A poem about how Singapore's Chinatown has changed over time. Create your own unique spoken word track in this article.
Published: 29 Aug 2022
By: Tan Chee Lay
Time taken : <5mins
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.
Catch Poems from the Eternal Summer by Tan Chee Lay, live at the Esplanade Concourse as part of Esplanade's monthly free programmes Red Dot August on 30 Aug 2022. Or watch the livestream on 30 Aug, Tue, 7.45pm. Available until 6 Sep 2022.
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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.
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