Ng Yi-Sheng
Encyclopedia
Ng Yi-Sheng is a Singapore
an gay writer
. He has published a collection of his poems entitled "last boy" and a documentary book on gay, lesbian and bisexual Singaporeans called SQ21: Singapore Queers in the 21st Century in 2006.
. He graduated from Columbia University
, USA, where he majored in Comparative Literature and Writing. His writing teachers at Columbia University included Louise Rose, Steve Austin, Paul Violi and Timothy Donnelly.
Through the initiative of the Creative Arts Programme, he underwent mentorship schemes with the poets Lee Tzu Pheng
and Angeline Yap, as well as worked on playwriting under Theatrework's Greenhouse Project and The Necessary Stage's Playwright's Cove.
Poetry Competition, and in 2003, fared similarly at the Writers' Week Poetry Slam.
His performed plays include "Serve' (The Ordinary Theatre), "Snake" (Stage Right), "Redhill Blues" (Creative Arts Alumni Programme, Republic Polytechnic
), "Hungry" (Theatreworks, Singapore Polytechnic
, Anderson Secondary School
and International Islamic University
, Malaysia). One of his plays formed the core of "Poetic Licence", a performance poetry production by STAGES presented in 2002 and 2005.
In August 2006, he published a collection of gay, lesbian and bisexual Singaporeans' coming out stories, "SQ21: Singapore Queers in the 21st Century". In October 2006, he published his first collection of poetry, "Last Boy".
In 2007, Ng completed his work on "251
", a play about the life of Singaporean porn star Annabel Chong
and "Georgette", a musical about the artist Georgette Chen
.
He delivered a lecture on Western gay history during IndigNation 2006, Singapore's second gay pride season.
He continues to perform his poetry at various events, namely at his book launches, at literary events and at charity functions in support of arts venues such as The Substation.
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 gay writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He has published a collection of his poems entitled "last boy" and a documentary book on gay, lesbian and bisexual Singaporeans called SQ21: Singapore Queers in the 21st Century in 2006.
Early life and education
Ng lived in Hong Kong with his parents for three years during his childhood. On his return to Singapore, he attended the Anglo-Chinese SchoolAnglo-Chinese School
The Anglo-Chinese School ; is a family of Methodist schools in Singapore, and Indonesia.The name is usually abbreviated as "ACS", with the junior college as "ACJC", and its students and alumni referred to as "ACSians" , or "ACS boys" .ACS was the first school...
. He graduated from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, USA, where he majored in Comparative Literature and Writing. His writing teachers at Columbia University included Louise Rose, Steve Austin, Paul Violi and Timothy Donnelly.
Through the initiative of the Creative Arts Programme, he underwent mentorship schemes with the poets Lee Tzu Pheng
Lee Tzu Pheng
Lee Tzu Pheng was born and educated in Singapore. She has a Ph.D in English from the National University of Singapore from where she has recently retired as a Senior Lecturer in its English Department...
and Angeline Yap, as well as worked on playwriting under Theatrework's Greenhouse Project and The Necessary Stage's Playwright's Cove.
Publications
His poems have been published in the poetry anthologies "First Words", "onewinged", "No Other City" and "Love Gathers All", as well as journals "the2ndRule", "QRLS", "Softblow", "Quarto", "Asian Journal" and "Queer". In 1998, he won first prize in the NUSNUS
NUS may refer to:* Nu Skin Enterprises* Neglected and Underutilized Species, or Neglected and Underutilized Crops* National Union of Students * National Union of Students * National Union of Students...
Poetry Competition, and in 2003, fared similarly at the Writers' Week Poetry Slam.
His performed plays include "Serve' (The Ordinary Theatre), "Snake" (Stage Right), "Redhill Blues" (Creative Arts Alumni Programme, Republic Polytechnic
Republic Polytechnic
Republic Polytechnic , commonly abbreviated to RP, is a tertiary institution located in Singapore. It was the first school system in Singapore to use Problem-based learning pedagogy for all its diplomas....
), "Hungry" (Theatreworks, Singapore Polytechnic
Singapore Polytechnic
Singapore Polytechnic , the first polytechnic established in Singapore, was founded in 1954. The former campus was originally located at Prince Edward Road...
, Anderson Secondary School
Anderson Secondary School
Anderson Secondary School is a co-educational government school in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, covering Secondary 1 to Secondary 5 . It became an autonomous school in 1994 and was one of the pioneer autonomous schools in Singapore.-History:...
and International Islamic University
International Islamic University
International Islamic University may refer to:*The International Islamic University Malaysia *The International Islamic University, Islamabad *The International Islamic University, Chittagong...
, Malaysia). One of his plays formed the core of "Poetic Licence", a performance poetry production by STAGES presented in 2002 and 2005.
In August 2006, he published a collection of gay, lesbian and bisexual Singaporeans' coming out stories, "SQ21: Singapore Queers in the 21st Century". In October 2006, he published his first collection of poetry, "Last Boy".
In 2007, Ng completed his work on "251
251
Year 251 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Traianus and Etruscus...
", a play about the life of Singaporean porn star Annabel Chong
Annabel Chong
Grace Quek , better known by her stage name Annabel Chong, is a former pornographic actress now living in the United States. On 19 January 1995, at the age of 22, she became famous by engaging in 251 sex acts with about 70 men over a ten-hour period, setting a world record, with the resulting...
and "Georgette", a musical about the artist Georgette Chen
Georgette Chen
Georgette Chen, born Chang Li Ying is a Singapore painter known for her Post-Impressionistic styled oil paintings at the turn of the 20th-century. She was a forerunner of the visual arts in Singapore, who contributed to the birth of the Nanyang art style in Singapore.Chen was born the fourth of 12...
.
Performances
Ng also regards himself as a performance artist, in addition to being a writer. He performed slam poetry pieces for ContraDiction, Singapore's first gay poetry reading event held in 2005, and was a co-organiser and performer in its sequel, ContraDiction 2, in 2006.He delivered a lecture on Western gay history during IndigNation 2006, Singapore's second gay pride season.
He continues to perform his poetry at various events, namely at his book launches, at literary events and at charity functions in support of arts venues such as The Substation.
External links
- Ng Yi-Sheng's careerblog
- Interview with Ng on the Singaporean arts website "we live in a strange world"
- Video of IndigNation lecture
- Videos by Brian Gothong Tan of 2 of Ng's poems: kami/kaze: a correspondence and Virgo.