“Constance Singam is the mother of civil society. She has inspired many generations of civil society activists and has provided invaluable historical perspectives and relevance to work we do on the ground. Her boundless energy has been responsible for numerous projects and initiatives that have shaped Singapore’s civil society today.”
-Alvin Tan, Founder and Artistic Director, The Necessary Stage
Memoirs of a Veteran Activist
Constance Singam, who is known affectionately to many as the “Mother of Civil Society” in Singapore, was set to launch her memoirs titled “Where I Was: A Memoir About Forgetting and Remembering” on Sunday, 20 March 2022 at the Arts House.
This launch of this book from the trailblazer of civil rights activism in Singapore, who was at the forefront of many events that shaped civil society today like the AWARE Saga, was set to be hosted by the acclaimed author Balli Kaur Jaswal. A snippet from her book about the AWARE Saga is appended below.
Ethos Books, the publisher of the memoirs and some of the best works written about Singapore, offered the following synopsis of the book:
Where I Was: A Memoir About Forgetting and Remembering is a rich, entertaining and compelling account of the life of an extraordinary woman. In a land of many cultures, many races, many religions; in a state where politics and public policies impinge, sometimes callously, on the daily lives of its denizens, Constance Singam is an individual marginalised many times over by her status as a woman, an Indian, a widow and a civil society activist.
Through humorous and moving accounts, Constance captures in words the images of the people, places and events that are the source of her most powerful memories. These images are connected to key turning points in her personal journey, set against or within the context of important historical events. In this reissue of her 2013 memoir, Constance reflects on current advocacy movements and on the events that led to the AWARE saga that would shape the rest of her life.
A preview of the book may be accessed here. Before we turn to the controversy surrounding The Arts House, we wish to share a quote from Constance which is very apt for what is about to come.
A Rug Pull by The Arts House
A Rug Pull by The Arts HouseAt 12.00pm on 9 March 2022, less than 2 weeks before the launch of the book, Balli announced that The Arts House have, for reasons best known to themselves, withdrew.
Balli shared how the Arts House requested that she submit an online for her intended conversation with Constance, which included topics, amongst other things, like activism, feminism, and identity. She noted that there were “hints” from the Arts House, which is the new name for the Old Parliament House, that she should stick to “safe, non-political topics“.
She decried the support, or lack thereof, from the Arts House, especially during International Women’s Month.
It’s International Women’s Month, and this is the sort of “support” women can expect from a venue that calls itself the home of literary arts in Singapore. We can also expect that they will hide behind excuses about logistics and get the publishers to deliver the news. My excitement about telling you about this memoir and inviting you to read it, has been overshadowed by this reminder that there are people who just don’t want our voices to be heard.
There’s a word for this sort of gatekeeping of content, Arts House. Let me help you out: it starts with “c” and ends with “ensorship.”
In the comments section of the post, Constance noted that those who remain in the shadows must be called out. Balli concurred and stated that she will “continue calling out these cowards until they own up and stop“.
Jolovan Wham, a social worker and activist, said that he plans to write to the Arts House to express his disappointment at this.
Within 2 hours of Balli’s post, Constance announced that the publishers, Ethos Books, have found a new venue for the launch that can host a maximum of 50 people.
Buy the Book
One day, our censors will learn the meaning of the Streisand effect. But today is not that day. Thanks to the cop-out by the Arts House, there will be a lot more people who learn about the book, and want to read the book.
for anyone interested in the book, it’s available for pre-order here: https://t.co/7DKzxGRRK9
— ruby (@totebaglibrary) March 9, 2022
If you wish to pre-order the book, you may do so via this link. The paperback version is priced at SGD 24 while the e-book is priced at SGD 16.80. All pre-orders will be mailed out in mid-march.
If you place your order by 31 March, you can snag these exclusive items from Ethos Books too:
– Complimentary e-book
– Limited edition bookplate sticker with Constance’s illustration and signature (while stocks last!)
– Limited edition postcard with Constance’s illustration and signature (while stocks last!)
A former Nominated Member of Parliament, Mr Siew Kum Hong, offered the following tribute to Constance and the book:
“Connie is an inspiration to all activists; on the one hand, she personifies calm, sensitive grace, and on the other hand, she exudes steely, indefatigable determination. I always feel humbled when I’m around her.”
Constance has written other books also, Her previous works include Re-Presenting Singapore Women (2004) and The Art of Advocacy in Singapore (2017). She has written two memoirs including Never Leave Home Without Your Chilli Sauce (2016), and three children’s books including Porter the Adventurous Otter (2021).
We leave you with a poignant quote from Constance Singam. Indeed, she does not, and will never, dream alone.
For avoidance of doubt, this is not our sponsored post. Our curiousity was just piqued by the censorship! 
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