WHAT TEACHERS HAVE TO SAY

PRAISE FOR AMANDA CHONG
FROM MR JENSON CHEN
SPRINGFIELD SECONDARY SCHOOL

For a "neighbourhood" school such as ours, where many students struggle with self-worth and hope, I appreciate that Amanda shared how such poems could help them come to terms with their struggles.

As teachers we think of Literature as a subject that helps students get to goals of success, of expressing themselves well and being sensitive to meaning. But this workshop has also reminded me of the purpose of writing poetry as a means of dealing with the emotions that teenagers find difficult to manage and issues that they face.

I appreciate also Amanda's patience and gentle demeanour in coaxing answers out of students.

PRAISE FOR TSE HAO GUANG
FROM MR NAZRUL RASHIDI (HOD EL & LIT)
PASIR RIS SECONDARY SCHOOL

The Book A Writer workshop is something students should experience. Having a practitioner interact with the students is useful as they can then see that texts are beyond words - that there’s the writer, the intention, the choices. In short, the text comes alive for the students, and they get to experience being in the driver’s seat and find their voice. Throughout the workshop, Hao Guang, being accessible and warm, has inspired the students to appreciate poetry and write their own poems. He was also generous in sharing his insights and experiences with the students, and this has sharpened the way they look at poetry and their own works.

PRAISE FOR JENNIFER ANNE CHAMPION
FROM MS MAISARA MOHD MAHADI
PUNGGOL GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

The talk was so fun! The hands-on session was very interactive, and the examples of blackout poetry are visually captivating too. Ms Champion also called for a volunteer during the demonstration, so that was quite engaging. The session ended on a very sweet note as she performed a poem for the school which the students and teachers enjoyed very much. 

PRAISE FOR MARC NAIR & DEBORAH EMMANUEL
FROM UNITED WORLD COLLEGE EAST

Marc and Deborah were great. The students especially enjoyed Deborah. Marc might have been more fully appreciated by our older students as he has interesting things to say about the arts and racial identity in Singapore. They all really enjoyed his poems… wish I’d asked him to perform a couple more!

PRAISE FOR CLARA CHOW
FROM HOD (EL & LIT)
JURONG WEST SECONDARY SCHOOL

The EL and Lit teachers were heartened to see a crowd at Clara’s booth and I’m amazed to hear that students are sharing their stories as well! It looks like this won’t be the last time you’ll hear from us. We hope to be able to engage Book A Writer again for future events!

PRAISE FOR JOSHUA IP
FROM HUA YI SECONDARY SCHOOL

The kids had a great time and we hope to work with you in the future, if possible! Personally, I had great fun seeing the students strengthen the concepts they learnt in class in this workshop. It really brings Literature alive!

PRAISE FOR NEIL HUMPHREYS
FROM CARRIE CHEAH, ENGLISH TEACHER
ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOL (INTERNATIONAL)

It was a most informative session and my student writers enjoyed the workshop very much. It was a success; given that it was a Friday and the school lessons ended at 3pm, they were all so attentive and participatory throughout the session. We have plans to bring Neil Humphreys back to speak to a different audience.

WHAT STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY

PRAISE FOR LOH GUAN LIANG
FROM UNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL

This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing that I would ever enjoy English Literature! You made me understand deeper! Thank you!

PRAISE FOR ALVIN PANG
FROM CHIJ KATONG CONVENT

The workshop was fun and informative. It has definitely evoked a passion and love for writing in me :)

PRAISE FOR YEO WEI WEI
FROM CAMP LIT ALUMNI

The exercises in the course actually served to break my writer’s block and I would definitely use it in the future. THANK YOU! <3

PRAISE FOR CLARA CHOW
FROM ITE COLLEGE EAST

This workshop will help us in preparing for work interviews (speaking and communicating). It will be useful in life as we can use the tips daily.

PRAISE FOR SUFFIAN HAKIM
FROM CAMP LIT ALUMNI

The workshop was great, and they saved the best for last. The summarised powerpoint and the activity helped us in our writing very much.

STUDENT WORK

LUCY
BY THE CENTRAL NOVELISTS
FROM ITE COLLEGE CENTRAL

In November 2018, a group of students from ITE College Central teamed up with author Neil Humphreys to put together an exquisite corpse. Together, they produced a thriller titled Lucy - read the story here.

BOARDING GATE 7
BY THE STUDENTS OF
RAFFLES INSTITUTION

In August 2017, a group of students from Raffles Institution teamed up with author Daryl Qilin Yam to put together an exquisite corpse. Together, they produced a short story titled Boarding Gate 7 - read the story here.

BLACKOUT POETRY
BY THE STUDENTS OF
PUNGGOL GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

In April 2019, a group of students from Punggol Green Primary School wrote blackout poetry under the guidance of poet Jennifer Anne Champion. Read more of their poetry here.