Growing up, the trip to the library was the highlight of her week. These days, Shamimah volunteers for several Learning Communities as part of the National Library Board’s Friend of the Library and Archives programme.
But she does more than just volunteering — Shamimah was also involved in starting a dance group at Geylang East Public Library, and the Ukulele Jammers Group at Tampines Regional Library—which took off and inspired other ukulele groups to form.
Yet it was her love for local literature that inspired her to set up the Singapore Literature Book Club. After realising how many local authors with published works there are out there, Shamimah, with the help of a librarian, gathered seven like-minded souls who were also interested in Sing Lit. The club’s first session took place at the Central Public Library in 2016.
In this article, we sit down with Shamimah to learn more about her journey as a volunteer.
Josephine Chia (left) sharing more about her book “Big Tree In a Small Pot” in Feb 2021. Shamimah (right) facilitates all discussions.
Could you tell us more about what motivated you to start the Singapore Literature Book Club?
It all started after I joined the 2015 Memoir Writing Workshop. I hadn’t realised until then that there was actually a large number of writers in Singapore. The workshop sparked my interest in Singapore Literature when it introduced me to two local books, one of them being Josephine Chia’s Frog Under the Coconut Shell.
I noticed that there were not many readers of local literature, including myself. After discovering Sing Lit, I’ve come to enjoy the connection I get from reading local literature because it’s so much easier to relate to and to associate with the places mentioned in the books. This further motivated me to create a book club for Singapore literature.
Shamimah with author Serene Choo and illustrator St. John V. Smith of the book “Up to Mischief”, with participants at the December 2020 meeting. It was the first physical meeting after several months of Zoom meetings due to the pandemic.
How do you pick which books to include in the book club discussions? I plan book titles in advance for the year. The books picked are mainly fictional works that look at social issues in Singapore. I get book suggestions from friends, club members and librarians. I pick up these books and others that catch my interest from the libraries. Once I’ve found the books, the first thing I do is to see if I can get through them and if I find them readable. The SG Author Series also plays a big role in helping me decide which book to discuss for specific months to highlight our local authors.
How has the pandemic affected your volunteer work with the Singapore Literature Book Club? Things happened and changed at very short notice. Adapting to the pandemic made us realise that Zoom was a good way to invite more people and authors to participate in our sessions, especially from abroad. In fact, the Singapore Literature Book Club hosted over 230 people on Zoom in July 2021. This was when we discussed Deep Human: Practical Superskills for a Future of Success by Crystal & Dr Gregor Lim-Lange, a self-help book about the five superhuman skills needed in life. Now, we alternate between physical sessions and Zoom every month, depending on the situation.
Despite the pandemic, some library activities like the monthly book club meetings and the twice-a-month ukulele jamming sessions continued online. It provided something for me and the members to look forward to. Some of the Tampines Regional Library ukulele members learnt how to use Zoom just so they could participate, and were thus able to join other Zoom activities!
Author Robert Yeo’s (seated) book, ”Routes: A Singaporean Memoir 1940–75", was the focus of the discussion in April 2019.
What would you consider the most challenging part of volunteering?
It is definitely challenging to manage my time. I facilitate the meetings and schedule the books for the book club. Most of the time, the prep work that goes into the sessions go unnoticed. A lot of time is put into selecting the books, discussing with the librarians, thinking up questions for the sessions and liaising with the authors. On top of that, I must also ensure that the audience participates in discussions.
These activities are usually built into my calendar, so I can manage my schedule and avoid conflicts.
Members of the Singapore Literature Book Club holding the books discussed at previous sessions.
Which part of volunteering have you found most enjoyable?
I am interested in Singapore literature myself and I enjoy seeing people come to the book club sessions to engage and connect with the local authors. I find joy in meeting other individuals who are as passionate about their volunteer work as me. These are the kinds of things that help people to commit and keep the activities going.
Our Tampines ukulele jammers have been receiving invitations to perform at library events. It is always satisfying to see how happy the performers and the audience are at these events!
Thank you very much, Shamimah, for your time and answers!
If you are as passionate about local literature or just curious about it, join the upcoming Singapore Literature Book Club session to gain a deeper understanding of the local literary arts. To explore volunteering opportunities at our libraries, click here. We publish our articles on our social media channels. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on our stories! - Text by Julaila Latiff National Library Board
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