Poet Anne Lee Tzu Pheng's new collection is an ode to everyday life

From void decks to hawker centres, Anne Lee Tzu Pheng's new poems are inspired by the crayon drawings of everyday Singapore scenes by academic and artist Ho Chee Lick. The eminent poet tells The Straits Times why she wants the poems to be so plain-speaking that even children can understand them

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Junk furniture abandoned in void decks, migrant workers travelling in the back of lorries, queues at HDB coffee shops - most Singaporeans may not give these familiar sights a second glance. But for award-winning poet Anne Lee Tzu Pheng, 72, such everyday scenes are the stuff of poetry.

In her 10th collection Common Life, the Cultural Medallion recipient devotes 88 poems to the commonplace, inspired by the crayon drawings of artist Ho Chee Lick.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 04, 2018, with the headline Poet Anne Lee Tzu Pheng's new collection is an ode to everyday life. Subscribe