Discover the Humanities of Sarawak & Embracing Borneo

It doesn’t look like just a warming-up of the mechanism for Sarawak Constellation Poetical Society to start a series of public activities in conjunction with its Golden Celebration, it’s a strong boost!

The Sarawak Constellation Poetical Society is going to hold a Cross-Regional “Discover the Humanities of the Land of Hornbill Academic Dialogue” in the evening on 6th August,2019 (Tuesday) and immediately after that, there will be an “Embracing Borneo: When Taiwan and Sarawak’s literature meet each other” Public Forum scheduled in the evening on 8th August 2019 (Thursday) at the Auditorium of Old Court House, Kuching.

The Academic Dialogue will be exclusive for around 50 invited leaders, representatives of Sarawak academic, literature, cultural, educational organizations, but for the event “Embracing Borneo: When Taiwan and Sarawak’s literature meet each other”, it’s open to the interested public. The Auditorium is good to accommodate 220 audiences.

The Sarawak Constellation Poetical Society has invited 10 prominent novelists, literary writers, scholars and media editors from Taiwan and Japan to Kuching for the above Cross Regional Dialogues and Public Forum.

It’s a strong line-up of overseas guests from different intellectual backgrounds. They have one thing in common: Literature.

Old Court House, Kuching.

They come to experience Kuching, to discover more about our resourceful Borneo.

Sarawak Constellation Poetical Society which was established in 1969 and officially has its registration approved in 1970 is definitely one of the earliest literature organization registered in Malaysia.

In conjunction with the Poetical Society’s 50th anniversary, there is currently a series of public activities in the pipeline for 2019-2020, mainly to cultivate the enthusiasm and passion for literature, art, and culture among the Sarawak Chinese community, especially to inspire the younger generation to get involved.

As a pioneer organization in the sphere of Sarawak Chinese literature, the Sarawak Constellation Poetical Society has among many achievements, is acknowledged as an active and remarkable leader in the development of modern Chinese literature in the land of hornbill. Its mission and vision have never limited to the poetic enthusiasm for Chinese literature, since formation, its scope of activities has covered cultural and educational multifaceted perspectives, including public forums held to raise the social consciousness and sense of Intellectual responsibility, the elements which civil society required.

“Embracing Borneo: When Taiwan and Sarawak’s literature meet each other”, it’s open to the interested public. The Auditorium is good to accommodate 220 audiences.

It is believed that the task of preserving Malaysia’s Chinese literary culture is extremely tough, yet it has to be sustainable, the torch needs to pass on. Therefore, the Poetical Society prioritizes projects to groom and bring in new blood to ensure the scene to survive. By inviting the 10 prominent novelists, literary writers, scholars and media editors to fly all the way from Taiwan and Japan for the above cross-regional dialogues and interaction is part and parcel of our effort to inspire and nurture young talents.

The Sarawak Constellation Poetical Society strongly believes that the events organized are at the same time, efficient in helping to promote Sarawak literature, art, and culture.

Our guest Mr. Chang Kuei-hsin (Zhang Guixing ) will be one of the main speakers for the“Embracing Borneo: When Taiwan and Sarawak’s literature meet each other” Forum.

Mr. Chang is a well-known Taiwan-Malaysian novelist. He was born in Lutong, Miri. 1976 Chang went to Taiwan to pursue his university education and earned a degree in English from National Taiwan Normal University. His award-winning work has been the subject of extensive critical discussion in Taiwan, a place where he continues to live and work as a high school English teacher for decades. Mr. Chang is best known for a series of epic novels set in North Borneo or Northern Sarawak, including “Siren Song”, “The Clown Dynasty”, “Herds of Elephants”, “The Primate Cup” and “Wild Boars Crossing the River”.

Mr. Chang Kuei-hsin (Zhang Guixing ) will be one of the main speakers for the Forum.

Mr. Chang has built the platform and reputation overseas and eventually carries the weight in both Eastern and Western literature worlds.

Professor Ko Chia Cian of National Chung Cheng University Taiwan is the next speaker, he specializes in Modern Chinese Literature and Sinophone Malaysian Literature. Professor Ko will present a talk on a great novelist of our century Mr. Li Yongping (1947-2017) who was born and grew up in Kuching, 1967 Li went to Taiwan for tertiary education and later continued in the US, he finally settled down in Taiwan.

Li Yongping’s famous novel: “The Jiling Chronicles ”reflects his multinational identity and trans-border experience, the myth of a small-town named Jiling living on paper with a rich Chinese flavor attracted many controversies, arguments, assumptions and investigations for a period of not less than a quarter of century, mainly its unknown where-about, the authenticity of its existence, some argued that it exists in the virtual world of Li’s novel, not any place on earth. There are also scholars who still believe that it’s a mixture of perceptual towns in Borneo, Taiwan, and Mainland China.

Professor Ko Chia Cian is also known as an authoritative Li Yongping scholar and author, is he going to convince and prove that Jiling is in Kuching, and it’s India Street? Let’s see whether Professor Ko is going to solve the myth on 8th August 2019, in the hometown of the late Li Yongping.

Li Yongping other reputable works are “Rain from the Sun”, “At Fortune’s Way”, “The Eagle Haidong Qing”, “The End of the River”, etc.

Moderator invited for the forum is Professor Tee Kim Tong, who is a Malaysian born well-respected scholar cum writer, teaching in National Sun Yat-sen University Taiwan.

Amongst other guests are Professor Lee Yu-cheng, the President cum Editor-in-Chief of the Wenhsun Magazine Ms. Feng Deping, Professor Huang Ing-Jer of Aichi University, Japan and Professor Li Wenqing, Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, Japan, author cum columnist Yang Sol and Professor Tsai I-Ni of Taiwan University Chinese Language Teaching Research.

Since the overseas guests are coming to discover more about our resourceful Land of Hornbill, it’s believed that they shall have inspiring ideas, muses, and materials for their writings and publications overseas which directly will have a positive impact on promoting the unique art and cultural tourism of Sarawak.

Mr. Li Yongping (1947-2017) who was born and grew up in Kuching.

It’s no doubt that Sarawak is rich in its historical and emergent literary cultures, especially her beautiful diversity. We strongly believe that these prominent writers and publishers from Taiwan and Japan will literary highlight Sarawak’s cultural heritage as one of the splendid attractions of tourism.

 

Literature in the form of storytelling is no doubt, an extra powerful tool.

 

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