Aline Pereira is an independent writer, editor and media consultant specializing in multicultural children’s books, and until January this year, she was Managing Editor of PaperTigers, a post she had held since 2004. So we are very happy to welcome her back with a Personal View she wrote following her attendance of the Asian Festival of Asian Content in Singapore in May.

Aline had a special part to play in the Festival as she was one of the judges for the inaugural Scholastic Asian Book Award, along with “Chief Judge Nury Vittachi, journalist and Hong Kong’s best-selling English language author; Anushka Ravishankar, award-winning children’s poet and author (India); John McKenzie, principal lecturer at the School of Literacies and Arts in Education at the University of Canterbury (New Zealand); and literary agent Kelly Sonnack (Kelly grew up in Singapore), from the Andrea Brown Literary Agency (US).”

In her article, Aline shares with us her impressions of the Festival as a whole, and gives us a peek behind the scenes of the award. You can read the whole article here - and here are a couple of extracts to whet your appetite.

The big picture

A consistent thread seemed to run through a good number of the panels and sessions, as well as through informal conversations: “There are plenty of valid ways to produce and deliver a book”. This naturally led to discussions about the enormous changes the publishing world has gone through in the last decade or so, and all the things that have played a part in these changes. And to think that there was a time, not long ago, when people believed the Internet was a passing fad… Now one can only ignore the internet, social media and digital platforms at one’s peril. Without a doubt, these new technologies have affected the way children’s books are acquired, published and marketed, but one of the many things I came away with from those sessions and conversations was that having these new tools, platforms and processes is simply a means, not the end goal. Without losing sight of readers’ needs, the end goal continues to be finding ways to foster the creation, reception, and dissemination of a diverse children’s literature in all genres, mediums and platforms. When it comes to bringing children and books together, it should never be an either/or scenario, but a “the more, the better” one. After all, why get territorial and deaf to voices (platforms, devices) that are not our own? With regards to Asian content, AFCC was a call to join forces in that effort.

One of my favorite sessions was presented by US publisher Neal Porter (Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook Press) on which types of books travel well to other countries, which don’t, and why. He calls himself (more…)

Head on over to the PaperTigers Gallery to see some of the work that was included in the Book Illustrators’ Gallery (BIG) at this year’s Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). The exhibition featured works by artists participating in the conference and in our Gallery you will find both book illustrations and stand alone works by: Jade Fang, Lee Kow Fong, Li Dan, Soo Theng Theng, Wendy Tan, Priscilla Tey and Wong Si-Y.

We also go behind the scenes for a Q&A with Jade Yong of the National Book Development Council of Singapore, one of the AFCC and BIG organisers, who tells us, among other things, of exciting possibilities arising out of the BIG:

The [AFCC] organisers hope to garner support for an award for children’s illustrations, to be introduced at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in the next few years.

Bonita Sauder is author of the young adult novel Year of the Golden Dragon (Coteau Books, 2010). Last year, while living in Bangkok, she attended the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore; she loved it so much that, even though she had moved back to Canada in the meantime, she returned this year for a second time. Here, she shares with us her thoughts and impressions following her return home:

I’ve just returned to the cool, damp and rainy city of North Vancouver. Normally, the weather here doesn’t bother me too much, but as it is the beginning of June, we sure wish the weather would WARM UP! Unlike most of my friends and neighbours, I had a lucky break from what Ursula Le Guin called the “dreary beauty of Vancouver” when I went to Singapore to attend the Asian Festival of Children’s Content 2011. It was terrific—and not just because it was sunny and warm!

Last year, during the inaugural Festival, there were plenty of speakers, publishers, editors, authors, illustrators, teachers, emerging writers and librarians interested in children’s books. They came from across Asia with a handful from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe to discuss books for young people that embraced the ‘Asian’ identity.

Before I go further, I realize that Asians are as varied as their languages and cultures, just as every other people from around the globe. And with the continued increase of so-called blended families such as my own (I am second generation Canadian from Polish/Ukranian/Amish stock and my husband is Chinese American) Asians and everyone else in the world are becoming—more mixed—but hopefully not mixed up.

A very large portion of the world’s population has Asian blood, but sadly, the amount of children’s literature depicting Asian characters and protagonists does not come close to being representative of that number. And this is the case even if one includes stories and books written in Asian languages and dialects. While there are certainly more adventure stories, chapter and picture books and reinvented folktales than there were ten years ago, there is still a lot of room for more.

