INTERVIEW | LUMEN 19
Leaning Into Literature By Mrs Jasmine Tan
Sarah Zafirah Bte Noor Ashikin ( IB Class of 2021 ) might just be our most successful IB Literature student yet . During her time in SJI as a Higher Literature student , she won multiple awards for her Literature and creative writing including a merit prize for the Edwin Thumboo Prize 2022 . This prize , addressed at Pre-university students was conceived in 2017 by the then Head of NUS English Language and Literature , the late Professor John Richardson , and Mr Aaron Maniam , 1997 Angus Ross Prize Winner and award-winning poet , who believed in the need to recognise outstanding pre-university students in English Literature and portray them as role models for younger students . Sarah also won Rice Media ’ s Opinion-editorial competition ( 17-19 age category ) in 2020 and achieved the amazing feat of winning T :> ( formerly known as Theatreworks ) 24 hour playwriting competition ( youth category ) twice in 2020 and 2021 . She was even a finalist in the national poetry competition organized by Poetry Festival SG in 2021 . In this exclusive with Lumen , Sarah tells us a bit more about her abiding relationship with Literature and her many achievements .
What does Literature mean to you ? Do you think more people should take up Literature in school ? What issues in Literature are you most attracted to ?
Literature , to me , means a chance for discovery . When we study Literature , we ’ re doing what humans have always been doing : trying to find meaning in the world around us . It has equipped me with a lens through which I see the world , with meaningful critique and scrutiny of why things are the way they are , but has always reminded me of the importance of doing so with a lot of care and a delicate hand . When we study Literature , we become willing to engage with the world , challenge what we know , and embrace new perspectives – this is something I genuinely love doing .
More people should definitely take up Literature in school ! Apart from being a subject which sharpens your sensitivity to nuance and hones critical thinking , I feel like there is a very energizing joy in sitting with and intensively analysing texts . I particularly enjoyed the texts I read in HL Literature , since they were of such different forms and from different parts of the world .
When I read Literature , I am most attracted to texts which deal with issues surrounding race , gender and sexuality , or a combination of all three . I like noticing the differences between how we perform certain roles in the private and public spheres , and how ingrained they are in our lives and society . As a writer , I also like reading collections from writers with very distinct styles , as it gives me a chance to examine their technique , and makes me curious as to why certain styles come naturally to these individuals .
What does winning the Edwin Thumboo merit prize mean to you ?
Winning the Edwin Thumboo Prize Literature doesn ’ t mean much to me sentimentally , but it holds great significance to me in terms of what it may signal for the future of Literature and the literary arts in Singapore . The academic rigour that goes into the study of Literature is becoming more recognized , and I hope that this growing awareness of the necessity of the arts and humanities will encourage more to believe in its worth . I also hope that more Josephians will be able to apply for this prize in the future !
Tell us about the whole process of qualifying for this prize ? What did you have to do ?
First , I had to submit an independentlywritten essay of about 2,500 words on any text ( s ) of my choice . I decided to do a comparative essay on two books , which were Michael Ondaatje ’ s Running In The Family , a memoir we had studied in Literature class , and Ocean Vuong ’ s poetry collection Night Sky With Exit Wounds , which is one of my favourite books . Apart from similar themes being brought up in both texts , I found that the vast difference in genre and form could provide me with some interesting areas for comparison . I worked alongside Mrs Jasmine Tan in developing this essay after my preliminary exams , from August to September 2021 , before eventually submitting it at the end of September and hoping for the best .
At the end of November , I received an email notifying me that I had been shortlisted for a selection interview that would take place in December .
About 20 minutes before my scheduled interview slot , I was emailed a set of two poems to read through and annotate . My task was to “ Compare and contrast the following two poems , considering in detail the ways in which your response is shaped by the poets ’ use of language , style and form .” This task was quite different from the style of questions or comparison I usually encountered in IB Literature . I found myself somewhat lost and challenged as to how I would compare the two different poems in my interview , to the judges .
I was extremely nervous at the start of my interview , but the judges were warm and friendly , helping me to loosen up slightly . They asked me about my favourite writers and books , as well as very thought-provoking questions on how my achievements in creative writing have been influenced by my study of Literature , and vice versa . Then , they asked me to proceed with my interpretation of the two poems for about 20 minutes , before thanking me and wrapping up the interview .