Book A Writer / Don Shiau

ABOUT

Don Shiau is a writer, performance poet, and musician. He has been featured in numerous editions of Poetry Festival Singapore, Singapore Night Festival, and Singapore Writers Festival. He co-organises Outspoken, a competitive spoken word event.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Prof Edwin Thumboo Award (Champion), National Poetry Recitation Competition 2023, English Language (Open) Category

• Sing Lit Station Manuscript Bootcamp 2024

• Oliver Seet Memorial Prize, Poetry Festival Singapore 2024

• Sing Lit Station Jalan Besar Fellowship 2025

• NAC-NLB Writers’ Lab 2025

TALKS

HOW DO WE SING “SINGAPORE”? SECRETS OF OUR NDP SONGS
For: all students; ideal for assembly talks
Availability: 1 hour; single session
[Please note that this assembly talk will be available for booking for dates from May 2025 onwards]
Description: Singapore now has enough National Day Parade songs that they have become their own musical and literary sub-genre. This quirky and insightful talk looks at how songwriters have approached the challenge of writing about the same thing (Singapore) in the same way (I love my country and it’s awesome) over and over for decades. For older cohorts, the talk will also address the question “How Do We Sing ‘Singapore’” literally, by looking at how the word ‘Singapore’ itself is sung in numerous NDP songs, thereby offering an introduction to the concept of prosody in songwriting. As each year’s NDP song drops in May or June, this talk is ideal for July or August, but will be just as rewarding any time of the year.
Learning outcomes: A deeper appreciation of how to employ perspective, imagery and mood in writing, as well as how lyrics and music work together.

WORKSHOPS

THIS POEM IS ABOUT ME: HOW TO PERFORM POETRY
For: all students; 5-25 pax
Availability: 2 to 2.5 hours per session; single or double session
Description: This workshop provides an introduction to spoken-word poetry: what it is, how it differs from page poetry, and why it is a powerful and popular tool for self-expression. Participants will be guided to write and share a short piece about themselves. It can be conducted over one or two sessions—for the latter, session one will focus on writing, and session two on performing. The depth and complexity will be tailored to the students’ ages. For older students, the workshop will also briefly cover the history and culture of spoken word events in Singapore.
Learning outcomes: Greater confidence in public speaking; clarity and focus in self-expression; an appreciation for spoken word as an accessible and enjoyable literary genre.

POETRY VIBE CHECK: HOW TO GIVE AND RECEIVE FEEDBACK
For: secondary school and above; 5-20 pax
Availability: 2 to 2.5 hours per session; single or double session
Description: While students are typically trained in criticism (analysing language and literary techniques), this workshop goes a step beyond and covers personal context (why did I write this poem; what was I responding to?) and affect (what did I feel, and what do I want my readers to feel?). Students will bring their poems (of any quality) to this workshop, and be guided to create a safe space for giving and receiving holistic feedback. They will learn to be curious about their friends’ writing, and to talk about their own writing, in a human and authentic way. They will gain an appreciation for how these skills are valuable in sustaining the practice of writing in adulthood, and in many other spheres of life. This workshop is intended to be conducted in one session, but can be extended to two if the group size is big. The additional session will give more students a chance to showcase their work, and practice their skills with supervision.
Learning outcomes: Active listening; perspective-taking; kindness in communication

PROSODY: SONGWRITING’S SECRET SAUCE
For: secondary school and above; 5-25 pax
Availability: 2-2.5 hours per session; single session
Description: In this workshop, students will be introduced to the concept of prosody—the patterns of stress, intonation and rhythm that give additional meaning to words when they are spoken. They will be shown how songwriters have employed prosody to write effective melodies and hit songs. They will then have the opportunity to write lyrics to match given melodies, as well as ‘improve’ the melodies of given lyrics. Students will get to suggest which songs to discuss ahead of the workshop, as long as they are in English (sorry K-pop stans), and not offensive. No music theory is required!
Learning outcomes: An appreciation for the inherent musicality of language, and how to use that when matching words to music.