Vogue Dialogues: The art of building inclusive literary spaces in Singapore

The literary world can sometimes feel closed off and reserved only for a select few. The spaces we relegate as ‘literary’, too, have a tendency to manifest as overly varnished and formal to a point of discomfort. 

But the joys and benefits of reading know no limits. In a small city like Singapore, where space is scarce and the literary scene is lively but still emerging, it has never been more important to carve out warm and welcoming spaces that embrace a diversity of writers and readers. The effects of this are manifold; these spaces have the potential not only to nurture generations of local writers and literary voices, but also to cultivate a more vibrant reading community in Singapore. 

Take Casual Poet Library, for instance. The new community library in Bukit Merah is an ambitious social experiment, redefining how we think about literary spaces in Singapore. Run purely on a voluntary basis by a team of librarians and over 18o shelf-owners, the library is opening the door to readers from all walks of life, creating a safe haven that is welcoming and—thanks to its intelligent business model of shared risk—that hopefully will endure.

To imagine a new future for literary spaces in Singapore, we invited four brilliant voices from the community to speak on a panel discussion for the first live edition of Vogue Dialogues.

The first of our panelists was award-winning poet and former Singapore Writers Festival director Pooja Nansi, who this year was conferred the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters and currently serves as Chief Publisher for the poetry press Afterimage. Also on the panel was two-time Singapore Literature Prize-winning writer and artist Shubigi Rao, who most recently won in 2024 in the non-fiction category for Pulp volume III—the third instalment of her decade-long award-winning project on banished books and censorship. 

These luminaries were joined by two inspiring creatives from the Casual Poet Library community. Poet and design studio founder Izyanti Asa’ari and writer, visual artist and literary translator Amanda Ruiqing Flynn, who also happen to be volunteer librarians, completed the panel for an intimate conversation moderated by Vogue Singapore’s associate lifestyle editor Chandreyee Ray.

Unpacking the role that literary spaces play in our society, Nansi shared: “Literary spaces are one of the rare places where people still actively listen to each other. They are one of the few spaces left where it’s humans speaking to humans.” Rao agreed: “Literary spaces are vital. We mistake social media for community when it’s not—but literary spaces offer us that.”

“They are a capsule collection of curated tastes and different ideas,” Asa’ari weighed in, explaining that the joy of Casual Poet Library lay in its ability to encourage unexpected, indirect interactions between different users and visitors. Meanwhile, for Flynn, literary spaces epitomise the freedom to just be—with no pressure to perform or conform. 

Nansi, who over the course of a five-year tenure as festival director had transformed the Singapore Writers Festival from a largely formal affair to a thriving, celebratory event with double the attendance, had a valuable point to make about the idea of inclusivity in space-making. “Sometimes, the truth is that you don’t have the resources to make things as inclusive as you’d like, but there’s always a way. Inclusivity is not a blanket statement. It’s a work in progress and it’s an intention.”

Asa’ari and Flynn agreed, sharing their own experience and attempts at making Casual Poet Library as inclusive a space as possible within the boundaries of the shared resources they had. “In the first week of opening, we realised we had a huge blindspot. There was someone who needed wheelchair access and the step up to our entrance was too high. We ultimately were able to borrow a ramp from the furniture store next door. For me, it was an example of how having connections with the community you are in allows you to tap on those resources to solve problems.”

Flynn concluded on a tender note: “It’s not often, especially in Singapore, that people will make you feel seen. I think we ‘other’ people too much. Sometimes, just the act of making someone feel seen—even if it’s not perfect—is part of making a space more inclusive.”

Watch the full episode of Vogue Dialogues here. 

Welcome to Vogue Dialogues, a series by Vogue Singapore in which we spotlight key writers, poets and literary voices driving change for good through groundbreaking work.

Vogue Dialogues is presented in partnership with Chanel. A long-standing patron of arts and culture around the globe, Chanel has deep roots in the literary world, led by key initiatives like The Literary Rendezvous at Rue Cambon which brings together writers to discuss important themes like female empowerment. With their support of Vogue Dialogues, Chanel joins Vogue Singapore in celebrating our local and regional literary scene, as well as amplifying the voices of Asian and female writers all around the world.

Associate lifestyle editor Chandreyee Ray
Videography and lighting Elliot Sng
Producer David Bay
Styling Jasmine Ashvinkumar
Second Cam Grayson Seah
Third Cam Dion Heng
Sound Derrick Heng
Editor Darryl Carulli
Hair and makeup Makeup Entourage