Writers from China's diaspora
Yong Shu Hoong occasionally considers turning away from the Singapore poetry community he helped establish. Living overseas made him a poet in the first place, he says, so there's every chance that life in a new country would improve his writing and find a bigger audience for his published work.
But although organising readings and supporting the island state's poets is hard work, Yong, 37, says Singapore's mingling cultures offer the best raw matter for writing. 'Some-times I think, 'What's the point?'' he says of the monthly readings at the Book Cafe he arranges for up to 30 people - although often far fewer attend. 'But it needs to continue. It's important for people to know that there's always something happening.
'Singapore is my home country,' he says. 'It makes sense for me to be here, writing in English, as English literature is starting to flourish here. I want to do more interesting portrayals of its urban landscape and history. I want to use Singlish or Indian in my work - the food, the people, things that are seen as exotic by foreigners, without making them cliched or simplistic for Singaporeans.'
Pragmatism is a word rarely used on poets. But by stamping his writing with the trait, Yong has shaped one of the most established writing circles in Asia.
After completing a computer science degree at the National University of Singapore, he headed to the US in 1991 for a master's degree in business at the Texas A&M University. With no previous interest in literature, he started writing poems.
'That was the first time I'd been away from home. It made me want to write, to document being in a strange place. It gave me the spare time to start expressing myself. Then, being part of a poetry group in Texas helped me to express more. It opened my eyes to what poetry can be.'