7 May 2022, Singapore. Today, I saw and felt a lot of passion for Teochew heritage and the arts at the launch of FOUND YOU! A fully hand drawn picture book about Nam Hwa Opera by Ng Sock Peng 黄淑萍 (at the Singapore Chinese Culture Centre).
The book launch was graced by Mr. Eric Chua, Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Social and Family Development and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
The hand drawn picture book is authored and illustrated by Ng Sock Peng 黄淑萍 and published by Nam Hwa Opera in Dec 2021 (first edition).
The hand drawn picture book is bilingual and aims to bind three generations as a means to promote the tradition of Teochew opera, especially among the young. FOUND YOU! is one of Nam Hwa Opera's many efforts to reach out to the new generation through innovative, engaging means.
The fully hand drawn picture book is light hearted, cheerful, and vivid. It is meticulously researched to ensure that every detail is accurate, so it is an important document of Teochew opera in Singapore from the 1980s till today.
Last year, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Nam Hwa Opera approached Sock Peng to create a hand drawn picture book. Sock Peng was touched by how Nam Hwa Opera was relentless in their efforts to promote Teochew culture and tradition through digital and other means despite the pandemic. Though she was not deeply conversant with Teochew opera at that time, Sock Peng accepted the challenge as she was moved by Nam Hwa Opera's commitment to its mission.
Though Sock Peng is Hokkien and from Penang, Malaysia, she feels it is no barrier to her involvement in promoting Teochew opera and Teochew culture in Singapore at all. While authoring FOUND YOU!, Sock Peng saw commonalities between operas of different communities like Cantonese, Hokkien, Peking, etc. She felt that all genres of Chinese opera can be promoted together and the work of Nam Hwa for Teochew opera is a good start.
Once she accepted the assignment, Sock Peng 淑萍 launched herself into the mission with her characteristic passion and dedication. Sock Peng immersed herself into every aspect of Teochew opera from make up, costumes, props, instruments, scripts to performances in order to intimately capture the nuances and spirit of Teochew opera in her hand sketches. She even signed up for Teochew opera training courses!
That's Sock Peng living life with zest and gusto, as usual!
Sock Peng (being the perfectionist that she is) and the dedicated team from Nam Hwa Opera who is deeply committed to the true spirit of Teochew opera, spared no effort in ensuring the accuracy and authenticity of every detail in the sketches. Sock Peng shared that each finalised sketch is the result of many iterations in colours and factual accuracy. She had no qualms about redrawing painstakingly completed drafts from scratch to achieve the desired result.
Even before the official book launch on 7 May 2022, FOUND YOU! already sold over a thousand copies in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, USA and Germany. A reader reflected that she, her father and children, all three generations enjoyed the picture book together. The cross generation objective of the picture book is achieved!
Each page is a treasure trove of insights on life in the 1980s. Sock Peng's hand sketches even captured scenes of mobile food stalls that congregate around Teochew opera performances.
She recalled conversations on social media with friends from many towns in Malaysia and Singapore, reminiscing about food stalls at the opera. The participants felt a deep common bond from shared memories of opera food stalls of Malaysia and Singapore. (Image of opera in 1960s Singapore courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.)
FOUND YOU! tells the story of two young Teochew opera enthusiasts 林凯德 and 陈纬恬 from their discovery of the art to becoming accomplished opera artistes.
Eighteen year old 陈纬恬 performed a segment from 杨乃武与小白菜. 陈纬恬 has been involved in Teochew opera since she was three.
Sock Peng personally autographed books for guests at the book launch. 林凯德 waiting for his personalised copy of FOUND YOU!
Thank you Sock Peng and Nam Hwa Opera for the memories and wish you the best in your endeavours in promoting Teochew culture and traditions. (Image of children at an opera in 1980s Singapore courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.)
How to order?
Pro Tip: The page is in Chinese and has a few links to distributors. If you like a personalised copy with Sock Peng's signature, order direct from her. Fill up the Google Form at the bottom of the page and get FOUND YOU! with Sock Peng's signature sent to you.
Hi Tony. I used the link above your "Pro Tip" to indicate my interest in getting two (2) copies of FOUND YOU! in the Google Form therein (and, hopefully, none of the other 2 books also featured in the Google Form). I say "hopefully" because I am a "banana" who does not read Chinese, and that said, I also do not know what to expect next. Will I be contacted via the email and/or the phone number that I had given in the Google Form? And how will I be paying for the books? Thanks in advance for your help with my above queries. And keep blogging! I've been reading your blog for nearly a decade. Your fan, Eddie.
ReplyDeleteReceived your order. Scheduled hand over to logistic tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteHi Eddie, thank you for your support. Sock Peng's reply is above.
ReplyDeleteHi Eddie, thank you for your support of my blog and Sock Peng's book. Sock Peng's reply is above. Tony.
ReplyDelete