Last year, during AFCC 2010, we agreed that it was indeed time for creators to produce more Children’s Literature with Asian characters and protagonists. That was a very valuable conference for me and close to my heart as I am a mother to two children of Chinese descent. And it was great to meet other parents, teachers, and creators who cared about the same things that I did.

This year’s event, while only the second AFCC, drew many of the same participants and speakers from the region and abroad, but there were also many new faces. These included veterans from the US including Stephen Mooser, the co-founder of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Neil Porter, the Editorial Director of Neil Porter Books and Liz Rosenberg, author and book reviewer for the Boston Globe.

I don’t mention these people simply because they are from the United States nor do I think that the other ‘veteran authors’ in attendance deserve less recognition. I bring these Americans up because this festival is really very new and I was surprised and delighted to have so many wonderful presenters to choose from. Obviously, word is getting out. There are more people than we realize who are also interested in celebrating ‘Asian Content for the World’s Children’.

In addition to those of us who are involved in the creation, publication, teaching and reading side of books, there were two special guests who spoke on Friday evening: H.E. Dr. José Ramos-Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste who spoke to us of the importance in educating children in the developing world and Mr. Luis Soriano from Columbia. For those who haven’t heard of Mr. Soriano, as I admit I hadn’t, his story is one that everyone who loves books and children should know.

Mr. Soriano, wearing large, black rimmed glasses and a straw cowboy hat made his way up to the podium. I lived in Singapore for a year of so, and don’t remember anyone ever wearing a cowboy hat—so he didn’t exactly blend in. And after hearing what he had to say through the President’s translation, I think he likely stands out even in his native Columbia.

Several times a week, Mr. Soriano straps about 70 books onto the back of a donkey and treks to children off the beaten path in his homeland. He believes that since the majority of the Columbian population are children, with more than 50% without access to computers, he—and now other volunteers—take their travelling libraries to the children in the hope of introducing them to other ways of living through literature. After twelve years, Mr. Soriano is beginning to see some of these children striving to continue their education at University.

If you are a teacher (as I am) and perhaps have taught underprivileged children in your home country or some other place, you will understand that education is often out of reach for many reasons. Sometimes it is because there is a lack of resources including teachers, supplies and books. Mr. Soriano set out to change at least part of this equation in Columbia by introducing books to children to “activate their minds to understand that there are other realities” for them. If you want to see a clip of him, just do a search of his name on the internet. You will be as amazed as I was by this seemingly unassuming man.

Like Luis Soriano, there were other speakers and attendees who had come to Singapore for their first time. Most were delighted and inspired by the easy warmth and friendliness that seems inherent to people in this part of the world. Now that word has got out about the Festival, I’ll bet it won’t be difficult to gather an even more varied group of speakers and participants for AFCC 2012.

To have had so many talented speakers in the first two years makes me think that Festival Director, R. Ramachandran’s wish will likely come true. Singapore will become the “Bologna of Asia”.

Bonita Sauder
June 2011

Thank you, Bonita.

Last month I was fortunate to attend the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) in Singapore. Each day of the Festival was jam-packed with activities and it was truly an incredible experience to be surrounded by people from all over the globe who shared such a passion for children’s literature. You can read my previous posts about the Festival by clicking here and if you click here on the Gathering Books blog Dr. Myra Garces-Bacsal has compiled a list of  links to blog posts about the AFCC.

One presentation that I haven’t blogged about yet but want to share with you was entitled  “The Asian Children’s Publishing Symposium Parallel: Asian Markets and Experiences”. I almost missed this session as I lost track of time while perusing and purchasing books in the Media Mart but thank goodness I arrived in time to get a seat as this presentation was a highlight for me. The three panelists: Le Phuong Lien, Head of Children’s Literature at the Vietnamese Writer’s Association; Sayoni Basu, Publishing Director at Scholastic India; and Linda Tan Lingard, Managing Partner of Yusof Gagah Lingard Literary Agency Malaysia, each gave an overview of the history and current state of children’s publishing in their respective countries. Each of these ladies is definitely an expert in their field and I certainly learned a lot. Children’s literature published in Vietnam is a subject I have been eager to learn more about but have had difficulty finding information on so it was a great pleasure in particular to listen to Mrs. Le Phuong accompanied by her lovely daughter who acted as a translator.

Mrs. Le Phuong  discussed three pieces of literature for Vietnamese children, from three different time eras, that highlighted the efforts of  “the Vietnamese writer in the expression of Vietnamese culture for children”.  She noted that  “the trend of searching, realizing and praising the original beauty with strong local characteristics is now being emphasized more and more in the writing for children in Vietnam”.  She also shared her thoughts on the impact of global development and harmonization with respect to Vietnamese children’s literature and also why conferences such as the AFCC are important.  You can downloaded Mrs. Le Phuong’s presentation here and view her power point slides here. I encourage you to take some time to read her presentation as I’m sure you will find it as interesting and enlightening as I did.

