Bridging Worlds Through Words

Communities provide vital support in difficult times - particularly for migrants living in a foreign country. In Singapore, a migrant writing community has grown, helping to bring people together and push them to better their craft. What is the line between Singaporean and migrant literary communities? Are they really so different? What unites them? Mynul Islam and Skylar Yap chat with Jo Ann Dumlao about the struggles and rewards of community-building in the literary scene. This episode is part of Bridging Worlds Through Words, a podcast which takes a look at writing and its intersections. Do categories describe or define the work? Similarly, what defines a “migrant” or “local” in Singapore, and how distinct are these identities, really? Join our writers as they search for common ground through literature. Bridging Worlds Through Words is presented by ⁠Migrant Writers of Singapore⁠ and supported by ⁠Sing Lit Station⁠ and ⁠The Majurity Trust⁠. Visit ⁠migrantwriters.sg/podcast⁠ for more episodes, behind the scenes content, biographies of our speakers and creative team, or to share your feedback! CREDITS Interviewees: Mynul Islam and Skylar Yap Host: Jo Ann Dumlao Sound Design: Jay Ong ABOUT Jay Ong has organised various events with Migrant Writers of Singapore, such as the inaugural Migrant Literature Festival in 2020 and kickstarting the “Open Borders” series. He is also a freelance composer and sound designer. Jo Ann Dumlao began life in Ilocos Norte, Philippines, and has been working in Singapore since 2007 to present. As a volunteer at the Humanitarian Organisation of Migration Economics (HOME), she writes for HOME’s MyVoice blog and volunteers for HOME’s Filipino Helpdesk. Mynul Islam is from Bangladesh and has been working in Singapore for 10 years in the construction sector. Outside of work, he spends his time running a social group, which aims to educate, assist and engage migrant brothers. Skylar Yap is a Singaporean artist/poet/friendly neighbourhood rat who dabbles in every medium she can get her hands on. Her works have been featured in various anthologies and projects since 2020.

While the climate crisis affects Singaporeans and migrants alike, we may be affected differently because of our positionality. What is the writer’s role in talking about the climate? How do we wade through climate grief to write ourselves into a greener future? Esther Vincent and Laila Tadile chat with Payal Morankar about the intersection between literature and the climate. This episode is part of Bridging Worlds Through Words, a podcast which takes a look at writing and its intersections. Do categories describe or define the work? Similarly, what defines a “migrant” or “local” in Singapore, and how distinct are these identities, really? Join our writers as they search for common ground through literature. Bridging Worlds Through Words is presented by Migrant Writers of Singapore and supported by Sing Lit Station and The Majurity Trust. Visit migrantwriters.sg/podcast for more episodes, behind the scenes content, biographies of our speakers and creative team, or to share your feedback! CREDITS Interviewees: Esther Vincent Xueming and Laila Tadile Host: Payal Morankar Sound Design: Jay Ong ABOUT Esther Vincent Xueming is the author of Red Earth (Blue Cactus Press), an ecofeminist collection of poetry, and editor-in-chief and founder of The Tiger Moth Review, an independent eco journal of art and literature based in Singapore. Jay Ong has organised various events with Migrant Writers of Singapore, such as the inaugural Migrant Literature Festival in 2020 and kickstarting the “Open Borders” series. He is also a freelance composer and sound designer. Laila Tadile was born and raised in Ilocos Sur, Philippines. She has lived in Singapore since 2009, and started writing in November 2022 when she joined a poetry workshop at Sing Lit Station. Payal Morankar returned to her first love of writing after a stint in finance. She is a freelance business writer as well as a creative writer, Bharatanatyam dancer, and avid Himalayan trekker.

How do writers overcome adversity, and deal with difference in our work? How do we respectfully include diverse perspectives and voices onto our platforms? Ayu Candi Sari and Karisa Poedjirahardjo chat with Jenelyn Leyble about diversity in literature and the literary scene. This episode is part of Bridging Worlds Through Words, a podcast which takes a look at writing and its intersections. Do categories describe or define the work? Similarly, what defines a “migrant” or “local” in Singapore, and how distinct are these identities, really? Join our writers as they search for common ground through literature. Bridging Worlds Through Words is presented by Migrant Writers of Singapore and supported by Sing Lit Station and The Majurity Trust. Visit migrantwriters.sg/podcast for more episodes, behind the scenes content, biographies of our speakers and creative team, or to share your feedback! CREDITS Interviewees: Ayu Candi Sari and Karisa Poedjirahardjo Host: Jenelyn Leyble Sound design: Jay Ong ABOUT Ayu Candi Sari is from Solo, Central Java-Indonesia. She has been working in Singapore as a domestic worker for 16 years. She volunteers both offline and online with migrant communities. Jay Ong has organised various events with Migrant Writers of Singapore, such as the inaugural Migrant Literature Festival in 2020 and kickstarting the “Open Borders” series. He is also a freelance composer and sound designer. Jenelyn Leyble is a 32-year-old domestic worker in Singapore. She is one of the volunteer members of the Migrant writers of Singapore, and the moderator of its community page Arts in Me. In 2022, her poem was shortlisted for the Journey by Lorry Online Arts Competition for Migrants. Karisa Poedjirahardjo was birthed by Indonesians, lives among Singaporeans, and raised by open-mics. She manages community programmes at Sing Lit Station.

