Picturing Grief in Asia: Navigating Loss Through Picture Books
PanelAnindita Putri, Nguyen Huu Quynh Huong, Siyuan Aw | Moderator: Rachelyn Gordon
Festival Pass| Festival Talk Pass
Three authors explore how picture books can visualise children’s journeys through loss, grief, and crisis, and how they lead to hope and healing. Drawing on books about Indonesia, Mongolia, and Vietnam, they discuss creative strategies to communicate grief on page, address complex topics like death and migration, and how children’s literature can act as a bridge between pain, understanding, and transformation, particularly when grounded in their cultural contexts.
mental wellnesssocio-emotional learningpicture books
Anindita Putri (Indonesia)
Anindita Putri is an Indonesian illustrator, writer, and researcher whose works explore children’s emotional understanding through stories and visuals. She was selected by the Ministry of Education for two consecutive years (2024–2025) as a children’s book author and illustrator in the National Literacy Movement, creating picture books that introduce the concept of a father figure and embrace children with special needs. Her recent book, Balonku Hilang, gently portrays the five stages of grief for young readers. With academic research focusing on parenting and children’s visual interpretation, Anindita bridges design, empathy, and storytelling to create works that heal and nurture understanding.
Nguyen Huu Quynh Huong (Vietnam)
Quynh Huong (Hu) is a famous picturebook author and researcher of children’s literature in Vietnam. She is the author of more than 15 children’s books. Her works have won National Book Awards, been selected for The White Ravens 2025 and have their copyrights sold through The UK and Korea. She is currently the General Director of Slowbooks - a unit specializing in publishing high-quality children’s picture books in Vietnam. She is interested in social topics and enjoys engaging in difficult topics such as death, migration or climate crisis for children and teenagers. She believes that children’s picture books are a powerful tool in reflecting the changes and movements of society. By depicting the truth of life, children’s books raise thousands of questions to think about and sow a seed of hope for future generations.
Siyuan Aw (Singapore)
Siyuan Aw was born in Singapore and has lived and worked in Shanghai and London. For many years, he guided creative work at agencies such as BBH Shanghai, Ogilvy London, and DDB Singapore — shaping stories, listening for meaning amid noise. Alongside this professional journey runs a quieter current: a devotion to art, meditation, and nature. His paintings, exhibited in Shanghai and Singapore, explore the stillness that exists between light and breath — the space where thought dissolves into being. His debut picture book, Oneness With Your Wings, emerged from a solitary journey across Mongolia, where he met Bekku and his eagle. It is a meditation on release and renewal — on the strength it takes to let go, and the freedom that follows.
Rachelyn Gordon (Singapore)
Rachelyn Gordon is a Singaporean children’s author and creative writing educator who believes in the power of stories to build empathy, critical thinking and communication skills in young readers and writers. Her picture books, Rosie and the Mamak Shop (2000), Curly (2022) and Frank (2024) are warm and funny stories about identity, friendship, resilience, and above all, the power of laughter. Rachelyn has taught in international schools where she held leadership roles. She now focuses on leading workshops that help children explore real-world issues, discover their voices and write with passion. When she’s not writing, teaching, or reading picture books, she’s running after her son, Samuel, King of Tah Ching. Find out more at rachelyngordon.com or on Instagram at @teacherwhowrites.
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