PHOTO © JEREMY MEEKPHOTO © SINGAPORE BOOK COUNCIL AND BEN CHIAThe writing and publishing industry in
Singapore received a boost this March with the
10th All In! Young Writers Festival, an annual
event that seeks to groom aspiring writers
aged 13 to 25 aiming for careers in publishing,
broadcasting, creative writing, and journalism.
Almost 800 youth from various schools
were taught and mentored by a wide array
of writing mentors and industry players –
including filmmaker Saleem Hadi, novelist
Samantha De Silva, and playwright T. Neshma –
through seminars, training sessions and
workshops to better understand the writing
industry in Asia.
Besides facilitating contact between
young writers and industry professionals,
the festival also provides a platform for
young writers to showcase their work locally
and regionally through a series of writing
competition, with categories including fiction,
short stories, essays, and film.
The ASIAN Geographic Hot Soup School
Challenge 2019 will be held in conjunction with
All In! 2019 to encourage young people to read
Young people in the Cambodian capital
Phnom Penh now have a place to test out
their wheels with the city’s new Skate School,
comprising a 500-square-metre skate park, a
classroom, a library, and a large green space.
Launched earlier this year by non-profit
Skateistan – an organisation that works to
empower youth through skateboarding and
educational opportunities – the new facility
will benefit children in the area, with a
particular focus on girls and youth living with
disabilities. The new Skate School was opened
with performances by international and local
female skaters including Sky Brown, Mimi
Knoop, and Kouv “Tin” Chansangva.
Skateistan is working with multiple partner
organisations in the city to integrate into the
community and provide a safe space for local
children to learn and play for years to come.
Phnom Penh Welcomes New
Skateboarding School for Youth
SINGAPORE
CAMBODIA
above Speakers at
the All In! Festivalright Souq Waqif in
Doha, Qatarabove The opening
ceremony of Phnom
Penh’s Skate School800 Young Writers Groomed
at All In! Festival 2018
The organisation has been operating in the
country since 2011, and currently has 240
beneficiaries in Phnom Penh, just over half
of which are girls.highlights
As a media partner of the All In! Young Writer’s
Festival 2018, ASIAN Geographic will be publishing
the winning entry of the festival’s short fiction
competition in a subsequent issue. Stay tuned!geographic publications and improve their
general knowledge on the region.