Book review: Catalan writer Irene Sola's newest novel is a perpetual stew of bewitching prose
I Gave You Eyes And You Looked Toward Darkness
By Irene Sola, translated by Mara Faye Lethem
Fiction/Granta Books/Hardcover/176 pages/$30.66
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an hour ago
- Straits Times
Conversational games, pitch zone and lifestyle market among highlights at SG Youth Forum 2025
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE – What are acceptable pathways of success in Singapore? For Ms Clarice Song, 37, there is no fixed route. It should be shaped through exploration and fun, said Ms Song, co-founder of the youth organisation Bold At Work, adding: 'There are not enough conversations about how one can pursue alternate pathways in Singapore.' Hoping to encourage more of such conversations, Ms Song and her team created That's How We Roll!, a tactile game which encourages players to explore their own narratives of success and what it means to them. Inspired by the principles of design thinking and the storytelling elements of the game Dungeon & Dragons, the game encourages players to take charge of their life's narratives. The game is one of many youth-centred resources that will be showcased at the SG Youth Forum 2025 on Sept 6, where 30 organisations will be setting up booths. (From left) Bold At Work co-founders Clarice Song and Hong Ruoyi, project coordinator Jocelyn Teo, and intern Siti Al' Mira demonstrating how That's How We Roll! is played. Players are posed an open-ended question. They then roll the dice, and weave the dice symbols into their response, prompting reflection on how they might shape their own journey in life. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN Organised by National Youth Council (NYC) Singapore, the forum will be held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre and feature a variety of activities such as a dialogue, pitch zone, and workshops. The forum will spotlight the sentiments gathered from youth through various engagement sessions since November 2024 under the SG Youth Plan. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP 2026 to be held at National Stadium to accommodate more Singaporeans Singapore Girl, 14, among 3 injured after minibus falls into Bukit Panjang canal Singapore Man to be charged after allegedly slashing another man with Swiss knife at City Plaza Singapore What led to Changi Airport runway incident involving 2 China Eastern Airlines planes in Aug 2024 Singapore FairPrice apologises after worm found in salmon bought from Bedok North outlet Singapore Married man who offered cash to 12-year-old girl for sexual acts gets 19 months' jail Singapore Recruits on Pulau Tekong to get six hours of drone training as part of new programme Also taking a booth is the Inter-University Network (IUN), which represents undergraduates from five autonomous universities in Singapore. It will be presenting their survey findings on how youths are redefining success. IUN president Edison Ng, 24, said forum participants 'can expect to be challenged, in terms of reflecting on the goals they have in life and how these goals came about'. 'Ultimately, we hope to send the message that there is not one definition of success, and youths should be free to chase whatever they want to do,' he added. Friendzone, a social organisation whose mission is to connect communities and youths through conversations, will invite visitors to a game of Sometimes Life Sucks and Sometimes Life's Good conversational poker at its booth. The poker cards contain tough conversation starters, such as 'share a memorable or relatable quote/lyric that inspires you', designed to spark meaningful conversation and deepen social connection. Sometimes Life Sucks and Sometimes Life's Good conversational poker cards by Friendzone. PHOTO: FRIENDZONE The cards are among the ways Friendzone co-founder Tham Jun Han, 32, hopes the social organisation can help cultivate a kampung spirit in neighbourhoods. 'Friendzone was inspired by our time living in NUS student residences, which had a very strong sense of community,' he said. The forum will be attended by Mr David Neo, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Ms Goh Hanyan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth. Mr Neo will take part in a dialogue discussing how youth can be more involved in shaping Singapore's future. At the forum's project pitch zone, 20 youth-led initiatives will be given the platform to showcase their ideas to attendees, who can then vote for projects that resonate with them to receive up to $2,000 in funding. Among the other activities are a free colour analysis demo station by image consultants, a youth-led lifestyle market, and live panels hosted by Singaporean content creators such as The Hop Pod, Charlene Chew and James Reiner.
