The Literary Trailblazer Pooja Nansi

Vogue Singapore

07-05-2025

One of the most prominent poetic voices in Singapore, there is no shortage of accolades Pooja Nansi has racked up to date.
As the country's inaugural Youth Poet Ambassador; a recipient of the Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in recognition of her contributions to the arts; and the first woman and youngest festival director of the Singapore Writers Festival, Nansi's poetry, performance and cultural leadership is marked by her powerful championship of inclusivity. She currently teaches at Nanyang Technological University and serves as chief publisher at Afterimage Press. AS A CHANGEMAKER, WHAT DRIVES YOU AT YOUR CORE?
A deep impatience with the way things are and an even deeper love for what they could be. I'm driven by not seeing myself—my languages, my body—reflected in the stories around me. I try to make space through whatever I do, first by writing, making or speaking into the silence, then by insisting others come with their own noise too. WHAT IS THE ONE ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE YOU ARE PROUDEST OF, AND WHY?
That two decades on, I'm still here working with poetry and believing in its power to make space for the unruly, tender and in-between things in our neat, disciplined and pragmatic city. Helming the Singapore Writers Festival for five years also stands out as an achievement. For me, that role was always about expanding who felt invited in. Hearing from people, especially those who had never seen themselves in literary spaces, that they finally felt spoken to is the kind of success I care about. HOW HAVE YOU OVERCOME THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN YOUR JOURNEY?
By learning to treat rejection as redirection and doubt as fuel. Also: playlists, poetry, and people who remind me who I am on days I forget. What do you believe is the power of independent artistic and literary spaces when it comes to supporting local writers and extending Singapore's rich literary lineage?
Indie spaces are where the good mess happens. They're less about branding and more about bravery. They let us experiment, fail gloriously and grow sideways—not just upward. That's where new practices and lineages begin: not in perfection, but in possibility. Looking forward, what is one change you want to see in your industry and what can we do to get there?
I want us to stop mistaking access for inclusion. It's not enough to just open the door—you have to change what's being served inside. We get there by shifting power, sharing platforms and making room for discomfort. That's where real change lives.