30 May (Sun) Sessions • Reignite

9:00am – 10:00am PANEL Why I Write About Diversity

Comments Kat Cho, Kristyn Maslog-Levis // Moderator: Daphne Lee Mei Lin Diversity and Representation are key words currently permeating the literary industry, with more writers and publishers aware of the need for books and content that reflect the different aspects and facets of the world we live in. In this session, hear from our speakers as they discuss the push for diverse writing and books in their own countries, and what are their hopes for the future of literature for young people. There will be a live Q&A segment during this session. This programme is supported by the U.S. Embassy Singapore.

9:30am – 11:00am TALK 与孫心瑜谈绘本的艺术性 The Art of Picture Books with Sun Hsin-Yu

Comments 孙心瑜 Sun Hsin-Yu // Moderator: Quek Hong Shin Exclamation-circle This session will be conducted in Chinese Bologna Ragazzi Award 的插画家孫心瑜和你有约。她将分享作为一名插画家的旅程，以及在其 书籍中使用的不同创作手法。她也将讨论所参与的多个项目，特别是其与国立台湾大学医学院 附设医院的合作 Join Bologna Ragazzi Award illustrator 孙心瑜 (Sun Hsin-Yu) as she shares about her journey as an illustrator and the different creative devices she used in her books. She will also discuss her various bespoke projects especially her collaboration with the National Taiwan University Hospital.

10:30am – 12:00pm WORKSHOP The Future of Reading

Comments Melissa Choo Exclamation-circle This session will be conducted in Chinese, with English subtitles. 家长可以在进行亲子阅读时让孩子通过有趣、好玩的华语绘本，接触丰富的文化和语言。这对 于长期浸泡在英语环境的小朋友尤为重要。思洁目前在公共图书馆担任中文书籍的图书馆员 以及选购员。她将介绍高素质的华文书籍给家长，还会分享一些选书和进行亲子共读时的建 议。家长可以参考这些建议，并开启和孩子的阅读之旅。

Reading fun books in mother tongue language allow parents to introduce children to their culture and language at a young age. Speaker Melissa Choo shares why this is important in a predominantly English-language environment. Melissa, whose job encompasses choosing Chinese language book titles for public libraries in Singapore, will introduce must-read Chinese children’s collections and share practical tips in choosing fun Chinese books for parents and children to kick start their reading journey together in this online workshop.

11:00am – 12:00pm PANEL Creating Narratives Through Comics

Comments Melanie Lee, Arif Rafhan, Gavin Aung Than // Moderator: Felicia Low In this session, independent comics publisher Difference Engine will be speaking with cartoonists Arif Rafhan and Gavin Aung Than and children’s book writer Melanie Lee about how students can process complex topics with creative materials like creating comics and simple narratives. Educators will learn how to include visual storytelling in their arsenal of teaching tools after this eye-opening session, and parents will be able to cultivate a love for illustration and reading in their children. There will be a live Q&A segment during this session.

12:30pm – 1:30pm PANEL Creating Books For People with Disabilities

Comments Lawrence Schimel, Hidayah Amin // Moderator: Leigh Turina Recent years have seen a greater awareness of people with disabilities and the conversations surrounding accessibility and inclusion. A greater availability of books created for, and depicting people with disabilities has contributed to this. What does it mean to create accessible and inclusive books? Find out in this session as the speakers discuss the importance of having and reading books that promote inclusion and disability awareness. This programme is supported by the U.S. Embassy Singapore.

PANEL Creating Nonfiction Books for Children

Comments Hwee Goh, Scott Riley, Koen Setyawan // Moderator: Ho Lee-Ling (Stephanie) Dive into the realm of nonfiction books and explore more about how these books have engaged the attention of young readers while presenting facts and real-life accounts in informative and appealing ways. Hear from our panel of authors as they share about the creative process and considerations in writing nonfiction books for children, and how they have managed to keep this genre alluring to young readers. There will be a live Q&A segment during this session.

1:30pm – 2:30pm PANEL New Voices from SEA

Comments Joel Donato Ching Jacob, Vu Thuy Ngoc Ha // Moderator: Weng Cahiles Find out more about the new voices in the Southeast Asian children’s literary scene in this panel featuring emerging writers. Hear them share about their journey to becoming a published author. They will also share the challenges of publishing children’s books in their respective countries, and what encouraged them to push on despite the obstacles they faced. You may even be the first to find out about new upcoming books they are working on! There will be a live Q&A segment during this session.