I received a scrumptious parcel through the post this week – some gifts and goodies from Corinne and Aline’s time at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) in Singapore. I’m going to unpack them slowly and with relish here on the blog so that you can enjoy them too.

First up is picture book The Book that was Handed Down, which won the inaugural Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award, announced at the AFCC. Written by Yixian Quek, illustrated by Grace Duan Ying and designed by Goh Caili, it was published in Singapore by Straits Times Press in 2008. We can certainly be grateful to the Award for raising the profile of this extraordinary book.

On the surface it’s the simple story of a little girl Ping, our narrator, who is pretty disgusted about how she always has to have hand-me-downs… The book is no different: it used to belong to her brother, and certainly carries the imprint of its previous owner. But, of course, this is a book we’re talking about here – not clothes that are grown out of and forgotten. When Ming sees his sister with the book, he remembers how much he loved it and starts reading it aloud. Ping is then captivated in her turn, and together they share the adventures held between the book’s covers.

Complimenting the text perfectly are the illustrations, which cleverly blend the actual “Book that was Handed Down” with a depiction of the narrative. Ping is so serious and earnest and cross at the beginning, you can’t help feeling for her – but, as is so often the case, once she gets beyond superficial appearances, she finds her life is enriched both by the actual story contained within the book, and by the opportunity it affords for her to connect with her brother. The uncluttered effect of the strongly delineated illustrations also belies the number of details that will delight children as they make unspoken connections while listening to the story.

The simplicity of The Book that was Handed Down makes it immediately appealing; its complexity means that it will endure. Now I wonder whom I can hand it down to? I’ll just have to muss it up a bit first…

Malaysian Tales: Retold and Remixed
edited by Daphne Lee
Book launch by Zi Publications
Sun 19 Jun, 2011, 2pm – 5pm
KL Alternative Bookfest, The Annexe Gallery, Central Market, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Free Admission

This stunning new collection features 16 classic tales as reimagined and retold by some of Malaysia’s brightest raconteurs. Preeta Samarasan, Kee Thuan Chye, Amir Muhammad, and other Malaysian writers spin new tales from old favourites like Si Tanggang, Singapura Dilanggar Todak, Raja Bersiong, Batu Berbelah, Batu Bertangkup, and the legends of Hang Li Poh, Admiral Cheng Ho, Puteri Gunung Ledang and Mahsuri.

The collection was edited by Daphne Lee who, after corresponding with for several years, I was thrilled to finally meet in person at the 2011 Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore. Daphne is a writer (she has published six picture books, as well as short stories in magazines and anthologies) and publishing editor of OneRedFlower Press, which specialises in Malaysian picture books. She also writes a weekly column about children’s and young adult books for Malaysian Daily and The Star (click here to read her article on my AFCC presentation), and runs reading initiatives for a Malaysian non-profit organisation. On her blog The Places You Will Go she shared her thoughts on how Malaysian Tales: Retold and Remixed came about:

When I first thought of collecting stories for this anthology, I imagined it would be for children. I didn’t grow up with Malaysian fairytales, myths and legends. Like many Malaysian children from English-speaking families, I was raised on the stories of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. I was baptised in the Catholic church and so Christian mythology was part of my life.

As an adult I felt something was missing. Why did I know European fairytales, myths and legends and not the fairytales, myths and legends of the country in which I lived and belonged? The obvious reason was because my parents never told me any of the latter. My mother would occasionally relate bizarre stories, of Chinese origin, about a filial son who went to incredible lengths to prove his love for his aged mother, but for most part she (and my sisters) read me stories which included fairytale staples like Snow White, Cinderella, The Goose Girl, The Bremen Town Musicians (my favourite) and Rumplestiltskin.

We had a few lovely hardbound copies of fairytales by Andersen and the Grimms. We did not own any collections of Malaysian traditional tales. This was why I thought of compiling one. (more…)

Via Gathering Books

Finally! The event that we have arduously prepared for in the last several weeks is now past and gone. As part of the pre-AFCC (Asian Festival of Children’s Content) festivities, we have just done a panel discussion on “Building a Nation of Readers via Web 2.0″ featuring yours truly from GatheringBooks, Corinne from Paper Tigers, and Tarie from Asia in the Heart World on the Mind.

