Singapore Writers’ Festival (SWF) 2009:

Model for a multicultural literary tradition

Interviewed by Ranga CHANDRARATHNE in Singapore

In an exclusive interview with Sunday Observer in Singapore, bilingual writer Sunil Govinnage who was one of the invitees to the Festival, spells out his views on Singaporean literary landscape and the lessons that Sri Lankan literati can learn, especially in recognising languages and importance of promoting literature in diverse linguistic strains.

Q: It is indeed good to meet you here in Singapore between your two homes; Australia and Sri Lanka! Why you are here and which country do you represent at the Festival?

A: First, let me explain briefly, what this Festival is about for the benefits of your readers. Singapore Writer’s Festival (SWF) is Singapore’s foremost literary event held once in every two years. In that regard, it is different to Sri Lanka’s State Literary Festival held annually. If you look at the history of the Festival, it started in 1986. Then it was called the Singapore Writer’s Week. It was just one component of then Singapore Festival of Arts. The current from of the Festival was first held in 1991 and continuing as a major literary event ever since.

I am here to participate and contribute to the SWF festival. I was invited by Singapore’s National Arts Council and the National Book Council. I am here as a writer and poet who is aware of the good literary tradition of Singapore!

Q: What is your specific role at the Festival?

A: I took part in three events. I am a member of a panel with distinguished writers and academics discussing the topic ‘nationalism and literature’. This subject, in my view, is an important issue to discuss at any level, particularly focusing on countries such as Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. The topic is a sensitive one, but it is important to discuss, understand and learn from those countries where they have made a significant progress in establishing a vibrant national and a multicultural literary tradition as achieved in Singapore. In addition, I also taking part and contributing to two other events. One is a special feature of the Festival entitled, An Evening with Edwin Thumboo. The other is the final session of the Festival called Dissecting the Merlion Poems.

Q: Can you please explain a bit more about the last two activities?

A: As you know, Edwin Thumboo is Singapore’s most senior poet who writes in English and his work has been translated to many other languages. Professor Wimal Dissanayake in a paper titled Re-privileging Asian Concepts of Cultural Criticism: Reflection on Edwin Thumboo’s Poetry has described Thumboo as a most important poet in Southeast Asia. Edwin began publishing poetry in the middle of the 20th century and he is still active as both a poet and an intellectual. The organisers of the Festival have arranged a special event to provide a forum and to appreciate Professor Thumboo’s contribution to English poetry in Singapore. The session has two components. One is to look at Thumboo’s work and language through presentations by two widely acclaimed academics. They are Professor Thiru Kandiah, the former Professor of English at the Peradeniya University and Professor Jonathan Webster, Professor and Head, Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics.

The second session will focus on reading a selection of Edwin Thumboo’s poetry by a group of special invitees and all of them are Singapore residents except me! I am the only outsider to be invited to read my own poems along with selected poems by Professor Thumboo.

The second event is far more exciting and will be the finale of the Festival. Let me first provide a bit of a background.

Edwin Thumboo penned a poem about the Merlion in 1977. Ever since this poem was published, it has generated discussions, debates, disagreement and support about the genesis and myths surrounding this poem. As you and many other visitors to Singapore have witnessed this Merlion sculpture is now located in the Marina, is an icon of modern Singapore. It is a huge 80-ton sculpture of a fish with a lion’s head. From its mouth spurts a stream of seawater.

It is not only a modern icon of this great nation but also a tourist attraction. People in colourful clothes pose for holiday snaps in front of the statue. That is not the point! The point is the responses the poems written for and against Thumboo’s original poem.

An anthology, containing these Merlion poems will also be launched at the Festival. In my opinion, I have not seen a similar literary debate focusing on one ‘single poem’ in our lifetime. At this event, those who have written Merlion Poems from Singapore will be read and followed by a debate for and against the original Merlion poem. Again, I have been invited to read and participate in this final event of the Festival.

RC: Do you think that Sri Lanka can learn some lessons on framing their literary festivals, activities and lessons from Singapore?

A: Yes, of course, yes! However, the Sri Lankan literary pundits and those who make literary agendas need to know such events and find the trouble to participate as both you and Indeewara have done on this occasion using your own funds and resources.

Q: What is your opinion about the multicultural writing tradition in Singapore and what lessons we could learn from Singapore.

