Support Writers - Singapore Unbound's EOY Appeal

2020 has been quite the eventful year, with COVID outbreaks in many countries. Despite the disruptions and restrictions, the arts remain as crucial as ever, with literature, TV, and movies a source of comfort for many people while they are sheltering in place.

Writers have been particularly affected by the pandemic. What you may not know is that, unlike many independent literary platforms, Singapore Unbound pays writers for reading at our events and contributing to our publications and contests. We have also created an emergency relief fund for writers who have lost their jobs. We would like to ask for your support as we support writers through this challenging time.

Since the beginning of this year, Singapore Unbound has organized the following:

SURF - Singapore Unbound Relief Fund
SURF offers a USD200/SGD280 grant for freelance writers in need of aid, with no strings attached. To date, a total of 17 grants have been given out, providing a total relief of $3,400.

4th Biennial Singapore Literature Festival
Going online for the first time, and capturing the zeitgeist of 2020 with the theme The Politics of Hope, this festival hosted important, timely discussions about democracy and carceralism by PJ Thum and Jackie Wang, and connected writers such as Tania De Rozario, Sonny Liew, Amanda Lee Koe with festival goers across the globe. Singapore Literature Festival saw coverage in The Straits Times, Coconuts SG, Timeout SG, Kitaab, and attracted more than 400 attendees, a greater number than the last festival.

6th Singapore Poetry Contest An unusual writing contest in that participants must NOT be a Singapore citizen, this eagerly anticipated competition saw the submission of 432 poems, 337 more poems than last year, a remarkable increase and a testament to the extended influence of the Singapore Poetry Contest in recent years. The contest saw Nigeria come in with 159 entries, followed by the USA with 74 entries, India with 29 entries, along with entries from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Canada, Malaysia and many others.

3rd Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize The Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize is awarded annually to an unpublished manuscript of original Anglophone poetry by an author of Asian heritage residing anywhere in the world. A total of 43 submissions, five more than for last year's prize, was received, with submissions from all over the globe. The winner was OBJECT PERMANENCE by Nica Bengzon from the Philippines and it will be published in 2021.

SP Blog This year, 33 book reviews have brought attention to women, LGBTQ+, and other minoritized writers. 40% of our reviews are on books written by LGBTQ+ authors or feature strong LGBTQ+ themes. Over 60% of our reviews feature POC writers. Ecocritical works have received special attention. To the book reviews we’ve added interviews of authors and visual artists, and original works of poetry and fiction from India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and the US.

Second Saturdays Reading Series Since going online in March, our monthly series have highlighted exciting debut authors such as Jan-Henry Gray, Paula Mendoza, and Katherine Swett, and have brought or will bring the powerful voices of Gregory Pardlo, Aruni Kashyap, Yeow Kai Chai, and Meredith Talusan, to an expanding audience.

Gaudy Boy Translates We are launching a new translation imprint next year, and our inaugural title is a groundbreaking anthology of Philippino stories translated from seven languages, titled Ulirát (Consciousness). We aim to bridge the gap in translation publication by publishing minoritized regions, languages, and peoples. We wish to interrogate national identities and boundaries.

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All these would not have been possible without the help of donors and backers who believe in our mission, even in challenging times. We would like to share about our 2020 fundraiser and the ways you can contribute:

Purchase a GB Title as a gift (with optional signed bookplate) Purchase a Gaudy Boy book as a gift during the year-end. As a bonus, should you order the following titles:

  • AND THE WALLS COME CRUMBLING DOWN by Tania De Rozario

  • THE FOLEY ARTIST: STORIES by Ricco Villanueva Siasoco

  • PLAY FOR TIME by Paula Mendoza
  • AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF HORSE by Jenifer Sang Eun Park

  • SNOW AT 5 PM: TRANSLATIONS OF AN INSIGNIFICANT JAPANESE POET by Jee Leong Koh
     
    You will have the option of requesting a signed bookplate (a label you affix onto your book) from the respective authors. Simply write to Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org with proof of your purchase, mailing address, and name of gift recipient by December 15, 2020, and the author will mail the personalized bookplate to you.

    Whodunnit Fundraiser
    Join us for Second Saturdays Reading on December 12, 7.30 PM (ET), featuring multiple award-winning crime writer     SJ Rozan, who will read from her new book PAPER SON. The event is free, but you may make a donation during the event. RSVP Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org for Zoom link.

    Donate Directly
    Of course, if you would like to donate directly, you are very welcome to do so. You can do so at Fractured Atlas, our fiscal sponsor    . Fractured Atlas is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Contributions for the purposes of Singapore Unbound are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

    Every donation, big and small, goes directly to writers and the presentation of their work. All of us at Singapore Unbound volunteer our time, thought, and talent freely to the cause of fine literature and social justice. Personally, I'm so proud of our team who have accomplished so much this year while holding down full-time jobs and keeping up with full-time studies.

    From all of us at Singapore Unbound and from the writers whom you will help, thank you for supporting the work that we do.

    Yours sincerely,
    Jee Leong Koh
    Founder and Organizer, Singapore Unbound

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