Is There Hope for Democracy?

 Weekly column for the Singapore Unbound newsletter. Sign up here.

A warm welcome to Singapore Unbound's weekly newsletter to everyone who is joining us fresh from the 2020 Singapore Literature Festival in NYC. Here you will find more news and discussions of the topics of democracy, freedom of expression, and equal rights, and of your favorite authors from the festival.

The videos of all the festival events, including the festival previews, are now available for viewing on a special festival playlist on YouTube. You can enjoy listening to the speakers now at your own leisure. If you have found an event particularly interesting, you could organize your own viewing party with friends and discuss the the ideas about literature and politics raised by festival speakers, such as Tanie De Rozario, Leah Piepzna-Samarasinha, Nuraliah Norasid, Ricco Villanuea Siasoco, Amanda Lee Koe, Paula Mendoza, Aimee Liu, and Meira Chand. The Opening Address by PJ Thum "Is There Hope for Democracy?" and the Closing Address by Jackie Wang "The Future of Abolition" are especially ripe for dissection and conversation, and even action.

Our heartfelt thanks to all our authors, moderators, donors, co-presenters, and supporters for another successful edition of the biennial festival. To maintain our independence, we do not apply for any state funding, and so your support means the world to us. This 4th festival, and our first digital edition, was attended by more than 400 people and the live-stream on Facebook was viewed by more than 2600 people. If you like what we're doing for cultural exchange and democractic expression, please consider making a donation to Fractured Atlas, our fiscal sponsor. Any amount, big or small, is greatly appreciated.

See you at the next festival in 2022. In the meantime, enjoy this newsletter, read the original stories, interviews, and reviews on our blog, and join us for our monthly Second Saturdays Reading Series, which continues to be online. We're glad that you are now a part of the Singapore Unbound community.


Jee Leong Koh
October 8, 2020

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