Chinese Newspaper Literary Supplements in Singapore's Postwar Literary Scene

By Seah Cheng Ta

Introduction

Amid the booming newspaper industry and active Chinese literary scene in Singapore after the Second World War, two editors of newspaper literary supplements stood out for their contributions: Xing Ying (杏影; 1911–67) and Yao Zi (姚紫; 1920–82). The supplements under their editorship were influential and informed local literary trends in the 1950s and 1960s. Newspaper supplements played a significant role in promoting literature and literary aesthetics and developing local literary talent, because they were published more frequently than literary magazines and had a wider audience.¹ They typically appeared as a half-page section near the end of the newspaper. For budding writers, these supplements served as a springboard to the more prestigious literary magazines.²

This paper discusses the editorial styles of Xing Ying and Yao Zi and their contributions to the literary scene in Singapore, such as the multicultural elements they introduced to the supplements, and their nurturing of young writers. The first section describes the postwar Chinese literary scene and the two editors’ backgrounds. Section two focuses on Yao Zi’s early newspaper supplement, Lü Zhou (绿洲, Oasis, November 1952– January 1953), and Xing Ying’s Wen Feng (文风, Literary Trends, January 1954–August 1958), analysing their differing editorial styles and literary approaches. The third section compares their mature literary supplements: Yao Zi’s Shi Ji Lu (世纪路, Century Road, October 1953–January 1954) and Xing Ying’s Qing Nian Wen Yi (青年文艺, Youth Literature and Arts, July 1960–February 1967). The last section focuses on the literary supplements, Zhou Mo Qing Nian (周末青年, Weekend Youth, November 1952–December 1952) in Lü Zhou, and Xin Miao (新苗, New Sprouts, March–August 1958) in Wen Feng. This section will also elaborate on the creation of new platforms for amateur writers and compare the editors’ responses to young readers.

The Postwar Singapore Chinese Literary Scene, 1945–60

In the early postwar period from 1945 to 1948 – known as the initial period of peace or recovery (和平初期/光复初期) – the Singapore Chinese literary scene flourished.³ Newspapers such as Sin Chew Jit Poh (星洲日报), Nanyang Siang Pau (南洋商报) and Min Pao (民报), as well as literary supplements like Chen Xing (晨星) and Feng Xia (风下), were revived. Literary organisations and drama groups resumed their publications and performances, adding to the vibrant arts scene.

A turning point came in 1948. In a bid to fight the communists in Malaya, the British colonial government declared a state of emergency. Newspapers such as Min Sheng Pau (民生报) and Nan Chiao Jit Pao (南侨 日报) closed down, many books from China were banned, and publications in Malaya and Singapore were censored. The number of newspapers and publications in Singapore dropped by about 14 percent, from 140 between 1945 and 1948, to 121 between 1949 and 1954. The control of literature and the arts led to a paucity of reading materials⁴ and the dampening of the literary scene.

At the same time, this sociopolitical environment gave rise to a cultural phenomenon known as “yellow culture” (黄色文化). Yellow culture refers to activities and behaviour perceived as degenerate, such as dance clubs, gambling and pornography.⁵ In October 1953, in what was seen as a tragic consequence of yellow culture, a 16-year-old girl was raped and killed at Pearl’s Hill. A public outcry ensued. Cultural institutions, student organisations and schools organised anti-yellow culture campaigns, and students from Chinese schools such as Chung Cheng High School and The Chinese High School initiated the slogan, “Resist yellow culture” (抵制黄色文化). The anti-yellow culture movement (反黄运动) received widespread public support.

The movement was another turning point in the development of Chinese literature and newspapers in Singapore. New compositions such as songs, dramas, novels and poems emerged, many of which stressed the importance of a healthy mind,⁶ in opposition to the corrupting influence of yellow culture. The number of literary works increased by 25 percent, from 113 before the anti-yellow culture campaign, to 142 in 1955.⁷ In the same year, there were 414 Chinese newspapers and publications, more than twice compared to 163 in the prewar period from 1837 to 1941.⁸

The vibrant Chinese literary and newspaper scene in the 1950s can be attributed to three reasons. First, the British colonial government relaxed its regulations on publications. Except for those championing extreme anti-government views, all other publications could be registered with licences. This led to a resurgence of publishing activity, including materials with “yellow” elements. Second, the increased rigour in Chinese education in the 1950s led to a larger readership for Chinese newspapers, which were more affordable for the masses. Third, the import ban on publications from China and Taiwan meant a scarcity of reading materials for Singapore’s Chinese intellectuals, who thus turned to local Chinese newspapers.⁹

