Purveyors of words might be surprised to find art at the upcoming Singapore Book Fair, but comic book artists and other art books will be there, making a splash in an affair that has typically been more about the written word.
This year’s Singapore Book Fair is a departure from the norm in including graphic novels and comic book art. Last year, the theme for the festival included Confucius, and visitors dressed in traditional Chinese garb and recited poetry in Chinese, guided by a teacher. This year is different in that organizers for the event wanted it to be more inclusive and attractive to a broader base of participants. While the wealth of books available will still be there, there will be different literary genres that could attract new visitors in the form of comic books and graphic novels. The theme of this year’s Singapore Book Fair is reflective that we all take on different lives and experiences when we immerse ourselves in books, and organizers hope to seize this idea, showing even people who might not like reading very much that there is truly a book for everyone somewhere out there. Books in both English and Chinese will be available to purchase at this event, which is free to attend.
That’s where the comic books come in to play. Along with other media personalities, writers, and literary speakers, comic artists will be on hand to talk about their craft in a series of symposiums and discussions. An association for comic artists in Singapore will also be on hand to distribute — for free — copies of their latest graphic novel, a tome about a girl who solves the mysteries behind her own nightmares.
The Singapore Book Fair will also be the place for several important new book launches, including several by the media group in charge of organizing the event, as well as a children’s book. There will be much more than books and talks at the fair, as well. Those who attend the event can enjoy such activities as making soap, sewing, printing, and coloring workshops, again bringing the theme of art back into play. There will also be food and drinks available for the duration of the Singapore Book Fair.
If you’ve always been more interested in the art of books rather than visual art as a whole, there are a number of art classes you can try to pique your creative interests. Investigate the wealth of art classes on hand by directing your browser to SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com is a website that organizes art class offerings for an easy and convenient way to browse dozens at once. You can take a 3-D sculpture art class and work one-on-one with an expert teacher on crafting pieces of art from books. You could also enroll in a comic art class and try your hand at making a graphic novel of your own.
To read more about the Singapore Book Fair, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-book-fair-in-june-to-feature-comic-artists-media-personalities.