others, arts and culture allow them to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas, thus enabling them to be more creative. Exposure and engagement in arts also allows them to better understand people from different backgrounds and different cultures.

4. All forms of the written word, including poetry, are essential to human existence. We read to expand our minds, sail to new horizons and learn to empathise with others who may be completely different from ourselves. Indeed, words express our thoughts, our feelings, our opinions and emotions, as well as connect us to one another.

5. I am confident that poetry will continue to flourish here in Singapore. NAC's National Survey of Literary Reading this year indicated an interest in poetry among Singaporeans. In the survey, poetry was cited as one of the popular genre read. This could be attributed to ground-up efforts which have helped to raise the quality of Singapore stories through poetry and to promote them.

6. The National Poetry Festival (NPF) and the anthology, which will be launched tonight, are among such efforts. I thank and commend the team behind the National Poetry Festival for working tirelessly behind the scenes to organise this event.

Nurturing our young poets - Youth Poet Ambassador (YPA)

7. As we explore how we want our future to be shaped, we look to our youth to be an integral part of that important conversation. Poetry can lend a voice to our youth to express themselves, to speak on contemporary issues that they face and inspire them to look at the world from different perspectives.

8. Poetry, especially contemporary poetry and spoken word performances, has gained popularity among the youth. This can be seen at NPF's events and a multitude of ground-up initiatives such as SingPoWriMo (Singapore Poetry Writing Month), which drew over 2,800 writers.

9. Tonight, we are taking another important step in nurturing our nation's young poets. It is my pleasure to announce the Youth Poet Ambassador programme. This new programme provides support for our young literary stars to develop their talent and literary portfolio through international residencies, publishing and networking opportunities. As Youth Poet Ambassadors, they will engage and inspire other young people to express themselves creatively through poetry. I would like to encourage young poets out there to apply for the programme.

10. Here, let me recite a poem, “Sprint” written by Tyrina Toh. Tyrina is our talented young poet who is featured in the SG Poems 2015-2016 anthology: 

    i remember him one morning with his head in his hands: let's just do it, and do it unapologetically. he never forgot that breathing was a luxury, and he would reel himself back up shore with memories carved on his beaten lungs – back into the basics and the simple life, raw and untamed.

    because he could never understand why people always looked for the soft brown spot in a fruit:

    pressing so hard they created it.

11. This poem seems to speak of perceptions of imperfections. Similarly I would like to urge all of us not to worry too much about writing the perfect draft. Just write and post on the Facebook page. I hope our young poets will be tenacious and write courageously to turn your vision into reality. You will be writing the next chapter in Singapore's literature and contributing to the rich tapestry of the Singapore story.

12. Lastly, I would like to wish our young poets and everyone here a pleasant evening.

    Thank you.