2:00pm – 3:00pm PANEL Connections to Global Issues: How Teacher-Librarians are Supporting the UN SDGs and Beyond

Comments Zakir Hossain, Nadine Bailey, Stojana Popovska // Moderator: Katie Day This session will explore how teacher-librarians in international schools are curating and delivering resources that support the exploration and understanding of global issues, e.g. the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, for students of all ages. The Sustainable Development Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” Are booklists or Libguides the answer? Find out more in this programme!

2:30pm – 3:30pm PANEL தமிழ் ம�ொழியில் குழந்தக்ை ஈடுபடுதத புததகஙக்ைப் பயனபடுததுதல் Using Books to Engage Children in the Tamil Language

Comments Dr Sivakumaran, Suriya Rethnna // Moderator: Vijayanand Thamotharan Exclamation-circle This session will be conducted in Tamil குழந்தகளின திற்�்ய தமிழில் பயிற்றுவிகக ஒனறுககு ம�ற்பட்ட வழிகள் உள்ைன, ம�லும் இநத அ�ர்வுககு உஙகள் பொ்டப்புததகஙக்ை நீஙகள் விலககி ்வககலொம்!இநத ஊ்டொடும் நிகழ்ச்சி உஙக்ை ஒரு மவடிக்கயொன �ற்றும் கல்வி வழியில் ஈடுபடுததும், இது உஙக்ை ஊககுவிககும் �ற்றும் நீஙகள் இருககும் மபொது தமிழ் மீது ஒரு பொரொட்்டத தூண்டும்.நொ்டக உததிகள் �ற்றும் க்த ம�ொல்லல் க்ைப் பயனபடுததுவதன மூலம், தமிழ் �ற்றும் உஙக்ைப் பற்றி ம�லும் கண்்டறியும் மபொது உஙகள் ப்்டப்பொற்றல் �ற்றும் கற்ப்ன்ய வைர்ததுக மகொள்ை இநத திட்டம் உஙக்ை அனு�திககும்.

How has the teaching and learning of Tamil language in Singapore developed over the past years, and how can teachers, parents and writers can inspire in the young a passion for the language? Hear from experts in the field of Tamil language and culture!

4:30pm – 5:30pm PANEL Mental Wellbeing of Children in the Digital Age

Comments Ong Say How, Malvina Kang, Emma Quick // Moderator: Geraldine Teo-Zuzarte In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the mental health and wellness of children. What are the initiatives in place that help children to manage their mental health, and how can children’s books be a vehicle for doing so? Join senior consultant psychiatrist Dr Ong Say How, Hom Yoga founder Malvina Kang and author Emma Quick as they discuss how to develop children’s mental health holistically with books. There will be a live Q&A segment during this session.

LECTURE Joy of Reading: How to Develop Communities of Readers

Comments Teresa Cremin // Moderator: Loh Chin Ee This lecture will focus on the development of engaged communities of readers, particularly young children, who share the joy of reading. The evidence-informed talk will look at how these communities are underpinned by secure subject knowledge (of texts and of readers) and a reading for pleasure pedagogy. Teresa will also discuss how three characteristics – reciprocity, interaction, and strong reader to reader relationships – impact readers’ delight and desire. There will be a live Q&A segment during this session. This lecture is accessible with the festival pass. If you do not possess the festival pass for the day of the lecture, you can purchase and register the ticket separately.

LASALLE GIF + Comic Cover Competition

Image credits from left: Aurelie Charme & Taqiyah Iman Binte Junaidi

GIF Challenge is an annual collaboration between Puttnam School of Film & Animation (LASALLE College of the Arts) and Singapore Book Council. For its second edition, participants may choose to accept EITHER the GIF Challenge OR Comic Cover Challenge. Participants had two days (20th & 21st March) to create either an Animated GIF or a Comic Cover Illustration based on a selection of short texts kindly provided by authors featured at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) 2021. More than 100 entries were received. The winners were determined by an esteemed panel of judges. Prizes such as cameras and art books were generously sponsored by NIKON, APD Singapore and LASALLE College of the Arts. Five winners have been selected for this competition! More details about them will be revealed on our website.