A: The simple answer is a yes! After the end of over 25-year ethnic conflict, Sri Lanka now has the opportunity of establishing a true multicultural society including a literary tradition. This is not an easy task but can be done. Sri Lankan experts who are going to implement policies need to first study the lessons from Singapore, a country that was keen to follow our development model after it became an independent nation in 1965. The second is to consider adopting three official language policy embracing Sinhala, Tamil and English.

The issue of recognising languages is an important lesson that Sri Lanka could learn from Singapore. As you are aware, Singapore is effectively a multi-lingual nation. The official languages are English, Malay, Chinese (Mandarin) and Tamil. Any writer of a stature and recognition through peer reviews could have their work published in any of these four languages in national anthologies. Even Australia has not achieved this level of a multicultural policy so far, because Australia has embraced only English as the official language!

Q:Do you have any explanations about Singapore becoming a centre of attraction for English writings?

A: This is a complex question.

Singapore has a vibrant economy, excellent multi-cultural language policy, implementing mechanisms, institutes, and experts who can contribute to languages and literature. It is important to recognise the fact that recognition of the importance of learning English. In schools, children are required to learn English and one of the three other official languages. By law, all communications, signage, and official publications are in English.

There are institutes that organise literary awards. For example, A biennial competition organised by the National Book Council offering the Singapore Literature Prize that aims to stimulate public interest and support for creative writing in Singapore. It promotes Singapore literary talent through formal and due recognition of outstanding published works by the authors of Singapore.

The Prize is open to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents whose works of fiction and poetry have been published in Singapore and or abroad between a specified period in any of the four official languages - English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.

This is a good model for Sri Lanka to follow.

Singapore has attracted excellent academics to teach English literature. Just look at the website of the Department of English Language Literature of Singapore’s National University, and you could get an idea about the number of courses offered and quality of the staff they have.

Singapore is a country of visions and excellent plans. They have a program called The Creative Arts Programme or CAP. The CAP is jointly organised by the Gifted Education Branch, Ministry of Education, National University of Singapore (NUS) and The Centre for the Arts of NUS. The CAP program comprises a Creative Arts Seminar and a Mentorship Attachment. The Creative Arts Seminar offers an annual literary adventure for selected pupils, primarily to nurture young writers by offering them guidance in creative writing, exposure to related performing arts and raise their awareness about publishing in Singapore. It also seeks to help them appreciate the connection between the literary and performing arts. Central to this programme is the invaluable learning experience participants receive from professionals in the various disciplines. Some of the new writers of Singapore have come out through the CAP.

One needs to recognise that these activities can be implemented because Singapore has an excellent economic base. In terms of the GDP, Singapore is the fifth rich country. Therefore, they can do many things that Sri Lanka is unable to do now.

Q: Do you think that Sri Lankan Departments of English need to embrace at least some selected texts from Singapore in English courses? A: A very short answer is an emphatic Yes.

If you have a cursory look at the course contents in English in Peradeniya University, you will learn that there is a heavy focus on the British literature! For example, Shakespeare, Elizabethan, Jacobean, Restoration Drama and so on, and we cannot forget the fact that our great English Department was set up by E.F.C. Ludowyk, who had joined the staff of University College in 1932 (and was appointed Professor in 1936).

We carry out an Annual Ludowyk Memorial Lecture series, (but NO annual memorial or other form of lecture series in Sinhala Department!) and the world has changed. Countries such as India, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia have begun English literary traditions with firm roots in their societies. These countries have also gone through various historical and political processes similar to Sri Lanka.

I am not saying that our English students should avoid studying either Elizabethan drama or the works of Chaucer. However, the teachers also need to look at the trends in at least South Asia to begin with.

It is good that Peradeniya English Department has included good selection works listed under courses for poetry and fiction covering Chaucer, Donne, Alexander Pope, William Blake, William Wordsworth, W. B. Yeats, T. S. Eliot, and Philip Larkin. In addition, I was pleased to read the names of A K Ramanujan, Australia’s A. D. Hope and Patrick White, Raja Rao, Chinua Achebe, R. K. Narayan, V. S. Naipaul and even our local writers such as Punyakante Wijenaike, Lakdas Wikkramasinha, Jean Arasanayagam.

However, I cannot find any works of Singapore writers listed under any courses. I don’t know why! May be we still have a westward focused literary mind conditioned by our colonial masters.