Every year, established writers from all over the globe come together to celebrate the written word at the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF).
Inaugurated in 1986, it remains one of the few multilingual literary festivals in the world, featuring works in Singapore’s four official languages.
Since 2011, the SWF has been held every year, drawing both local writers and lovers of literature.
Held from 5 to 14 Nov, this year’s edition will feature Bridgerton author Julia Quinn and US Poet laureate Billy Collins, to name a few.
But there’s one headliner that local writers won’t be too pleased to see at the festival.
Some S’pore Writers Not Happy That Wang Lei is Invited to Speak at S’pore Writers Festival
The local literary community is not too happy at the moment.
It appears that local getai host and actor Wang Lei will be appearing as a guest speaker, and the decision has not gone down well due to his apparently brash style.
Wang, one of the headliners of the SWF, will be speaking in a panel discussion on the topic of “Vanishing Trades” with traditional Chinese theatre researcher Caroline Chia and local author Su Zhangkai.
The discussion, which will be in Mandarin, will centre around endangered art forms such as getai, Teochew opera, and Chinese puppetry.
Sounds like a fascinating talk, right? Well, the topic isn’t the issue here.
Here’s what local photographer and writer Lee Leng Kiong thinks about the inclusion of Wang: “Is this true? It is totally unacceptable! The organiser knows that he uses vulgarities liberally in his videos and disrespects others… Does the Singapore Writers Festival need such content?”
Lee may be referring to Wang’s behavior during Facebook live streams; Wang started selling frozen seafood on Facebook due to the impact of COVID-19, and became something of a sensation because of his entertaining, foul-mouthed streams.
They were so entertaining, in fact, that some of his fans in China reportedly discussed how to bypass their country’s bans just to view his live streams.
As enjoyable as the live streams were, many writers here don’t think his style is appropriate for the SWF.
Commenting on Lee’s post, other writers including Wu Weicai and Ng Wai Choy also voiced their disapproval.
Wang’s Response
When Wang’s fans leapt to his rescue, the 60-year-old’s response showed that he certainly wasn’t going to change to appease those around him.
“I am being myself when I am crude. I will not be fake. People who understand me will definitely support me. Those who don’t will understand one day!” he said.
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Featured Image: Facebook (Wang Lei 王雷)
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