Aaron Lee
Encyclopedia
Aaron Lee Soon Yong is a Singapore
an prize-winning poet who writes in English.
Aaron began writing poetry during his days at Raffles Institution, a secondary school in Singapore where he befriended other students who would also eventually go on to become published Singaporean writers. By 1990, he had, along with other ex-school mates, Jonathan Kuan Wei Han, Tong Jo Tze, Alvin Pang and Jeffrey Lim, interested a Singapore publisher, VJ Times, in the publication of an anthology of poems contributed by the five writers. This collection, "In Search of Words", was published in 1991.
Lee's first collection of poems, A Visitation of Sunlight, was named one of the best books of 1997 by The Straits Times
. The collection was well received and played a part in a late 1990s resurgence of interest in Singapore poetry centred around a new generation of Singapore poets.
In 1999 the title poem of his book was selected for the National Arts Council
’s "Poems on the Move" programme, a national initiative to bring poetry to the masses on public transport.
Lee’s work has been anthologised in such publications as Rhythms: a Millennial Anthology of Poetry (Singapore), the New Straits Times
(Malaysia), Anglistik (Germany), and Fifty on 50 (Singapore).
Lee is the co-editor of No Other City: the Ethos Anthology of Urban Poetry and Love Gathers All: the Philippines- Singapore Anthology of Love Poetry (for which the editors were given an award by the Singapore International Foundation
). He has given talks and readings in Malaysia, Germany, the US, the Philippines and Australia.
In 2007, Lee released his second, long awaited poetry collection, "Five Right Angles". The book went on to become a finalist in the Singapore Literature Prize awards 2008.
He is active in the literary scene in mentoring young poets and conducting school workshops and seminars on creative writing. He is married to an artist and educationist, Namiko Chan
. He is a Christian, and his work displays a range of Christian themes and imagery.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an prize-winning poet who writes in English.
Aaron began writing poetry during his days at Raffles Institution, a secondary school in Singapore where he befriended other students who would also eventually go on to become published Singaporean writers. By 1990, he had, along with other ex-school mates, Jonathan Kuan Wei Han, Tong Jo Tze, Alvin Pang and Jeffrey Lim, interested a Singapore publisher, VJ Times, in the publication of an anthology of poems contributed by the five writers. This collection, "In Search of Words", was published in 1991.
Lee's first collection of poems, A Visitation of Sunlight, was named one of the best books of 1997 by The Straits Times
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
. The collection was well received and played a part in a late 1990s resurgence of interest in Singapore poetry centred around a new generation of Singapore poets.
In 1999 the title poem of his book was selected for the National Arts Council
National Arts Council Singapore
The National Arts Council of Singapore was established in September 1991 "to nurture the arts and make it an integral part of life in Singapore.-History :...
’s "Poems on the Move" programme, a national initiative to bring poetry to the masses on public transport.
Lee’s work has been anthologised in such publications as Rhythms: a Millennial Anthology of Poetry (Singapore), the New Straits Times
New Straits Times
The New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print , having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English...
(Malaysia), Anglistik (Germany), and Fifty on 50 (Singapore).
Lee is the co-editor of No Other City: the Ethos Anthology of Urban Poetry and Love Gathers All: the Philippines- Singapore Anthology of Love Poetry (for which the editors were given an award by the Singapore International Foundation
Singapore International Foundation
The Singapore International Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to build a better world through shared ideas, skills and experiences, so as to uplift lives and create greater understanding between Singaporeans and world communities....
). He has given talks and readings in Malaysia, Germany, the US, the Philippines and Australia.
In 2007, Lee released his second, long awaited poetry collection, "Five Right Angles". The book went on to become a finalist in the Singapore Literature Prize awards 2008.
He is active in the literary scene in mentoring young poets and conducting school workshops and seminars on creative writing. He is married to an artist and educationist, Namiko Chan
Namiko Chan
Namiko Chan Takahashi is a multidisciplinary Singaporean artist.Born in 1975 to a Peranakan father and a Japanese mother, Namiko found her strong inclination in painting and drawing since the age of four. It was clear to her that painting was her calling in life...
. He is a Christian, and his work displays a range of Christian themes and imagery.