The 1950s also saw local Chinese beginning to reassess their affiliation with Singapore vis-à-vis China. In 1955, the People’s Republic of China announced that overseas Chinese would not be allowed to hold dual nationalities. Local newspapers reflected the shifting sentiments of the day, with interest clearly moving from China affairs to local developments.¹⁰ Articles on issues in China accounted for 69.7 percent of news coverage in 1946, but declined to 22.5 percent by 1950, while articles related to Singapore and Malaya rose from 19 percent in 1946 to 84.3 percent in 1959.¹¹ During this period, the newspaper literary supplements edited by Yao Zi and Xing Ying began to publish discussions on local issues and feature multicultural elements.

Xing Ying and Yao Zi

Xing Ying was the pen name of Yang Shou Mo (杨守默; birth name Yang Fang Jie 杨芳洁). Born in Sichuan province, China, in 1911, he was exposed to several different cultures in his youth. He received his secondary education in Japan and studied English literature at Waseda University in Tokyo. At 30, he was employed by the Allied Forces headquarters in India, on account of his fluent Japanese, and wrote articles published in the Calcutta China Times.¹² After the war, he moved to Singapore in 1946, working as a translator at Nanyang Siang Pau and as a teacher at The Chinese High School. Prior to joining Nanyang Siang Pau, Xing Ying had little experience in editing and translation, and had rejected an offer to be the editor of the literary supplement, Lü Zhou. He eventually took over editorship of Wen Feng, the literary supplement of Nanyang Siang Pau, in 1954. Not only was he successful in his journalism career, Xing Ying was a good prose writer and wrote books such as While You Are Young (趁年轻的 时候, 1958), Books and People (书与人, 1960) and Century of the Fools (愚人的 世纪, 1960), etc. He also contributed regularly to the literary supplements, Lü Zhou and Shi Ji Lu, both edited by Yao Zi. Xing Ying passed away in 1967 from illness at Singapore General Hospital at the age of 55.

Yao Zi, whose birth name was Zheng Meng Zhou (郑梦周), was born in Fujian province, China. As a student, he edited a small newspaper, Jiang Tao (江涛). He subsequently became an editor at Jiang Sheng Daily (江声日报) in China, before coming to Singapore in 1947, where he taught at Tao Nan School and Jin Jiang School. In 1949, his debut novel, Miss Hideko (秀子姑 娘), sold 16,000 copies in a single month; his subsequent novels in the 1950s and 1960s, such as The Lure of Coffee (咖啡的诱惑) and Storm (风波), were also popular. Yao Zi wrote under at least six different pen names in Shi Ji Lu. He was an editor at Nanfang Evening Post (南方晚报) from 1952 to 1953, Nanyang Siang Pau from 1953 to 1954, and Shin Min Daily News (新明日报) from 1969 to 1977. Yao Zi passed away in 1982, at age 62.

International Literature and Communication between Editors and Readers: Lü Zhou and Wen Feng

Lü Zhou and Wen Feng, edited by Yao Zi and Xing Ying respectively, are considered the two early literary supplements of the 1950s. The two men had different editorial philosophies. Yao Zi’s focus on literary aesthetics likely stemmed from his literary values as a novelist, and under his editorship, Lü Zhou published both international and local literature. Xing Ying focused on developing young writers, and with Wen Feng, he created a vibrant supplement that allowed greater interaction between readers and the editor. In Lü Zhou and Wen Feng, Yao Zi and Xing Ying honed their respective editorial styles, which became amplified in their later supplements.

Lü Zhou: Bringing Literary Aesthetics into the Nanyang Literary Scene

Yao Zi was the editor of the literary supplement Lü Zhou in Nanfang Evening Post from 15 November 1952 to 3 January 1953, editing a total of 33 issues. Lü Zhou published news on regional literature and introduced local writers, including Xing Ying and Wei Bei Hua (威北华), both of whom later became renowned writers and editors. Lü Zhou was Yao Zi’s first edited local literary supplement. In his first editorial in 1952, he wrote with palpable optimism that “hope brings light and joy to life”, and “one can hope for a better tomorrow”.¹³

Lü Zhou 绿洲, 9 December 1952, 3. (Microfilm NL3714)

