I thank Ms Lim Peng Peng (Support local literature, it's a part of us; Feb 10) and Dr V. Subramaniam (Don't underestimate value of studying local literature; Feb 19) for their letters because support like theirs is crucial to our efforts to promote Singapore literature (SingLit).

Figures from our industry partners show that more than 23,000 people attended over 40 SingLit-related programmes in the weekend of #BuySingLit last month, with 70 per cent of survey respondents indicating that their interest in SingLit had increased.

Home-grown bookshops enjoyed a boost in sales over that weekend, with selected participating retailers reporting an average 24 per cent increase in sales compared with a usual weekend.

Other events at which SingLit is available include the Singapore Writers Festival and the recent Words Go Round.

I am also encouraged that groups like Sing Lit Station (www.singlitstation.com) and Poetry Festival (Singapore) grow the literary community and are meaningful networks for readers and writers.

Like Ms Lim and Dr Subramaniam, we also wish for more local support for SingLit, and strongly encourage more Singaporeans to discover and embrace their stories and poetry.

May Tan (Ms)

Acting Director

Sector Development (Literary Arts)

National Arts Council, Singapore