Stories About Stories ... with Simon Vincent
As a journalist, Simon Vincent has told various stories of life in Singapore; but in his book, The Naysayer’s Book Club, he gets 26 Singaporeans to tell their own stories of their lives in Singapore.
The book gives insights into these Singaporeans, who come from all walks of life, such as playwright Tan Tarn How, conservationist Claire Leow, feminist advocate Margaret Thomas, academic Cherian George, independent journalist Kirsten Han, sociologist Chua Beng Huat, community worker Vanessa Ho, inter-faith champion Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib and many, many more.
Bound by the unifying theme of their love of books, The Naysayer's Book Club casts light on these people who have, in their time, dared to be different and speak out on topics that engage and challenge public opinion.
Here, Simon reveals what went into writing the book.
Q: Why did you decide to write this book and feature these “naysayers”?
I was wondering what an interview series focusing on people’s ideas and imagination would look like. And I was drawn to this image of the bookcase as a backdrop for this. It seemed sensible to highlight those who have challenged the status quo because they have shared the most daring and exciting visions of Singapore. That’s when it all clicked and I decided this book was worth writing.
These naysayers were interviewed because they have pushed new points of discussion into the public’s eye. I wanted them to reflect the diversity of alternative voices here.
Q: What was the most challenging thing about putting this book together?
The most challenging thing was probably getting the right mix of people to reflect that diversity. There was no exact formula for this, except to ensure that each person, through their experience and expertise, brought something different to the book. I made sure as well to show how some naysayers’ work linked with others ... (they) were largely forthcoming and happy to share their experiences, even personal stories.
Q: Who was the most interesting person you spoke to and why?
Because I’m a journalist, I was drawn to Tan Tan How’s story of probing the boundaries of what can and cannot be said in Singapore ... through his plays or his journalism, he never offers easy answers.
Unlike the other interviewees, Chua Beng Huat, didn’t name any favourite books. He is not sentimental about them. And it made me rethink how precious I can sometimes be about books. I have since decided that I’m going to highlight and mark them whenever necessary for future reference. Thum Ping Tjin has a shelf full of titles on Singapore. And I thought it would be good to start one, too, for research purposes. I’m going to do it slowly so I don’t splurge my savings.
Q: What would you like the reader to take away from this book?
That we can all be naysayers. The people in this book might be public faces, but they have concerns that would be familiar to most people, like weighing the costs and benefits of going against the grain in one’s job. The important thing is to start thinking about the terms of naysaying here. Businesses and innovators seem to be given the benefit of the doubt because they can be disruptors in a competitive global economy. Naysaying shouldn’t be consigned to an exclusive club and this book is an invitation to one and all to reimagine Singapore.
Get The Naysayer's Book Club here.
(Photos by Foo Chuan Wei & Joanne Goh)