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The Big Writers' Network Bridges Cultures in Singapore

Jane Camens, a founder of the Hong Kong International Literary Festival and the inspiration behind the Asia Pacific Writers' and Translators' Association, introduces the third in an influential series of annual conferences. This year's event in Singapore follows two hugely successful events in Bangkok.


One of Asia’s best platforms for promoting new work and spring-boarding to other international events is the annual gathering of the ever-expanding Asia Pacific Writers' and Translators' Association (AP Writers).

This year the annual multifaceted conference will be held in Singapore at the Arts House, originally Singapore’s Parliament House, a great location for discussing the big issues and also ideal for anyone wanting to blow their own trumpet.

The Singapore event is co-hosted by Singapore’s Book Development Council which is taking a lead in Singapore to inspire and provide skills for Singapore’s emerging writing community.

If you have a new book of fiction, poetry or creative nonfiction to launch, this is the place. There will be plenty of opportunities for authors to discuss and read their work with a public audience.

The gathering this year, called "Bridging Cultures: Creative Writing and Literary Translation in the Asian Century" takes place 17-20 July. Sunday 20 July is a free public day, but the first three days require registration for anyone who wants to hear the writers discuss the nitty-gritty of writing, meet the literary agents or join the creative writing and editing workshops.

Among the authors and teachers featured this year are Tony Birch [award-winning indigenous Australian author and writing teacher], Alfred Birnbaum [writer and renowned translator of Haruki Murakami’s early work], Sally Breen [Associate Editor of Griffith Review], Mridula Chakraborty [Indian-Australian literary translator], Simon Clews [Director, Writing Centre for Scholars and Researchers, University of Melbourne], Jen Crawford [poet and head of Creative Writing at NTU, Singapore], Dai Fan, [author and director of the Center for Creative Writing of the School Foreign Languages at Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou], José Dalisay [multi award-winning author and Director of the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing, University of the Philippines], Steven Prince C. Fernandez [playwright and Artistic Director of the Integrated Performing Arts Guild, Philippines], Susan Hornbeck, Associate Publisher of Griffith ReviewCristina Pantoja-Hidalgo [author and Director of the Center for Creative Writing, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines], Singaporean poet Joshua Ip, Duncan Jepson [film producer, author and a co-founder of the Asia Literary Review], Marysia Juszczakiewicz [Peony Literary Agency], Bhavna Khemlani [Thailand-based YA and children’s writer], Singaporean author Suchen Christine LimLoukakis [Society of Australian Authors], John McGlynn [Founder of the Indonesian publisher Lontar], Jayanthi Manoj, [Indian writer], Mani Rao [poet and translator], Qaisra Shahraz (acclaimed author), Tim Tomlinson [author and founder of the New York Writers Workshop], Sarah Tooth [Director, South Australian Writers Centre], Michael Vatikiotis [Singapore-based author and international conflict resolution expert], and Nury Vitacchi [author, teacher and AP Writers’ Chairman].

In early April when early bird registrations places at the conference were already half taken. There is still time to register and AP Writers welcomes active participants and audiences. Look for the program and registration guidelines here at www.apwriters.com.

If you feel you can contribute to panels and can find your own funding to attend, write to me, Jane Camens, at admin@apwriters.com.

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