SINGAPORE - Graphic novelist Sonny Liew, who penned the award-winning The Art Of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, will make an appearance at the Singapore Coffee Festival 2017 on Saturday.
He will take part in a 30 minute chat at 12.30pm at The Workshop on Level Two of the Marina Bay Cruise Centre. This will be followed by a book signing. Festival goers are encouraged to bring their own copies of The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye as its publisher Epigram Books has limited copies of the book.
Last month, Mr Liew made history by being the first Singaporean to win at the Eisner awards - the Oscars of the comics industry - for his graphic novel. He won for Best Writer/Artist, Best US Edition of International Material - Asia, and Best Publication Design. Copies of his novel have flown off the shelves since.
The Art Of Charlie Chan, which was published in Singapore in 2015 by Epigram Books and abroad last year by American imprint Pantheon, retells Singapore's journey to nationhood, from the 1950s to the present, through the eyes of a fictional artist of satirical comics.
It sparked controversy in 2015 when the National Arts Council withdrew its $8,000 publishing grant because it "potentially undermines the authority and legitimacy of the Government and its public institutions".
The book depicts founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and his political rival Lim Chin Siong, and refers to historical incidents such as the Hock Lee Bus Riots and the detentions without trial of alleged Marxists in Operation Spectrum in 1987.
Mr Liew will also be doing a signing at Books Kinokuniya at Ngee Ann City at 2pm on Saturday.
