Alfian Sa'at
Encyclopedia
Alfian bin Sa'at is a Singaporean
writer
, poet
and playwright
. He is a Muslim
of Minangkabau, Java
nese and Hakka
descent,. He is known for his provocative works and is often referred to as his country's enfant terrible.
, Raffles Institution
, and Raffles Junior College
, Alfian was the chairman of the drama societies, both known as Raffles Players, in both RI and RJC. He also took part in the Creative Arts Programme twice - once at fifteen, and a second time at seventeen - both times under the mentorship of Haresh Sharma
. He has since returned to the programme as an occasional mentor. During his two years at RJC, Alfian received the Kripalani Award for Outstanding Contribution to Creative Arts. Alfian attended medical classes at the National University of Singapore
but did not graduate.
, and Alfian himself was described by Malaysia's New Straits Times
as "one of the most acclaimed poets in his country... a prankish provocateur, libertarian hipster".
A year later, Alfian published his first collection of short stories, Corridor, which won the Singapore Literature Prize
Commendation Award. Seven of the short stories from the collection have since been adapted for television. In 2001, he published his second collection of poetry, A History of Amnesia, which was hailed by The Straits Times as "one of the most powerful collections by a Singaporean" in addition to being shortlisted for a Kiriyama Asia-Pacific Book Prize. Alfian won both the inaugural National Arts Council-Singapore Press Holdings Golden Point Award for Poetry in the same year, as well as the National Arts Council's Young Artist Award for Literature.
Alfian's plays, written in both English
and Malay
, have received broad attention in both Singapore and Malaysia. They have also been translated into German and Swedish, and have been read and performed in London, Zurich, Stockholm, Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. His first play was produced when he was 19, and he has had a long association as a playwright with theatre group The Necessary Stage
as well as with Teater Ekamatra, a Malay theatre group known for articulating minority concerns in Chinese-majority Singapore.
Alfian is currently the resident playwright of theatre group W!LD RICE
. He is currently enrolled for an undergraduate course at the School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University
.
Malay
Mandarin
Malay
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
. He is a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
of Minangkabau, Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
nese and Hakka
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
descent,. He is known for his provocative works and is often referred to as his country's enfant terrible.
Early life
An alumnus of Tampines Primary SchoolTampines Primary School
Tampines Primary School is a primary school in Tampines, Singapore. It shares the same building as Tampines Secondary School, although it is not affiliated.-History:...
, Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution , founded in 1823, is the oldest centre for pre-tertiary learning in Singapore. It is an independent school in Singapore providing secondary and pre-university education. RI consists of a boys-only secondary section , and a coeducational pre-university section...
, and Raffles Junior College
Raffles Junior College
Raffles Institution offers the Raffles Programme at Year 5 and 6 . It is located in Bishan beside the Year 1-4 school campus of Raffles Institution. The Principal is Mrs Lim Lai Cheng...
, Alfian was the chairman of the drama societies, both known as Raffles Players, in both RI and RJC. He also took part in the Creative Arts Programme twice - once at fifteen, and a second time at seventeen - both times under the mentorship of Haresh Sharma
Haresh Sharma
Haresh Sharma is a Singaporean playwright. To date, he has written more than fifty plays that have been staged all over the world, including Singapore, Melbourne, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cairo and London. Sharma has a BA from the National University of Singapore as well as an MA in Playwriting from...
. He has since returned to the programme as an occasional mentor. During his two years at RJC, Alfian received the Kripalani Award for Outstanding Contribution to Creative Arts. Alfian attended medical classes at the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
but did not graduate.
Career
In 1998, Alfian published his first collection of poetry, One Fierce Hour at the age of twenty-one. The book was acclaimed as "truly a landmark for poetry [in Singapore]" by The Straits TimesThe Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
, and Alfian himself was described by Malaysia's New Straits Times
New Straits Times
The New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print , having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English...
as "one of the most acclaimed poets in his country... a prankish provocateur, libertarian hipster".
A year later, Alfian published his first collection of short stories, Corridor, which won the Singapore Literature Prize
Singapore Literature Prize
The Singapore Literature Prize is an award in Singapore to recognise outstanding published works by Singaporean authors in any of the four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil....
Commendation Award. Seven of the short stories from the collection have since been adapted for television. In 2001, he published his second collection of poetry, A History of Amnesia, which was hailed by The Straits Times as "one of the most powerful collections by a Singaporean" in addition to being shortlisted for a Kiriyama Asia-Pacific Book Prize. Alfian won both the inaugural National Arts Council-Singapore Press Holdings Golden Point Award for Poetry in the same year, as well as the National Arts Council's Young Artist Award for Literature.
