Heterotopia Library, convened by Winnie Li and Chong Lingying during their Community & Education residency at SAM, is a nomadic artistic research station functioning as a temporary satellite of independent art space Jalan Besar Salon (founded by Winnie Li in 2017). It is the second iteration of the Heterotopia series, a curatorial project that explores and evolves through rhizomatic spaces. Inhabited by artist-publisher Chong Lingying, the Heterotopia Library houses her solo and collaborative artworks, publications, and discursive programmes.
During the month-long activation, the Heterotopia Library, taking on a dynamic and adaptable form – will transform and shift via talks and workshops. .
How to Publish a Book Boot Camp
Every Sat in Nov | 2PM–3PM
Free, by registration
Why wait to get published when you have the tools to do it yourself?
Join us for How to Publish a Book Boot Camp, a 5-week series on self-publishing in Singapore.
Throughout the month of November, artist-publisher Chong Lingying will lead lectures, workshops, and one-on-one consultations with participants to guide them through navigating the self-publishing world. The boot camp will go deep into the processes and considerations for publishing a book for the very first time and will take participants through the basic principles of editing, marketing, and distribution. By the end of the five weeks, participants will be well-equipped to develop their own toolkit and process for publishing manuscripts.
Anyone with existing manuscripts and proposals are invited to partake in this boot camp; unconventional content and mediums are welcome!
Schedule
Session 1: Lecture: How to Publish A Book | 4 November 23, 2PM - 3PM
Session 2: Workshop: Create a Publication Proposal | 11 November 23, 2PM - 3PM (Online)
Session 3: Lecture: On Editing | 18 November 23, 2PM - 3PM
Session 4: Workshop: Create a Publication Plan | 25 November 23, 2PM - 3PM
Session 5: Lecture: Marketing and Distribution | 2 December 23, 2PM - 3PM
Participants are strongly encouraged to attend all 5 sessions, which will take place in-person and online. For enquiries and consultations for ad-hoc sessions, please write to [email protected].
Teahouse Talks
Sat, 18 Nov & 2 Dec | 3PM–4.30PM
Free, by registration
Hosted by Chong Lingying, Teahouse Talks is a series of focused informal industry chats with Singapore's publishing professionals – taking place amidst 10,000 Books, the social sculpture built in collaboration with architect Chong Lingxiu which occupies a central position within the Heterotopia Library.
At each session, Lingying and Winnie will invite peers from the literary arts - writers, publishers and readers - to gather and share the space with one another. You can expect a diverse array of books, informal conversations centred on the literary arts, and maybe even gain new perspectives on your projects!
All are welcome to attend!
Schedule
Females in Publishing
Sat, 18 Nov | 3PM - 4PM
This session is dedicated to the women in the Singaporean publishing industry.
Make Your Own Book Workshop
Sat, 18 Nov | 10AM–12PM
Free, by registration
There is no book more meaningful than one handmade!
Everyone can make their own book and enjoy the process of self-discovery and expression.
In this 2-hour interactive workshop, artist-publisher Chong Lingying will take you through the basic techniques of bookmaking, and guide you on the creation of your own personalised handmade book.
The books will be made in one of two simple formats:
- an ABC book for children;
- Book of Days, a versatile calendar, scrapbook and journal for adults
Workshop materials will be provided. We encourage participants to bring their own stationery to personalise their books even further.
All ages are welcome!
Mukbang Reading Camp
Fri, 1 Dec to Sat. 2 Dec | 6PM–6PM
Free, by registration
Walk-ins throughout the date are welcomed
Mukbang Reading Camp was first initiated in 2020 during the COVID-19 "circuit breaker" lockdown as an experiment on how the format of a book club format can morph and evolve on an online platform, mainly hosted through Zoom calls and livestream formats.
Exploring this conceptual framework as part of Chong Lingying and Winnie Li’s Community and Education residency, the Mukbang Reading Camp will take the form of a 24-hour reading marathon at SAM’s residency studios.
From Friday 1 December 6PM to Saturday 2 December 6PM, campers are welcome to participate in-person throughout the day or join the ongoing Zoom session online. Over the course of the 24-hour reading marathon, campers can expect to read together, play games and share stories. In addition, the Mukbang Reading Camp will also coincide with the book launch of 食时事 (Shishishi) and Dirty Thirty alongside a Teahouse Talk session.
To celebrate the end of the Mukbang Reading Camp, there will be a spatial and sound activation Rituals to Books by composer Ng Chor Guan and his collaborators. This will also mark the closing of Heterotopia Library's 2023 run, which will be on a short hiatus until its return in January 2024.
Walk-ins will be welcome throughout the day and participants are drop-in anytime over the course of the 24-hour reading marathon. Advance registration will be required for campers intending to stay overnight.
Schedule
Friday, 1 December
6PM | Open to Public
9PM–10PM | Dirty Thirty Book Launch
Dirty Thirty is a hand-bound, hand-written volume of poetry by Chong Lingying. The late-night book launch will feature poetry readings, drinks, and music.
Saturday, 2 December
1PM–2PM | 食时事 (Shishishi) Book Launch
食时事 (Shishishi) Book Launch invites publishers of all mediums to gather and share their ongoing and past projects - across music, games, books, comics and more.
3PM–4PM | Teahouse Talks: Cross Media Publishing
Hosted by Chong Lingying, Teahouse Talks is a series of focused informal industry chats with Singapore's publishing professionals–taking place amidst 10,000 Books, the social sculpture centrally positioned within the Heterotopia Library. This session invites publishers of all mediums to gather and share their ongoing and past projects - across music, games, books, comics and more.
4.30PM–5.30PM | Rituals to Books
Drawing from the act of reading and listening, the sound activation Rituals to Books taps into the actions and movement of beings and non-beings (unintentional, latent and accidental) in the Heterotopia Library. This participatory performance by composer Ng Chor Guan and his collaborators will extrapolate these movements, amplifying these sonic interpretations as a spatial intervention.