A poem about the forgotten histories of Singapore’s East Coast. Play with its sounds and create your own unique spoken word track.
Published: 1 Sep 2022
Time taken : ~10mins
Originally in Malay and translated into English by Annaliza Bakri, A Story, or History, Perhaps? (2008) is a melancholic rumination on sweeping transformations of the land and intergenerational change in the eastern part of Singapore.
This experience is part of Cipta Cita, presented by Esplanade from 2 – 4 Sep 2022. Loosely translated as "inspiring creativity", Cipta Cita is held in conjunction with Bulan Bahasa (Malay Language Month), and celebrates the Malay language through a diverse range of art forms.
Contributed by:
Abdul Ghani Hamid is a pioneer of Malay arts in Singapore, whose wide-ranging work includes poetry, fiction, plays, non-fiction writings on art and architecture, as well as paintings and cartoons. He received several prestigious awards including the Anugerah Tun Seri Lanang (1997), Southeast Asia Write Award (1998), and the Cultural Medallion (1999).
Apart from his contributions to literature, Abdul Ghani also co-founded and led the non-profit arts group Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya (APAD, Association of Artists of Various Resources), which organised exhibitions, classes, and other activities to encourage appreciation of visual arts. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 81.
Singapore literature, reimagined. little red comma comprises digital adaptations of diverse literary works by homegrown writers and literary pioneers.