What does it mean to compose in the visual and literary realm? Can we look towards art to shape language? Can language expand the possibilities of a portrait? Multi-hyphenated artists Ellen Lavilla and Marc Nair chat with Sonia Serrenade about the intersections between the literary and visual arts. This episode is part of Bridging Worlds Through Words, a podcast which takes a look at writing and its intersections. Do categories describe or define the work? Similarly, what defines a “migrant” or “local” in Singapore, and how distinct are these identities, really? Join our writers as they search for common ground through literature. Bridging Worlds Through Words is presented by Migrant Writers of Singapore and supported by Sing Lit Station and The Majurity Trust. Visit migrantwriters.sg/podcast for more episodes, behind the scenes content, biographies of our speakers and creative team, or to share your feedback! CREDITS Interviewees: Ellen Lavilla and Marc Nair Host: Sonia Serrenade Sound design: Jay Ong ABOUT Ellen Lavilla is from Iloilo, Philippines. She is a domestic worker in Singapore, and a member of Migrant Writers of Singapore. When not writing she is most likely to be found wandering through nature photographing weeds, flowers and insects in the park. Jay Ong has organised various events with Migrant Writers of Singapore, such as the inaugural Migrant Literature Festival in 2020 and kickstarting the “Open Borders” series. He is also a freelance composer and sound designer. Marc Nair has been, at various points in his life, a teacher, photographer, scriptwriter, voice-over talent, performance poet and cat slave. He has published ten collections of poetry and is a recipient of the 2016 Young Artist Award. Sonia Serrenade is from Indonesia and has been working in Singapore for 12 years. She volunteers at Aidha and Migrant Writers of Singapore as a moderator of Arts In Me.

How can we use literature and the arts as tools for healing? What role can storytelling play in dispelling taboos about mental health, and building resilience in the face of hardship? Wayne Rée, Nurjannah Suhaimi, and Julie Ann Tabigne chat with Mazharul Abedin about how literature converges with the many facets of mental health. This episode is part of Bridging Worlds Through Words, a podcast which takes a look at writing and its intersections. Do categories describe or define the work? Similarly, what defines a “migrant” or “local” in Singapore, and how distinct are these identities, really? Join our writers as they search for common ground through literature. Bridging Worlds Through Words is presented by ⁠Migrant Writers of Singapore⁠ and supported by ⁠Sing Lit Station⁠ and ⁠The Majurity Trust⁠. Visit migrantwriters.sg/podcast for more episodes, behind the scenes content, biographies of our speakers and creative team, or to share your feedback! CREDITS Interviewees: Julie Ann Tabigne, Nurjannah Suhaimi, and Wayne Rée Host: Mazharul Abedin Sound design: Jay Ong ABOUT Akm Mazharul Abedin is a recitation artist and theatre artist. He has been in Singapore since 2009, working as a mechanical coordinator at a petrochemical refinery. In 2018, he started the Kahan Recitation Practice Centre with others who love recitation. Jay Ong has organised various events with Migrant Writers of Singapore, such as the inaugural Migrant Literature Festival in 2020 and kickstarting the “Open Borders” series. He is also a freelance composer and sound designer. Julie Ann Tabigne is a mother, a team leader and one of the volunteers of Migrant Writers of Singapore, and she loves hosting. Her poem “Break Free” was one of the winners of the “Words Heal the Mind” poetry competition. Nurjannah Suhaimi is a designer based in Singapore. She is a visual communications graduate from Nanyang Technological University, the School of Art, Design, and Media. Wayne Rée is the co-creator of the prose/comics mash-up, Work-Life Balance, and the comic, Worlds Apart: A Conversation About Mental Health. He wrote the text-based game, Internal Damnation, and co-created the award-winning audio series, Ghost Maps.