Reconfiguration and representation in the literary landscape: Chinese-language literary production in Singapore

ABSTRACT

This article is a case study of the production of Chinese-language literature in Singapore, with reference to the nation’s literary demography, to show how it is being reconfigured in the Chinese diaspora. It argues that the Chinese literary tradition can be studied by appropriating ideas from world literature and Sinophone literature for a better understanding of positioning of writers and their works. Empirically the article provides a sociological perspective on award-winning books and major magazines. It defines Singapore’s current literary demography as comprising three groups within the Chinese diaspora: Singapore Chinese who have sunk roots locally over generations; ethnic Chinese who moved from Malaysia; and Chinese immigrants who arrived recently from China. It suggests that within national boundaries, the locally born Singaporean Chinese writers have acquired the greatest local resources and recognition, while their counterparts from Malaysia and mainland China have made a significant impact with less-than-substantial material benefits.

KEYWORDS:

• Chinese diaspora
• Singapore
• Chinese-language literature
• Sinophone
• world literature demography
• migrants

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. This article is extended from my chapter in Chinese (You [Yow Cheun Hoe] 2020) in a volume on Chinese culture in the global context. The data has now been substantially extended and updated while the thesis and argument have been aligned with the theme of this Special Issue. Thanks to comments by the two anonymous reviewers, the presentation of ideas and findings has been revised.

2. Thanks to Jonathan Hart for his comments and suggestions in this section.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cheun Hoe Yow

Cheun Hoe Yow is associate professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he is director of the Chinese Heritage Centre and was the head of the Chinese Program (July 2016 to March 2022). He is chief editor for Huaren Yanjiu Guoji Xuebao (International journal of diasporic Chinese studies) and book reviews editor for Journal of Chinese Overseas. His books include Xinjiapo yu Zhongguo xin yimin: rongru de jingyu (New Chinese migrants in Singapore: A question of citizenship) (2021); and Singapore Comparative Literature Compendium (2021). His articles have appeared in the Journal of Contemporary China, Modern Asian Studies, and Asian Ethnicity.