Three academics and three literary practitioners will helm the Forum On Singapore Literature, to be held tomorrow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

The proposed anthology is the brainchild of English literature professors Philip Holden of the National University of Singapore, Shirley Lim Geok-lin of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Angelia Poon of the National Institute of Education.

The three professors, who will co-edit the anthology, hope to publish it by the end of next year, though they have yet to decide on a publisher.

Says Dr Holden: 'It will be the first comprehensive historical anthology of Singapore literature in English. There have been many anthologies, but none quite like this.'

Previous Singapore-focused anthologies, from The Flowering Tree (1970) to No Other City (2000), focus on specific genres, periods or topics.

The proposed anthology, which the professors liken in structure and scope to the Norton anthologies of American or English literature, will span the 19th century to this year, and will include poems, plays, short stories and excerpts from novels.

The literary texts will be accompanied by introductory essays and headnotes.

While the editors are open to suggestions of specific texts for inclusion, they hope the discussion will have a broader scope.

Says Dr Holden: 'The primary function of the forum will be to reflect more deeply on issues raised by selection. What does it mean, for example, to think about Singapore literature in English? Should it be literature written by Singaporeans or set in Singapore, or can we have wider definitions and, if so, where do the boundaries lie?'

Meanwhile, the issues will be examined from a different perspective by the second panel, comprising veteran English literature teacher Suzanne Choo, publisher Fong Hoe Fang of Ethos Books and playwright Haresh Sharma of The Necessary Stage.

They will give their opinions as practitioners who have hands-on experience in creating and promoting local literature.

Sharma hopes the anthology will include the uncensored versions of previously censored works.

'Many plays in Singapore have dealt with gay-themed or political issues, and the playwrights, directors and companies have had to negotiate with the censors to see some light of day,' he says.

Still, he is optimistic for their inclusion in the anthology - ironically because 'Singapore has a very short history and memory'.

'My own play Off Centre went through some difficulties when it was first staged in 1993,' he says, referring to how the Ministry of Health, which had commissioned it, withdrew its support due to its unflinching depiction of mental illness.

'Today, it is a literature text for the O and N levels.'

ysteph@sph.com.sg