Yao Zi was responsible for publishing a variety of genres in a single issue. For example, the 9 December 1952 issue of Lü Zhou (Figure 1) contains (1) a short story by himself, (2) a serial novel by local writer Yu Sha (余莎), (3) a translated review of works by the Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, (4) a regular column featuring Indonesian poems in translation, (5) a poem by Wei Bei Hua, (6) an essay by Li Qi (里奇) (one of Xing Ying’s pen names), and (7) international literary news.¹⁴

Lü Zhou usually relied on a few good writers for regular contributions. One of these regulars was Wang Ge (王葛),¹⁵ a talented Malayan known for his novels and essays. Lü Zhou published his novels¹⁶ such as Mimosa (含羞草), Sail (帆) and* Fog* (雾), his poem titled “Shell” (贝壳), and even his translation of the English naturalist Gilbert White’s 1789 essay on swallows.¹⁷ Several of the young regular contributors later became important writers. For instance, Zhao Xin (赵心), better known as Zhao Rong (赵戎), contributed many pieces of literary reviews and criticism, and Xing Ying’s essays and novels written under the pen name Li Qi appeared in almost every issue of Lü Zhou.¹⁸

Yao Zi broadened the horizons of local readers by introducing regional and international literature in Lü Zhou. A column was dedicated to poetry from Indonesia (Figure 2); featured works included “Vigil” (守夜), “A Lie” (欺瞒), “Last Night” (昨夜) and “Palace” (王宫).¹⁹ The poems were chosen and translated by Yue Zi Geng (越子耕), better known by his other pen names, Wei Bei Hua and Lu Bai Ye (鲁白野).²⁰ Such columns introducing Indonesian and Malay literature to Chinese readers were quite a common sight in the newspaper literary supplements of the 1950s..²¹

Yue Zi Geng’s column, Introduction to Indonesia Poetry, featuring the poem, “Last Night” (昨夜), in Lü Zhou 绿洲, 5 December 1952, 3. (Microfilm NL3714)

Each issue contained translated Western literary works, such as the poem, “A Slave’s Dream” (一个奴隶的梦), by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and translated by Lin Qiu (林酋), and “The Petrified Forest” (大自然的反攻) by American playwright R. E. Sherwood and translated by Ai Li (艾骊)..²² The 26 November 1952 issue featured an excerpt of a short story by French writer Henry Bordeaux, and an article, “Centenary of Gogol’s Death” (果戈里百年祭) translated by He Lan (河兰)..²³

Lü Zhou also introduced readers to contemporary writers from around Asia. In the issue of 19 November 1952, an article was published on the Korean writer Jang Hyeok-Ju and his new poem “Alas, Korea”..²⁴ Works by Lü Lun (侣伦; 1911–88; birth name Li Lin 李霖), a famous novelist and screenwriter in Hong Kong, were featured prominently in the column, Honeyed Notes (蜜叶记语); they included pieces such as “The Sign of a Book Owner” (书主的标志), “Memory of the Moon” (月之忆) and “Black Tea” (红茶)..²⁵

Yao Zi introduced a column, International Literary News (国际文坛消 息), edited by Di Jun (谛君). Rare for a Chinese newspaper supplement in the 1950s, this column exposed readers to developments in the worldwide literary scene. Articles covered a wide range of events and topics, such as “Belgium Issues Stamps Commemorating Writers” (比国发行作家纪念邮票), “Venice Establishes Literary Award among Nine Countries” (威尼斯创立 九国文学奖), “Children’s Literature in Argentina” (阿根廷的儿童文学) and “Puppets in Italy” (木偶人在意大利)..²⁶ The column also featured articles on international writers and literary reviews, including “The Experience of a Reporter cum Writer: François Mauriac” (新闻记者兼作家的莫里亚 克略经历), written by Di Jun,.²⁷ and a review, “Turgenev and His Works” (屠格涅夫及其作品), by the Irish writer Robert Lynd and translated by Yuan Si (原思). That the review was published in full over three issues of Lü Zhou was telling of the significance Yao Zi placed on the Russian writer. “The works of Turgenev,” he wrote, “are among the greatest in modern world literature.”.²⁸

Wen Feng: Xing Ying and His Communication Tool with Readers

Xing Ying was the editor of Wen Feng in Nanyang Siang Pau from 18 January 1954 to 15 August 1958, during which 828 issues of the supplement were published. In the first two years, Wen Feng was published daily; after 1956, its publication became less regular, partly because of its narrow thematic scope – almost half of the works revolved around the lives of rubber plantation workers, employer-employee relationships, and the difficulties of finding employment.²⁹

