As part of AFCC's 10th edition, we are launching two edited compilations of essays and presentations based on the highlights of, and key ideas shared during the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in 2017 and 2018.

Edited by Dr Ruth Wong, these compilations feature a regional focus on Indonesia and Singapore. Scholars and practitioners, writers, and illustrators share their insights and reflect on children’s literature in their respective countries and beyond, and how the rest of ASEAN is evolving to accommodate the diversity of the landscape. 

18,000 Islands of Creativity: Indonesian Children’s Literature Today

There has been a rapid growth and an increasing demand for local books in the Indonesian children’s book market in the past few years alone.

This compilation of papers from the Asian Festival of Children’s Content 2017, with Indonesia as Country of Focus, discusses trends, practices and movements that illustrate this demand, with the hope of underlining the state of Indonesian Children’s Literature today.

Contributing authors include Murti Bunanta, Maria Christania, Ida Farida, Galuh Larasati, Mira Widhayati and Remon Agus.

Skyscrapers, Books and Imagination: The Evolving Children’s Literature Landscape in Singapore

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Singapore Book Council, AFCC 2018 featured Singapore as the Country of Focus.

The experiences and perspectives shared at the Festival and published here reflect the diversity, challenges and exciting possibilities in the evolving landscape of children’s literature in Singapore - from reading for literacy to imagine-nation, drawing children into our world and beyond. 

Contributing authors include Suchen Christine Lim, Rhoda Myra Garces-Bacsal, Lucia Obi, Colin Goh, Sim Ee Waun, Lee Seow Ser, Zulaihabe Talip, Karthickeyen Govindaraj, Vanithamani Saravanan, Seetha Lakshmi, Loh Chin Ee, Lim Cheng Tju, Wendy Toh, Oscar Ng, and Singaporean illustrators led by David Liew. 

Evelyn Wong

Born and raised in Canada, Evelyn is a children’s author. Her bilingual picture book, The Naughty Mynah, has been adapted for interactive theatre for preschools. She has also created Makan Mischief, The Noisiest Tree and Just a Little for multilingual storytelling.  Involved in AFCC since 2010, Evelyn collaborated in publishing themed annotated bibliographies featuring Asian content (https://themedpicturebooks.afcc.com.sg).  

Dr Murti Bunanta

A children’s literature specialist, researcher, children’s folklorist, and an international award-winning author of 50 books published in Indonesia, Canada, and the USA. Her books have been translated into several languages. She is the founder and president of Society for the Advancement of Children’s Literature and Indonesian Section of IBBY that pioneered children’s reading in Indonesia. She is an advocate for reading quality children’s books, and serves as a member of the SBC Advisory Network.