News and Notes: October 4, 2007

The Plot Thickens at Frankfurt Book Fair 2007

The story may sound familiar, but the plot has changed. This year, the Media Development Authority of Singapore will once again lead a delegation to the world’s biggest book fair — Frankfurt Book Fair — to showcase local writers and publishers at the Singapore Pavilion.

But this year, some new moves are afoot. The delegation of 10 companies will include a newcomer — the National Arts Council. The council aims to look for publishers, literary agents and translators to buy rights, translate and publish Singapore literature and represent Singapore writers. It also hopes to explore opportunities for Singaporean writers to travel overseas and participate in cultural and festival exchanges.

Children’s books will feature prominently among Singapore’s book offerings this year. Nine new children’s titles by previously-unpublished writers include What Sallamah Didn’t Know, Prince Bear and Pauper Bear and Little Naughty Nigel. Making its first-time appearance also is MUGEN, a six-part comic anthology series which features 100 per cent original content by Singapore creators, and published by Singapore’s Chuang Yi Publishing.

These authors and illustrators were all discovered under MDA’s First Time Writers and Illustrators Publishing Initiative. This initiative uncovered writing talent Lee Jin Pyn last year. The rights to her book, The Elephant and The Tree, have been bought by Running Press in the US.

Tales Alive, which will be marketed at MIPCOM in Cannes, France, will be simultaneously marketed at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Commissioned by MDA, Tales Alive transforms nine children’s stories into a nine-episode 2D animated series for worldwide distribution.

To read the full press release, please log on to www.smf.sg

To read archives, please click here.