Unlike Yao Zi, who focused on publishing highly aesthetic literary works, Xing Ying used Wen Feng to encourage literature-loving youths to write freely,³⁰ in line with his belief that journalism was a meaningful profession because journalists “can effect change in society with a pen”.³¹ Wen Feng’s emphasis on youth writing marked a clear change from the direction of its predecessor, Shi Ji Lu, under Yao Zi’s editorship. Xing Ying welcomed all writers, accepted articles based on the strength of their content, and proscribed personal attacks. The contributors came from different backgrounds, bringing a diversity of perspectives to Wen Feng. Some were professional writers, teachers and civil servants, while others were factory workers, gardeners, students or unemployed amateur writers.

Like Lü Zhou, Wen Feng published works across a wide range of literary genres, including poems, novels, essays, literary reviews and social criticism, often accompanied by woodblock prints.³² Translated works were also frequently featured, such as the short story “The Selfish Giant” (自私的巨 人) by the Irish writer Oscar Wilde and translated by Wei Ding (惟丁).³³ Under Xing Ying’s initiative, Wen Feng published special issues dedicated to individual writers. The 19 October 1954 special issue commemorating the Chinese writer Lu Xun (魯迅) featured poems and literary criticism on his works, and a woodblock print inspired by his novella, Ah Q. Lu Xun’s portrait was featured in Wen Feng’s title plate for that issue (Figure 3).³⁴

Wen Feng 文风, Special commemorative issue on Lu Xun, 19 October 1954. (Microfilm NL2706)

Despite his lack of prior experience in editing a literary supplement, Xing Ying took care to develop writers and also became very popular with readers. Singaporean writer Lin Zhen (林臻) recalled that Xing Ying reviewed all contributions seriously and fairly – it did not matter if he knew the author personally, or if the author was not famous. He returned his edited articles to the writers with comments on how they could improve their work.³⁵ Another Singapore Chinese writer, Xie Ke (谢克), who was also a prominent local editor in the 1970s and 1980s, recalled the lack of youth writing platforms in the 1950s: “Without Wen Feng and Xing Ying’s nurturing role, the Chinese literary scene in 1950s Singapore would have been less vibrant, and there would not have been so many youths interested in literature.”³⁶

Xing Ying created an editorial column – Random Notes (补白杂记), later renamed Wen Feng Mailbox (文风信箱) – to express his views and communicate with the supplement’s readers, who responded well to it.³⁷ One reader, Mian Ti (缅堤), wrote that this column was “a great inspiration” and his favourite thing to read in Wen Feng.³⁸ Xing Ying also used this column to encourage young writers: “Please write about the issues in life, on matters that are down to earth, with less exaggeration. Write naturally and39 add your personal opinions. With that, you will become a better writer.”³⁹

The editorial column also shows Xing Ying’s commitment to maintaining Wen Feng as a literary platform for writers of all stripes.⁴⁰ When a reader, Peng Long Fei (彭龙飞), criticised the quality of the poems published in Wen Feng, Xing Ying replied: “Wen Feng does not have articles from professors, famous writers or scholars. Our writers are students from secondary and primary schools, or even workers or hawkers who are uneducated, so their works will not be impressive. That said, I do not see a major problem in the two lines you mentioned.”⁴¹ After a contributor was caught for plagiarism, Xing Ying asked readers to forgive the contributor, who had apologised: “I believe this unfortunate case of plagiarism will not tarnish the reputation of the literary supplement. Such a thing happened because of Wen Feng’s openness. We should give a second chance to those who admit their mistakes.”⁴² The column became an intimate space for him to share his thoughts with readers.

Professionalism and Cosmopolitanism: Shi Ji Lu and Qing Nian Wen Yi

The later supplements edited by Yao Zi and Xing Ying – Shi Ji Lu and Qing Nian Wen Yi, both in Nanyang Siang Pau – were more developed, as the editors were more experienced after editing Lü Zhou and Wen Feng. Like in Lü Zhou, Yao Zi focused more on literary aesthetics and relied on a small group of talented writers, while Xing Ying focused on nurturing writers, accepting many contributions from amateurs.

