2016 has been a productive year for me. Despite Brexit, Trump, the loss of David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Carrie Fisher, and, possibly, the beginning of the end of life as we know it, 2016 was full of joyful, creative progress with lots of fun with our baby growing up. In this mixed up, sad, insane, dystopian world I was privileged to have lots to enjoy.

Some of the creative things I got up to included:

1. Being a featured author at the Singapore Writers Festival.

Sneaking into the green room, scrawling graffiti on the white board … and not being able to operate the capsule coffee machine were highlights … together with being on panels with Robin Hemley, Cathy Torres, Eric Tinsay Valles, Jeffrey Lim, Audrey Chin & Ng Yi-Sheng.

2. Finding a home for a new story, The Looker, within the anthology In Transit

I am very happy with the way The Looker shaped up. I beta tested a romantic white saviour ending versus an open ended, lyrical ending … you'll have to read the story to see which ending I chose for The Looker

3. A Long Bicycle Ride into the Sea finds itself in Singapore Love Stories

ALBRITS is not autobiographical, although it very well could be. This anti-love story ends with our arrogant protagonist bewildered and alone in a bed-sit in Bermondsey.

4. My photo story, The worker from Jiangxi, is published in This is Not a Safety Barrier

I want to do a whole book with photo stories like this one. The good news is that the worker's compensation claim was upheld in December 2016.

TINASB is edited by Marc Nair and Yen Phan. TINASB also includes a ruthless poem about the photographic gaze by Verena Tay inspired by one of my images ‘Old Man at Tekka Centre’.

5. My images in Left-Right

More of my images inspiring Verena Tay’s poetry were published in Left-Right. This is a wonderful Singapore Photography book edited by Geraldine Kang and Kenneth Tan and I would recommend it to anyone unfamiliar with the quality and vision of Singaporean photographers and writers.

6. The Finger published on line at Singapore Poetry

Thanks to Jee Leong Koh for publishing The Finger, available free on line at Singapore Poetry. Singapore Poetry is an important outlet for Singapore writers and provides fresh and intelligent views on Singapore literature.

7. The Model published in Esquire Singapore

Thanks to Amanda Lee Koe for publishing a story, The Model, in the April 2016 edition of Esquire magazine.

8. Reciting a Bowie inspired poem for the Singapore Writers Festival Pop Up event, Poets Among the Stars, at the Science Centre's Omni Theatre

I really enjoyed taking part in this multi-media show. The Science Centre & SWF teams were extremely professional and easy to work with. I do hope they repeat the presentation in 2017.

9. Teaching creative writing for a few weeks as Writer in Residence at School of the Arts

Mr Chips eat your heart out. It’s hard work and a fascinating process trying to influence and persuade and communicate to people. Exhausting and very rewarding.

10. Running Writing the City

Writing the City is a monthly creative writing workshop community held at Toa Payoh library and supported by NLB and the British Council and run by Sing Lit Station.

We are looking for a sponsor if you are interested in helping us pay the facilitators and guest presenters.

11. Mucking about with Sing Lit Station

Sing Lit Station has achieved a lot thanks to the hard work and talents of a large number of volunteers and interns and the leadership of Daryl Qilin Yam and Joshua Ip - and it's not even a year old. Watch out 2017 for more poetry, prose, bootcamps, workshops and zombies.