We started promptly at 5:30 and ended around 7pm. We had quite a good turnout, nearly around 40 individuals including ourselves (and my daughter and husband, of course). Here are some photos taken from the event:

(L-R): Tarie from Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind; Myra from GatheringBooks, Corinne from Paper Tigers

I was giving the introduction here, I believe

Talking about the History of our Blogs

Essentially, the flow of the discussion centered on several themes/key issues:

The history of our blog: what is the story behind our websites?
What is the kidlitosphere and the YA Blogosphere?
Networking and Collaboration: How we establish links and networking with authors, publishers, book bloggers, fellow bibliophiles, educators
How do we build a nation of readers via Web 2.0: What is the future of book blogging? How has it evolved through the years, and how do you think it would evolve in the next coming years?

The exchange was truly dynamic, animated, and interactive. We were fortunate to have an audience who was keen to find out more about Web 2.0, blogging, and were sharp enough to point out issues and concerns such as safety on the internet, reviews of e-books, and how exactly can a nation of readers be built through the internet. There was a question raised as to whether we are preaching to the converted, since we essentially build a network of fellow bibliophiles who are connected on the net, anyway. Does it translate to those who may not be within the virtual world?

It is only now, upon reflection, that I realize that there may have been several points that I could have shared which might have escaped me earlier. Regarding the building of a nation of readers, we have pointed out that our websites can be used as a medium through which we can reach more marginalized children coming from disadvantaged communities through outreach programs such as the the one being initiated by PaperTigers and our 1:4:1000 Book Drive where we hope to donate 1000 books to 4 public schools in Samar for our 1st Year Anniversary this June/July.

Over and above the outreach programs we do, I think we may have failed to emphasize that prior to knowing about the kidlitosphere and the YA blogosphere, we were clueless Facebook netizens and Twitter enthusiasts and internet-aficionados who have zero awareness that such a world (kidlitosphere, etc) exist! My own personal take on this is that discovering this world as a bibliophile may be one of my greatest highs in years! Just the knowledge that I can be part of this nation of readers: avid readers, angry readers, animated readers, insightful readers, critical readers [and that there is a platform for a celebration of this sheer geekiness] – is truly a gift – and brings about its own positive vibe and weaves this beautiful synergy among like-minded individuals with similar interests and passion.

Thank you to everyone who attended and dropped by. And to Book Council for organizing everything so seamlessly and beautifully. It is exciting to have Tarie and Corinne here in Singapore. The knowledge that I have several more days to enjoy their vibrant presence (along with so many others who are attending the AFCC) is simply astounding. Looking forward to this day and the next (and the next).

It was a day chock full of amazing presentations and meeting wonderful people. Today promises to be another exciting day and starts soon so for today’s blog post I will just upload some images from yesterday.  Once I return home from Singapore I promise to expand on some of the panel discussions I attended.

The Venue: The Arts House is Singapore’s first court house and former parliament house which is now and an arts and heritage venue.

Keynote speaker Stephen Mooser (USA) delivers the keynote speech “What is the Future of Children’s Publishing”?

Author and literacy advocate Christopher Cheng (Australia) “It Takes Two (or More) to Tango: Collaborating with an Illustrator, Musician, or Animator

(more…)

Today is the day! The Asian Festival of Children’s Content starts in a few hours with the Keynote Speech “What is the Future of Children’s Publishing” by Stephen Mooser (USA). After that the day is jam-packed with events to choose from. I will be attending sessions by Christopher Cheng (Australia), illustrator YangSook Choi (Korea), author Holly Thompson (Japan/USA), Pooja Makhijani (Singapore/USA) and John McKenzie (New Zealand).

Last night’s pre-festival panel discussion that I hosted with Tarie Sabido (Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind) and Dr. Myra Garces-Bacsal (Gathering Books) was a success. Over 40 people attended and took part in our discussion Building a Nation of Readers via Web 2.0: An Introduction to Kidlitosphere and the YA Blogosphere . Thanks to all those who attended and a special thanks to Tarie and Myra who were such lovely ladies to work with!

I’ve just arrived in Singapore to take part in the upcoming Asian Festival of Children’s Content and thought I would post a few pictures taken during my first afternoon in the city. I’ve only been here a few hours and to say I’m impressed would be an understatement. Singapore is amazing! The weather is beautiful, the people so friendly and the city itself is stunning: modern highrises mixed with colonial buildings, multicultural enclaves such as Chinatown and Little India, all surrounded by immaculate parks and tropical greenery.

The first two photos were taken at Vancouver International Airport and show the First Nations artwork which is highlighted throughout the terminal, then it’s on to Singapore. Enjoy!

(more…)