The modern reading experience favours snappy posts over extended literature. Whether it is the speed of contemporary life or our changing preferences in technology, screens dominate pages during peak hour and late into the night. Nevertheless, with the NUS Arts Festival fast approaching, there’s an opportunity to open up to new experiences and we asked the Director of the Singapore Writer’s Festival for her advice on how to embrace literature; where to start and how to be open to challenging literary concepts.

How has your definition of literature changed in recent years/decades?

I don’t know if it’s really changed to be honest. Reading has always been a respite for me and a safe place I can retreat to. I think it was only in my work with literary events, organisations and spaces that I realised that my notions of what was literary was not necessarily widely accepted. I believe my favourite songs and rappers to be poems and poets and for a lot of people literature can only happen in books. To me, literature is a wide cast medium that we consume much more aggressively than we believe.

Where should readers start if they haven’t picked up a novel in a long time?

Go to a bookstore, pick a story that excites you, intrigues you, speaks to you. Don’t pay attention to what people say you should read, start anywhere your heart takes you. There’s a story out there for everyone.

…And for the people who want to jump in at the deep end?

Read a Marlon James novel. And commit to finishing it!

Is there a benefit to focusing on local writers?

Yes. We must be able to see ourselves in stories and define ourselves for ourselves. The alternative is to be content with someone else defining us.

Lastly, some say that profoundly affective experiences are more likely to arise from challenging experiences. Does this apply to reading? Where should people seek their next challenge?

I do think reading out of your comfort zone is good. Reading about people not like you is interesting and a way to experience the world and worldviews without having to leave your chair. So yes, read a book you wouldn’t normally pick up, try a new genre, set yourself a goal and go forth and explore!

Pooja Nansi will be part of Critical Conversations: Pages and Perspectives at the NUS Arts Festival 2020. The event will be held on 29 January at NUS Museum. The event is free with registration.