The Animal Allure
Panel Alan John, Lee Gee-eun, Maureen Yeo, Piers Torday | Moderator: David Liew
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Animals are a common element in children’s literature. Whether they are anthropomorphised or not, there is no denying their appeal to both readers and writers alike. In this session, find out more from the speakers on why they depicted animals in their works, how they have done so and why it remains a favourite writing motif.
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Alan John (Singapore)
Alan is a journalist, writer, and newsroom trainer. He has written two children’s picture books with illustrator Quek Hong Shin - The One And Only Inuka (2018), which won a Popular Readers’ Choice Award, and Ubin Elephant (2021). Both were published by Straits Times Press. He has more ideas for children’s books about animals and hopes Hong Shin will illustrate them.
Lee Gee-eun (Korea)
Gee-eun is a Korean picture book writer whose books are loved by many and have been published in other countries outside of Korea. They have also been adapted into children’s musicals. Her work Iparapa Yamooyamoo was awarded the prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award in the Comics/Early Reader category in 2021.
Maureen Yeo (Singapore)
Maureen is the author of The Great Singapore Poo Sale, Other Beastly Business and its sequel, Make Animals Great Again, and Other Creature Campaigns. These texts, and the talks she gives at schools and various organisations, aim to raise awareness about environmental conservation and politics in a humorous way.
Piers Torday (UK)
Piers began his career in theatre and then television as a producer and writer. His first children’s book, The Last Wild, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Award and nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. His second book, The Dark Wild, won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. Piers completed an unfinished novel by his late father Paul (author of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) and adapted The Box of Delights for stage.
Moderator David Liew (Singapore)
David has illustrated Ellie Belly, The Adventures of Squirky and The Plano Adventures. His adventures in children's literature continue with The Change Makers and Eye Spy series released in 2020. He is the Regional Advisor to the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators in Singapore. In response to the pandemic, he and the SCBWI Regional Team had converted their monthly meetup talks and weekly critique sessions to virtual formats, and thus opened the door for participation that transcends geography and time zones. He and SCBWI Singapore Illustrator Coordinator Paula Pang have launched a collaborative effort with their counterparts in Indonesia to launch "Talking Pictures" - a monthly Zoom talk and chat session for illustrators.
All programme dates and times are subject to change and existing COVID measures.
* : Pre-registration is required for in-person events. Seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.