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LUMEN | LEANING INTO LITERATURE
Sarah with her literature class and Mrs Jasmine Tan
How did the Literature Programme at SJI help you to prepare for the competition ?
Studying Literature in SJI has truly nurtured my interest in the subject and encouraged me to push my boundaries . We had very engaging discussions over texts in class , which trained me to think on my feet and challenged me to explore deeper analyses on the spot . Whenever we left class , I remember that my brain always felt tired , but I would always return the next day energized and ready to continue poring over a text .
My teachers were also always ready and willing to talk about things that were not explicitly related to Literature , which I do think helped immensely . We often had chats on pop culture before classes began . While preparing to submit my essay for the Prize , it was actually Mrs Tan who kept on encouraging me to write about books and topics I enjoyed outside of class , rather than about something we had already brought up in class or in our coursework . It was this encouragement to explore beyond my academic boundaries that I really do believe has not only helped me prepare for the competition , but greatly contributed to my growth as an individual .
Tell us more about the other competitions you have won .
Youth Category , and was a finalist in the Catharsis 2021 Open Call ( poetry ).
Participating in these competitions and events have primarily been a way of tracking my growth as an artist , and seeing how far my writing can go . I have been participating in the 24-Hour Playwriting Competition since I was 15 , in 2018 , but didn ’ t win any prizes until 2020 . I ’ ve really cherished the new connections made through these events . Whenever I attend arts events or readings of plays , I take the chance to talk to the artists involved and ask them more about their work . While developing my plays for the stage or screen , I have also had the opportunity to work with industry professionals , learning more about both my writing and theatremaking in the process .
We heard you came back recently to give workshops to our IP boys . Tell us more about these workshops . How did it feel being on the other side of the classroom table ?
To be honest , it made me appreciate my teachers a lot more – it ’ s not easy being a teacher ! Still , it spurred me to continue exploring what I could do with my knowledge in the literary arts , like the possibility of becoming an educator and cultivating a greater appreciation of language in youth today .
I won T :> Works ’ 24-Hour Playwriting Competition in 2020 and 2021 , in the
Sarah and her family