126NEWS mintasia July 3 - July.9, 2015, SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR ° WWW.MINTASIA.COM

MEIRA CHAND/WRITER Decoding the art of storytelling Chand on the success of her historical epic of Singapore and bring together influential writers and poets of South Asia to see how literature and writing for a musical on Lee Kuan poetry can redress and restore balance in Yew that will be unveiled in July South Asia today. The salon will provide an open, dynamic and liberal space to debate important and provocative ideas that need B Y P REETI DAWRA greater attention and voice. [email protected] Ideas of regional, national and individual ······································· identity; of modernity and exile; of the role SINGAPORE of minorities and women; the notion of lan- trange things happen in the world of guage, class and religion, and how all these imagination. While immersed in writ- play out to create either inclusiveness or Sing a novel, the real world will often exclusiveness in South Asia. feel like fantasy, and fantasy the lived reality. What in your view has Singapore done right to Meira Chand, one of Singapore’s most develop writers in the last decade? Is it work- well-known literary writers globally, says, ing? “unless these strange things happen, a book Singapore has come of age in the last is in danger of not carrying conviction. It will decade. The 50 years since the end of colo- run the risk of not being a complete world in nial rule have been given to nation building, which readers can lose themselves, cry, and during those years, the dreamers that laugh, share and identify with all the human writers and artists by nature are, were low emotions with which the world is filled.” Missing link: Chand says if people do not enter the world of imagination at an early age, and on the list of priorities. Now, however, Sin- Chand’s books certainly are not lacking in travel in that world through experience, then something valuable is lost to them. gapore is in a new stage of development, the complexity of human emotions. Her and the building of a cultural dimension characters—located in the context of big his- has become very important. Over the past torical moments—provide a compelling decade particularly, money has been panorama of the tragedy and resilience; cul- Creativity springs from poured into the arts. The last section to ture and individuality; and political evolu- receive this funding has been the literary tion and renaissance of 20th-century Asia. arts, but there is huge support and interest Many writers have sat in their rooms and the world of imagination now for the arts. I am deeply involved in conjured alternative realities that mirror life many programmes of mentorship for young but few have captured the imagination of a writers as this is an important task that we nation as Chand has with her writings. B Y P REETI DAWRA book A Different Sky, and in LKY The Musical? must get right. Most notably, her book A Different Sky, a [email protected] There is certainly some overlap between You helped initiate a well known project called historical epic of Singapore, gained much ····································· A Different Sky and the story I wrote that Read Singapore, to encourage people to read. attention. She was encouraged by former SINGAPORE became LKY The Musical in that both are What is its significance? Singapore president S.R. Nathan to write this ow easy or difficult is it to write about a set in the era of pre-independence Singa- We are working on infusing good reading novel. Hman like Lee Kuan Yew, who is a legend pore. Although Mr Lee’s story is integral to habits among younger Singaporeans. The “He had read a previous novel of mine, A and whose life is widely known? the “Singapore dream”, in A Different Sky reading of career-orientated or self-help Choice of Evils, a large-canvas book about Writing LKY The Musical has been both that story is also experienced by many dif- books—as so many do here—is not what I the war and the Japanese occupation of one of the most exciting and challenging ferent characters, each in their own way. mean by reading. The reading of literature, China. And asked me if I would consider tasks as the details of Mr Lee’s life are It is a historical novel that tells the stories of fiction, needs to be encouraged. To be a writing a novel with similar historical widely known. When this project began, he of the “little people” whose lives are also writer, you must first be a reader of fiction. breadth about Singapore,” she says. himself was still alive and the sensitivities of profoundly altered by sweeping historical If people do not enter the world of imagina- “President Nathan felt the younger gener- the family, plus the deep political sensitivi- events. tion at an early age, and travel in that world ation did not understand and took it for ties surrounding anything to do with Mr Lee Your next novel focuses on the Indian National through experience, then something valua- granted the roots from which the miracle of and his life, had to be considered very care- Army which was headquartered in Singapore ble is lost to them. Creativity springs from modern Singapore had sprung.” fully. during World War II. Why did you choose to the world of the imagination. Chand set out to achieve this formidable Which aspects of his life have you focused on write about this era? Are there lessons to be learnt for India in terms task. And soon after the launch of A Different in the musical? As most people will know, the Indian of the encouragement given to young writers? Sky in 2012, it became an instant hit. The I chose to focus on Mr Lee’s early life, National Army was then commanded by On the contrary, I feel Singapore has book touched a chord among a vast majority before independence, that shaped him pro- Subhash Chandra Bose. What