Book A Writer / Danny Jalil

ABOUT

Danny Jalil majored in Multimedia Arts and studied Creative Writing and Screenwriting at LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts. His works include the young adult novel The Machine Boy (Straits Times Press), and the graphic novels Lieutenant Adnan and the Fallen Regiment, and Elizabeth Choy: Her Story (with artist Zaki Ragman, published by Asiapac Books), and he is currently at work on his next novel. He he has spoken at the 2017 Singapore Writer’s Festival panel “Staring Into War’s Heart of Darkness”, and has moderated at the Singapore Writer’s Festival panel The History Hunter featuring writer Mark Greenwood in 2018, and has also spoken at schools about the joys of comics and writing. When not writing he makes digital illustrations and comics, which he posts regularly online.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• 2021 – Enrique The Black (Singapore: Penguin Random House, 2021)

• 2020 – Elizabeth Choy: Her Story (Singapore: Asiapac Books, 2020)

• 2017 – Lieutenant Adnan and the Last Regiment (Singapore: Asiapac Books, 2017)

• 2013 – The Machine Boy (Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2013)

TALKS

*NEW* BETTER THAN NORMAL
For: secondary; junior college; available for small group or assembly talks
Availability: 1hr / 1.5hr talk; single session
Description: From Star Wars to Godzilla, the best fantasy and sci-fi stories aren’t just about laser guns, spaceships and dragons. The best sci-fi offers something deeper and more personal for a child, a connection that lasts deep into adulthood. “Better Than Normal” aims to showcase why these stories resonate and how they are able to talk about sensitive, heavy issues by magnifying our innermost feelings on an epic, sweeping scale.
Learning Outcomes: Students will have a deeper appreciation of fantasy and sci-fi stories, and be empowered (and not ashamed) to create their own epic masterpieces.

WORKSHOPS

A NOVEL IDEA
For: secondary; junior college; 10-15 pax
Availability: 1hr / 1.5hr talk; 2hr / 3hr workshop; single session
Description: For the student with the burning hunger to write something more than just a simple short story, but is still trying to find their way to something larger. ‘A Novel Idea’ aims to excite students with the dance and rhythm of words, and give them a chance to bloom into great writers.
Learning Outcomes: Students will go on a deep dive into the art of novel writing, with a brief introduction to the history of the novel, to learning how stories work, culminating in an understanding of what it takes to get published.

UNDER THE RED RIDING HOOD
For: primary; secondary; 10-20 pax
Availability: 2.5hrs; single session
Description: Using the example of this popular fable, students are given pen and paper and will flex their creativity to create their own versions of this tale and come out of this workshop with a Red Riding Hood comic that they have created all by themselves.
Learning Outcomes: Fables have been ingrained in us since we were young, and all fables share a common thread. By breaking down the story of Red Riding Hood, students will learn what’s similar in all stories, and will walk away with a greater understanding of stories and their place in the world.

A WORD PAINTS A THOUSAND PICTURES
For: secondary; junior college; 10-20 pax
Availability: 2.5hrs; single session
Description: How do you adapt the written word into sequential art? Students will be introduced to how stories are made and will be given the opportunity to turn them into comics, and will be introduced to comic book panel dynamics.
Learning Outcomes: To understand how adaptation works from one medium to the next, and to inspire students to create their own future illustrated masterpieces.