Shi Ji Lu: Maintaining Literary Aesthetics in a Literary Supplement

Yao Zi edited a total of 65 issues of Shi Ji Lu from its inception on 8 October 1953, to its end on 16 January 1954.⁴³ In that short span, Shi Ji Lu became one of the most influential literary supplements in Singapore, with many contributors becoming well-known writers and editors, for instance Xing Ying, Zhao Rong, Wei Bei Hua, Xie Ke, Lian Shi Sheng (连士升), Miao Xiu (苗秀), Wei Yun (韦晕) and Liu Bei An (柳北岸), among others.

The first issue of Shi Ji Lu was published four days after the rape and murder of Zhuang Yu Zhen, the case that sparked the anti-yellow culture movement (Figure 4). Yao Zi was accused of being a yellow writer (黄色作家), for his novels such as Miss Hideko (秀子姑娘, 1949) and Ural Mountains (乌拉山之夜, 1950) contained descriptions of female body parts and sex scenes. Some of his poems published in Shi Ji Lu hint at the criticisms he faced. In “A Note to Myself at Age Thirty: A Reply to My Friends” (三十自题:兼答关怀我的朋友们), he wrote: “Worldly ups and downs are within my destiny, how can others judge my glory or downfall?”⁴⁴

Chen Ye Huang (陈烨煌), “Anti-Yellow Culture”, Shi Ji Lu 世纪路, 14 January 1954, 8. Chen’s illustration depicts the eradication of yellow culture from Malaya, with a huge, fiery foot kicking a cameraman shooting a yellow film, and a yellow-film actress fleeing the scene. (Microfilm NL2702)

During this period, Yao Zi was supported by a group of writer friends. This further cemented his practice of relying on a small group of trusted writers for the supplement. Shi Ji Lu’s three regular contributors were Xing Ying, Zhao Rong and Miao Xiu, whose articles formed the supplement’s core, in addition to those by Yao Zi himself.⁴⁵ Xing Ying wrote under two other pen names, Li Qi and Gongsun Zhe (公孙哲). Li Qi’s articles were about the writing life, such as “A Mature Writer” (成长了的作家) and “Notes Under the Light” (灯下笔记), while Gongsun Zhe wrote essays criticising unfairness in society, such as “Fear of Death and Others” (怕死及其他) and “Along the Road” (在马路旁边). Under the pen name Xing Ying, he wrote essays on Western literature, for instance “An Occasional Read of Mark Twain’s Novel” (偶读马克吐温的小说), and an essay on Western philosophy, “Live, Dead, Eternity (生· 死·永远).⁴⁶ Zhao Rong wrote articles on literary history under the pen name Zhao Xin, such as “The Direction of Malayan Chinese Literature and Arts” (马华文艺底路向), and articles on morality under the pen name Bi Nu (笔奴), such as “Robbery and Morality” (盗与 道) and “To Reprimand the Liars” (斥文骗).⁴⁷ The third regular contributor, Miao Xiu, wrote literature reviews such as “Lu Xun’s Former Residence and Zhou Zuoren” (鲁迅的故家与周作人) and “A Discussion on Literary Criticism” (谈文艺批评) under the pen name Shi Jin (史进).⁴⁸ His novel Hanging Red (挂红) was written under the pen name Miao Yi (苗毅) and published over several issues of Shi Ji Lu.⁴⁹ While Yao Zi’s reliance on a regular group of contributors supplied Shi Ji Lu with articles of literary merit, it resulted in less diversity of writing styles.

As a consequence of the anti-yellow culture movement, the atmosphere in the literary scene became more conservative. Yet, Yao Zi remained a creative and experimental editor. Under his editorship, Shi Ji Lu ushered in a new wave of Western literature to the postwar Nanyang literary scene. Compared to Lü Zhou, Shi Ji Lu featured more international content. The inaugural issue included two American short stories in translation – “The Cop and the Anthem” (警察和赞美诗) by O. Henry and translated by Jiang Nan Liu (江南柳), and “The Tax Collector” (给收税员) by J. P. McEvoy and translated by Zhu Ai (主艾) – and an essay on the American writer Jack London. Other works of Western literature subsequently published in Shi Ji Lu included “L’Aventure” (The Adventure, 艳遇) by the Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun, translated by Ya Ji (亞玑);⁵⁰ “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (睡谷的传说) by the American writer Washington Irving, translated by Jiang Nan Liu (江南柳);⁵¹ “A String of Blue Beads” (一串蓝珠) by the American writer Charles Fulton Oursler, translated by Xi Bang (希邦);⁵² and the poem “Out of the Night That Covers Me” (夜幕笼罩着我) by the British poet William Ernest Henley, translated by Shou Ming (受明).⁵³ Shi Ji Lu occasionally also published translations of biographies of well-known writers, such as “The Life of O. Henry” (奥·亨利的生平), translated by Jia Sheng (加生).⁵⁴

