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Chinatown I by Tan Chee Lay
little red comma
Chinatown I by Tan Chee Lay
A poem about how Singapore's Chinatown has changed over time. Create your own unique spoken word track in this article.
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Originally written in Chinese and translated into English by Teng Qian Xi, Chinatown I is a poem about the polyphony of Chinese dialects that once filled Singapore's Chinatown.
Contributed by:
Tan Chee Lay
Scholar-writer Tan Chee Lay works as an associate professor at the National Institute of Education in the day, and does Chinese creative writing, calligraphy, and painting at night. A founding member of Poetry Festival Singapore and a judge of the Cultural Medallion and Southeast Asian Writers Award, he has been conferred the Young Artist Award, Singapore Youth Award, Golden Point Award, and Singapore Literature Prize.
A prolific writer, Tan has published over 20 books of poetry, children’s picture books, short stories and prose, with the latest being Poems from the Eternal Summer in August 2022.
Acknowledgement:
Written and read by Tan Chee Lay
Translated by Teng Qian Xi
Original publisher: Ethos Books
Audio production: Artwave Studio
Produced by Tusitala
Commissioned by Esplanade Offstage
Supported by National Arts Council Singapore