Alfian's plays, written in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, have received broad attention in both Singapore and Malaysia. They have also been translated into German and Swedish, and have been read and performed in London, Zurich, Stockholm, Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. His first play was produced when he was 19, and he has had a long association as a playwright with theatre group The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage is a non-profit theatre company with charity status in Singapore. Formed in 1987 by current Artistic Director Alvin Tan, The Necessary Stage has been identified as one of the Major Arts Companies by the National Arts Council. The company is also the organiser and curator of the...
as well as with Teater Ekamatra, a Malay theatre group known for articulating minority concerns in Chinese-majority Singapore.
Alfian is currently the resident playwright of theatre group W!LD RICE
W!LD RICE
W!LD RICE was founded in 2000 by Ivan Heng and is recognised as one of Singapore’s leading professional theatre companies.-Description:The company takes its inspiration from the multicultural societies that make up Singapore and modern Asia, celebrating their diverse cultures and performance...
. He is currently enrolled for an undergraduate course at the School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University is one of the two largest public universities in Singapore with the biggest campus in Singapore and the world's largest engineering college. Its lush 200-hectare Yunnan Garden campus was the Youth Olympic Village of the world's first 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in...
.
Plays
English- Fighting (1994)
- Black Boards, White Walls (1997)
- Yesterday My Classmate Died (1997)
- sex.violence.blood.gore (co-written with Chong Tze Chien) (1999)
- Asian Boys Vol. 1 (2000)
- What's The Difference? (2001)
- Don't Say I Say (2001)
- poppy dot dream (2001)
- The Corrected Poems of Minah Jambu (2001)
- The Optic Trilogy (2001)
- 7 Ten: Seven Original 10-minute Plays: Not In (2003)
- Landmarks: Asian Boys Vol. 2 (2004)
- Tekka Voices (2004)
- Mengapa Isa? (2004)
- The Importance of Being Kaypoh (2005)
- Harmony Daze (2005)
- Confessions of 300 Unmarried Men: Blush (2006)
- Homesick (2006)
- Happy Endings: Asian Boys Vol 3 (2007)
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (2008)
- Beauty And The Beast (2009)
- Cooling Off Day (2011)
Malay
- Deklamasi Malas (Declamation of Indolence) (1997)
- Dongeng (Myth) (1997)
- Anak Bulan di Kampung Wa' Hassan (The New Moon at Kampung Wa' Hassan) (1998)
- Madu II (Polygamy) (1998)
- Causeway (1998)
- Peti Kayu Ibuku (My Mother's Wooden Chest) (translated into Malay from Kuo Pao KunKuo Pao KunKuo Pao Kun was a playwright, theatre director, and arts activist in Singapore who wrote and directed both Mandarin and English plays. He founded three arts and drama centres in Singapore, conducted and organised a number of drama seminars and workshops, and mentored Singaporean and foreign...
's translation of Ng Xin Yue's original Mandarin text) (1999) - The Miseducation of Minah Bukit (2001)
- Tapak 7 (Seven Steps) (2001)
- Selamat Malam Ibu (adapted from night Mother by Marsha NormanMarsha NormanMarsha Norman is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. She received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play night, Mother...
) (2003) - Keturunan Laksmana Tak Ada Anu (adapted from Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral by Kuo Pao Kun) (2003)
- Minah & Monyet (Minah & Monkey) (2003)
- Nadirah (2009)
- Pariah (alternatively staged as Parah) (2011)
Mandarin
- Fugitives (失控)(co-written with Ng How Wee) (2002)
Prose
English- CorridorCorridor (collection)Corridor is a 1999 collection of short stories by Alfian Sa'at. It received a Singapore Literature Prize Commendation Award for 1998.-Contents:*"Project"*"Video"*"Orphans"*"Pillow"*"Corridor"*"Duel"*"Winners"*"Cubicle"*"Umbrella"*"Bugis"...
(SNP, 1999) ISBN 981-4032-40-9
Malay
- Bisik: Antologi Drama Melayu Singapura (Whisper: Anthology of Malay Singaporean Drama) (Pustaka Cipta, 2003)
Poetry
- One Fierce Hour (Landmark Books, 1998) ISBN 981-3065-18-4
- A History of Amnesia (Ethos Books, 2001) ISBN 981-04-3704-8
Awards
- 1995 - Kripalani Award for Outstanding Contribution to Creative Arts
- 1998 - Commendation Award by the Malay Language Council for Causeway
- 1999 - Singapore Literature PrizeSingapore Literature PrizeThe Singapore Literature Prize is an award in Singapore to recognise outstanding published works by Singaporean authors in any of the four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil....
Commendation Award for Corridor - 2001 - Golden Point Award for Poetry
- 2001 - Young Artist Award (Singapore)|Young Artist Award for Literature
- 2005 - Life! Theatre Awards for Best Original Script for Landmarks: Asian Boys Vol. 2
- 2006 - FRONT Award
- 2010 - Life! Theatre Awards for Best Original Script for Nadirah