Yao Zi also published works by Hong Kong writers such as Lü Lun⁵⁵ and Liu Yichang (刘以鬯). Liu contributed the short story “Enchanting Building” (迷楼),⁵⁶ and under the pen name Linghu Ling (令狐玲), wrote reviews of Western literature, including “The Prejudices of Shakespeare” (莎士比亚的偏见) and “Roger de Coverley’s Style” (罗杰·考浮莱型).⁵⁷ Yao Zi further broadened cultural discourse in Shi Ji Lu by publishing pieces on Indonesian music, which was rare for a literary supplement in the 1950s. Articles included “A Forgotten Indonesian Artist: The Composer of ‘Bengawan Solo’, Martohartono” (被遗忘的印尼艺术家: “梭罗河颂”的作者 玛尔多尼亚佐) by Mo Da (莫达), “The Attempt to Collect Indonesian Folk Songs” (搜集印尼民歌的尝试) by Sun Bin Lin (孙彬琳), and “My Views on Indonesian Music” (印尼音乐之我见) by Wei Zhi (微知).⁵⁸

Shi Ji Lu also had a column for young writers called Youth Square (青年广场). The article “Eradicating the Perverts” (扫荡色情狂), written by Bai Xu (白絮), a student from Nanyang Girls’ High School, advocated the eradication of yellow culture in Singapore.⁵⁹ Another contributor, Bin Bing (斌冰), discussed “The Future after Graduation” (毕业后的出路问题),⁶⁰ while in “Preferential Treatment for Some Students” (优待学生), Huang Yi (黄裔) wrote that a movie company gave free tickets for American movies to students in English-medium schools, but not to students in Chinese schools. In contrast to Xing Ying, whose replies emphasised values and morals, Yao Zi replied sarcastically that Huang’s anger seemed misplaced: it suited English-school students to watch substandard American movies.⁶¹ Despite their different editorial philosophies, both editors promoted social justice for students in their own way.

Qing Nian Wen Yi: Nurturing Writers and Promoting Multiculturalism

In July 1960, Xing Ying became editor of Qing Nian Wen Yi in Nanyang Siang Pau, which became one of the longest-running literary supplements of the 1960s, when some newspapers supplements did not last even a month.⁶² It ran for 729 issues over nearly six and a half years, from 20 July 1960 to 6 February 1967.⁶³ Qing Nian Wen Yi was the last literary supplement edited by Xing Ying, and with his death, the supplement ended too. The tagline in Qing Nian Wen Yi’s title plate (Figure 5) was a clear statement of its mission: “Published every Wednesday, a writing platform for the youth”.

Title plate of Qing Nian Wen Yi taken from the inaugural issue, 20 July 1960, 14. (Microfilm NL2758)

Qing Nian Wen Yi published poems, essays and literature reviews by students. Compared to Xing Ying’s prior literary supplements, Wen Feng and Xin Miao, Qing Nian Wen Yi featured more articles on world literature; in this sense, it was more similar to Yao Zi’s Lü Zhou and Shi Ji Lu. Notable Western works appeared in translation, such as the essay “On National Prejudices” (爱国的偏见) by the Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith, and Mark Twain’s essay on writing technique, “How I Start Writing Essays” (我怎样开始写文章).⁶⁴

This international perspective was partly due to Xing Ying’s love for foreign literature and exposure to Japan as a teenager. It can also be seen as a move to introduce world literature to young readers. Some of Xing Ying’s favourite foreign writers were Bernard Shaw, Anton Chekhov, Alexander Pushkin, Friedrich Schiller, William Somerset Maugham, Romain Rolland, Leo Tolstoy and Mark Twain. In 1960, Xing Ying was invited by Radio Singapore to give a series of 10 lectures on Japanese culture.⁶⁵

Besides foreign literature, Qing Nian Wen Yi published writings related to international affairs. For instance, in the issue of 8 March 1961, the supplement ran a special column of student poems dedicated to Congo, in commemoration of the innocent lives lost during the ongoing Congo Crisis.⁶⁶ Compared to Wen Feng, which focused on literary news, Qing Nian Wen Yi offered broader world news coverage.

