TDSG x No Readgrets Book Club Discussion 12 Sep 2026: The Memory Bookshop

Translation is so often invisible — we read the story, but rarely pause on the person who carried it across languages for us to feel it in our own. This session is a chance to dig into that: what gets kept, what shifts, and what it takes to translate not just words, but memory, warmth, and voice.

Join No Readgrets Book Club, in partnership with the Singapore Book Council and Book Bar SG, for a special discussion celebrating Translation Day Singapore () 2026.

We'll be discussing The Memory Bookshop by Song Yu-jeong, translated into English by Singaporean translator — and we're excited to spotlight Shanna's work ahead of her own workshop at this year's TDSG. There will also be a book signing to close the session!

About Translation Day Singapore 2026 (26-27 September)

Dive into multilingualism with International Booker Prize winner Deepa Bhasthi (Heart Lamp), learn to edit your translation with Shanna Tan (The Memory Bookshop), and be inspired by creativity in accessibility practice. Experience Deaf poetry, decipher linguistic puzzles, and take part in multilingual public programmes that open up how we experience unfamiliar languages.

Date: 12 September 2026, Saturday

Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Venue: Book Bar SG, 57 Duxton Rd Singapore 089521

This session is brought in partnership with Singapore Book Council and Book Bar SG.

What to expect

• A guided discussion of The Memory Bookshop, exploring themes of memory, connection, and what gets carried — or lost — in translation
• A closer look at Shanna Tan's work as a translator, and what it takes to bring a story across languages
• A warm, welcoming space for readers of all backgrounds — no prior knowledge of translation required, just curiosity!
  

Ticketing Details:

This session is ticketed with limited slots! We'd also love to invite you to add on a TDSG 2026 pass to explore more of the festival:

• $12 — Book club session with Shanna Tan, and a book signing to close. Comes with 1 complimentary drink from Book Bar.

• $45 — Book Club + TDSG 2026 Pass
  Includes entry to our book club session. Comes with 1 complimentary drink from Book Bar, plus a full pass to access all panel sessions at Translation Day Singapore 2026. More information on TDSG 2026 programmes can be found .
• $40 — Book Club + Shanna Tan's
  Includes entry to our book club session. Comes with 1 complimentary drink from Book Bar, plus entry to The Art of Workshopping: Editing Your Own Literary Translation, a hands-on workshop with Shanna Tan on 27 September 2026, 4.30–6.30PM at Living Room, The Arts House. Shanna shares practical approaches to editing literary translations, giving and receiving feedback in peer workshops, and pitching your work for publication. (Does not include the general TDSG pass.)
• $25 - Book Club + Single Panel (featuring Shanna Tan)
  Includes entry to our book club session. Comes with 1 complimentary drink from Book Bar, plus a single panel ticket to 'Carrying Her Voice: Women in Translation' at Translation Day Singapore 2026 on 26 September 2026, 11:30am-12:20pm at Play Den, The Arts House. More information on TDSG 2026 programmes can be found .

No Readgrets is a women-led book club that creates safe spaces for meaningful conversations around inspiring books and the ideas that extend beyond their pages. We facilitate discussions on literature and film from local creators and about social issues in Singapore, exploring the everyday lives that inspire fiction and the larger forces that shape non-fiction. Because the best part of reading a good book? Telling everyone about it.

Translation Day Singapore (TDSG) aims to raise the public awareness of translation and celebrate the diverse linguistic landscape of Singapore. By introducing participants to the diversity of languages spoken in Singapore and showcasing translation as both an art and a skill, Translation Day Singapore (TDSG) seeks to foster greater understanding between the many linguistic and cultural communities in Singapore through the bridge of translation.

The objectives of TDSG are to:

• Recognise and highlight the diversity of languages used in Singapore, while promoting deeper appreciation for Singapore’s multicultural fabric.
• To showcase how literary translation can be a creative tool for fostering understanding between different linguistic and cultural communities.
• To strengthen the professional development of literary translators in enhancing their skills and gaining more industry knowledge.

About Book Bar SG

Founded by a bookseller and a booklover, Book Bar is an eclectic bookstore and café that sparks conversations between book lovers, fosters a culture of book reading, and provides you with literary inspiration for your next read.