Living in Kampong Potong Pasir

About the Programme

Living in Kampong Potong Pasir

Writer Josephine Chia is among the last of those who grew up and lived in a kampong in Singapore. Life in the kampong was challenging as food was scarce and there were no modern-day amenities such as electricity or running water. Despite hard times, this generation of Singaporeans exhibited an indomitable spirit of joy, even as they were swept along with Singapore’s historical change – from British colony to the Federation of Malaya and finally, independence. Join Josephine as she shares her stories of life in a kampong and of a Singapore now long gone.

The programme will be conducted at Programme Room 2, Basement 1 (inside Central Public Library), National Library Building.

About the Speaker

Josephine Chia draws on aspects of Singapore history and Peranakan culture in her books. Her memoir Kampong Spirit—Gotong Royong: Life in Potong Pasir 1955 to 1965, about her life in Kampong Potong Pasir in the 1950s, won the Singapore Literature Prize in 2014. In October 2019, she received the Singapore Publishers Book Award for her first Young Adults novel, Big Tree in a Small Pot. Josephine writes both fiction and non-fiction and has 14 books to her name. She is now based in Singapore and is a creative writing mentor to students and adults alike.

Located at B1 of the National Library Building, the Central Public Library is home to the Children’s Biodiversity Library by S.E.A. Aquarium. The library also offers content on Singapore culture, literature and sustainability.

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