interested me much to learn from India. There is such of Singaporeans; it became a creative tool to foundly. At this time, his persona, beliefs was that Bose established a regiment of spontaneous and genuine support of the better understand their history and trace and political skills were still in the process women in the army, the Rani of Jhansi Regi- arts, and of literature and writers in India, if their journey into becoming the modern-day of evolving through the experiences he was ment. It was a small regiment—estimates of not from above, then certainly from the global metropolis it is today. facing. He had not yet completely crystal- its numbers vary—probably between 1,000 people in general. India has such an abun- “Singapore was then nobody’s home. lized into the man he later became; like oth- and 2,000 women only. Dramatic shifts in dance of good bookshops. The educated Immigrant and colonial, people just came to ers, he was also surrounded by struggle and their lives and experiences, and how the populace are all readers with a reverence make money and leave,” explains Chand. beset with doubts. army changed them interested me. for books. This is not so yet in Singapore, “The novel also deals with many personal Today is it easy to forget that then, the You are the chair of the upcoming South Asia where literature can be dropped from the struggles to be free of stifling traditions, the way ahead was not clear to Mr Lee or any- Literary Salon hosted by the National Univer- school syllabus at an early age (this is part national struggle to be free of colonial rule, one else, and the courage and single-mind- sity of Singapore’s Institute of South Asian of the problem), and where to get people and the struggle against the oppression of edness it took to be true to his vision was Studies. What is it trying to accomplish? reading is an uphill task. But I am hopeful communism. This is the story of how for exceptional. We also forget how young Mr Singapore is keenly interested in India this will change as Singapore evolves and many Singapore finally became a homeland, Lee was only 36 when he first became and South Asia and regularly fosters inter- comes into its own as a country with a a place of belonging. It is a search for iden- prime minister. action with public intellectuals. This is a vibrant arts scene in the next decade. This is tity on many levels.” What are some of the parallels between your unique and exciting initiative as it seeks to what we are working towards passionately. Among other accolades, A Different Sky was included in Oprah Winfrey’s recom- mended reading list, and was also long- She confesses that this was an intimidat- is somewhat forgotten now. Constant strikes, listed for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. SINGAPORE CONVERSATION ing project to tackle due to its subject, and bloody riots, and daylight assassinations by Chand, a sensitive and deeply intelligent the responsibility the producers bore in pro- the communists were the stuff of everyday woman in her late 60s, is of Indian-Swiss celebrations. Lee died in March. jecting Lee accurately and creatively. Given life. This period interested me as it deeply parentage. She was born and educated in “I was approached by the production the excitement the musical has generated shaped Mr Lee’s transformation into the leg- London, and lived in Japan for many years team that was put together for this project even before its launch, the project is set to end he is today.” before moving to Singapore in 1997. She is and asked to write a story about Mr Lee’s life capture the imagination of both the local So, did she find the process of writing today a prominent member of the Singapore from which a musical could be developed,” and the global community who mourned the about one of 20th century’s most prominent arts community and has recently been she says. passing away of this iconic leader. leaders challenging? elected as board member of the National LKY The Musical, written by Chand, The author says she chose the musical’s “When I was first approached to do this I Arts Council. In the past, she has served as explores the tumultuous times of pre-inde- focus to be on the early years of Lee, por- was somewhat taken aback,” she says. “How- the chair of the Singapore Literature Prize pendence Singapore and how it shaped Lee traying “his bravery and fears, his entrepre- ever, given that many great musicals have and the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Kuan Yew. His life, political battles and neurship through the war years, and his been made of equally unlikely subject mat- the region of South-East Asia and South enduring relationship with his wife form the determination to succeed at all costs. It also ter such as Evita, Les Miserables, so I Pacific. crux of the story. tackles his later struggles for independence decided, why not?” Chand has just completed one of the most Chand says that “this musical is a tale of against a colonial regime and then the com- Commenting on the great expectations exciting and important projects of her high drama, intrigue, betrayal, love and loy- munists. These are some of the most dra- this musical has given rise to in Singapore, career—writing about the life and times of alty. It offers new and little-known insights matic moments of his life which I found fas- Chand says: “Whether writing fiction or Singapore’s founder, Lee Kuan Yew, for a into the emotional struggles faced by Mr Lee cinating”. non-fiction, a writer’s job is to simply illumi- musical that will be inaugurated this month and his friends at a time when Singapore She adds: “Mr Lee was profoundly shaped nate. It is for the audience to interpret and as part of this city-state’s 50th anniversary history balanced on a knife-edge”. by the violence and drama of that era which judge its significance.”