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
The Projector cinema closure exposes harsh reality of Singapore's leisure industry
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Film buff Adora Tan, 28, reminiscing her movie experiences at The Projector on Aug 19. She visited the cinema upon receiving news of its closure. SINGAPORE – It is heartbreaking. From its founding in 2014, I have reported on indie cinema The Projector. Its sudden closure on Aug 19, with no warning, proves one more rule about the leisure business in Singapore: Hipster credibility is not enough. The loss of the cinema at Golden Mile Tower does not just mean the loss of a screening venue. It is also the loss of a cultural hub that brought musicians, deejays, comedians and performers of every stripe closer to audiences. Through its film festivals and other events, it championed causes, from LGBTQ+ to European film to various charities. It is the loss of a venue that tried to make cinema-going a full night out, complete with a compelling food selection, live music and a bar, with the menu often matched to the films. Over its 11-year history, The Projector became a brand synonymous with these qualities: cosmopolitan, tasteful, eclectic, cool. As it turns out, being cool in Singapore – whether the business is noodles, doughnuts, fashion or film screenings – is no guarantee of long-term success. Such is the brutal reality of the leisure industry in Singapore. Being cool or hip means being in a niche. A sign announcing its closure is seen at The Projector on Aug 19. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Having a mainstream audience is tough enough. In the past few years, veteran cinema operators like Filmgarde and Eng Wah have exited the business. Cathay Cineplexes has closed outlets in West Mall, Jem, AMK Hub and others as it tries to pay debts, despite having access to the same blockbusters made available to the industry's biggest players, Golden Village and Shaw. What is interesting about The Projector's immediate closure on Aug 19 – the same day that it announced it was closing – is how sudden and unexpected it was. Film distributors I spoke to had no idea, and were told only hours before the media statement was sent at noon on Aug 19. Like me, they had believed that the cinema's loyal core of supporters – many of whom donated money to help it ride out the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions – would keep the place financially stable for years to come. The underside of a seat in The Projector's cinema hall on Aug 19, bearing the title of the 2005 film Good Night, And Good Luck, which takes on new meaning after the indie cinema announced its sudden closure. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG The only iceberg on the horizon was the en-bloc sale of its birthplace and current home, Golden Mile Tower. But as the most recent sale talks had ended without a deal, everything looked fine – for a few more months at least. But as many Gen Z hawkers have found out, social media buzz can take you only so far. For now, all that remains is to tie loose ends. Membership cardholders will have to wait for liquidators to be appointed before refunds can be processed. There will also be a meeting for the creditors on Aug 29, according to a notice published in the Government Gazette on Aug 19. As for alternatives, festival and art-house film distributors say they will work with Golden Village and Shaw. The big players are less risk-averse than The Projector – an award-winning three-hour study of depression might be a financial risk that mainstream cinema chains are not willing to take – but there is wiggle room. And where there is room to negotiate, there is hope.
Straits Times
7 hours ago
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300-year-old violin to star at UK music festival
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox LONDON – One of the most valuable violins in the world, crafted three centuries ago and once owned by composer Niccolo Paganini, is to be played at a top UK classical music festival. The violin, known as the Carrodus, is one of only around 150 made by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu known to have survived down the centuries, and was acquired by a philanthropic group for US$20 million (S$25.7 million) in June. It was crafted in 1743 in Cremonia, northern Italy, and will be played for the first time as part of the BBC Proms by South Korean violinist Inmo Yang. The violin once owned by Italian virtuoso Paganini will be seen on Aug 28 at London's Royal Albert Hall. 'I can't believe how lucky I am to have this instrument. This is easily one of the greatest instruments ever made,' Yang, who is also making his debut at the Proms, told AFP. 'I feel a duty to take good care of the instrument and make a beautiful sound, so that people know that it's worth playing these instruments rather than having them in a vault in a museum.' The Stretton Society, a network of philanthropists, patrons and sponsors that has loaned the violin to Yang, seeks to acquire rare and valuable instruments to lend to the world's leading musicians. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP 2026 to be held at National Stadium to accommodate more Singaporeans Singapore What led to Changi Airport runway incident involving 2 China Eastern Airlines planes in Aug 2024 Singapore FairPrice apologises after woman finds worm in salmon bought from Bedok North outlet Singapore Girl, 14, among 3 injured after minibus falls into Bukit Panjang monsoon drain Singapore CPIB nabs 9 suspects for alleged match-fixing in national basketball league Singapore Live Singapore-raised seafood on sale at 3 Giant supermarkets from Aug 19 Singapore How we can beat the heat in Singapore Guarneri was one of the most important violin makers of all time, alongside Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari, said the society's co-founder Stephan Jansen. Whereas Stradivari made instruments for the Church and the nobility, Guarneri's violins were made for musicians, and they became renowned for their deep and sonorous tones, Mr Jansen said. 'Inmo is one of the finest musicians of his generation,' Mr Jansen told AFP. 'When he came to my house and I showed him the fiddle, it was clear from the very first second that this is a match,' he said. 'Because in the end, it's also about chemistry, you know?' Yang will perform Pablo de Sarasate's 'Carmen Fantasy', which he described as 'a virtuoso piece for the violin'. The broad palette of the violin adds the 'strong, at times flirty character of the Carmen character', said Yang. The instrument's sound is also 'quite unpredictable', he said, and 'this kind of capricious nature really gives more liveliness to the piece'. 'Thinking that Paganini used this instrument is kind of spiritual, and I think people also want to hear Paganini's music played on his own violin,' Yang added. AFP