Qing Nian Wen Yi also published translated articles on Malay literature, including M. Zain Salleh’s “The Mission of Literature during Nation Building” (建设时期的文学的任务), and an essay titled “An Outstanding Malay Poet: Tongkat Warrant” (东革·华兰: 杰出的马来诗人), introducing the poet who was better known by his pen name, Osman Awang.⁶⁷ There were also original writings in Chinese on Malay literature, including an essay by Bi Cheng (碧澄), who praised Ishak Haji Muhammad for his persevering attitude towards writing (依萨哈芝穆哈末: 一位勤于写作的 马来作家).⁶⁸ Such articles show that Chinese readers then were interested in Malay literature.

The Need for an Additional Supplement: Zhou Mo Qing Nian and Xin Miao

The literary supplements edited by Yao Zi and Xing Ying were so popular with readers and contributors that new literary supplements – Zhou Mo Qing Nian in Nanfang Evening Post, and Xin Miao with Qing Nian Wen Yi in Nanyang Siang Pau – were created to accommodate the increasing number of contributions from young writers. While both editors were concerned about the youth of Singapore, Yao Zi focused more on the social problems that students faced, while Xing Ying offered the students writing advice.

Zhou Mo Qing Nian and Youth Square

Yao Zi was the editor of the weekly literary supplement Zhou Mo Qing Nian, producing eight issues during his tenure from 1 November 1952 to 27 December 1952. He created Zhou Mo Qing Nian in response to aspiring young writers who could not get published in* Lü Zhou*. In an editorial, Yao Zi wrote that the articles in Zhou Mo Qing Nian might not be “up to standard”, but they focused more on content and less on writing technique.⁶⁹

While Lü Zhou was more literary, Zhou Mo Qing Nian was targeted at the youth.⁷⁰ The articles dealt with issues that concerned this demographic, such as education and social justice. Writings on observations about society included “Rubber Tappers” (割胶的工人) by Lin Jian (林建) and “Unemployment” (失业) by Yuan Yuan (媛媛).⁷¹ Other articles gave tips and encouragement to young writers who wanted to have their works published in newspapers, such as “How to Practise Writing” (怎样练习稿子) by Bu Dong Shi (不懂事),⁷² and “My Experience with Manuscript Rejection” (投稿 失败给我的经验) by Qin Kai (秦凯).⁷³

As he would later do in Shi Ji Lu as well, Yao Zi created a column in Zhou Mo Qing Nian called Youth Square (青年广场), to allow students to give voice to injustices they suffered or observed (Figure 6). Yao Zi made it clear that the column was not a place to vent one’s personal anger; its purpose was to improve Chinese education in Malaya, by providing a forum for those treated unjustly to speak up, so that the school authorities could not turn a blind eye to abuses of power.⁷⁴ In one case, a student had to put his studies on hold for a semester, but the school continued to charge tuition fees;⁷⁵ in another case, a principal was called out for being partial in his selection of articles to be published in the school journal.⁷⁶ The issues might seem immature and trivial, but they were serious matters for the supplement’s young readership. Hence, Zhou Mo Qing Nian was more than a literary supplement for the youth; it was a publication that concerned itself with youth welfare.

Zhou Mo Qing Nian, with its poetry column (bottom left) and Youth Square (top right). 27 December 1952, 3. (Microfilm NL3714)

Besides Youth Square, Zhou Mo Qing Nian had another regular feature: a poetry column that showcased about five to seven poems by young writers in each issue. This demonstrates that Yao Zi was keen to encourage poetry writing among the youth, despite his overall emphasis on literary aesthetics. The poems tended to revolve around youthful aspirations and experiences, such as “Hope” (期待) by Xue Zi (学子), “If” (假使) by Wang Shao Quan (王绍全), “Awaking from a Dream” (梦醒) by Fa Yuan (发源), “Forced to Move” (迫迁) by Li Yin (李音), and “Laughter by the Seashore” (海滨的 笑声) by Xiao Ling (小绫).⁷⁷

Xin Miao: Music Meets Literature

Xing Ying was the editor of Xin Miao, the “brother supplement” of Wen Feng. The publication of these two literary supplements in Nanyang Siang Pau overlapped by six months, from March to August 1958, which was also the lifespan of Xin Miao. Xin Miao did not have a fixed publication schedule – it was initially published thrice a week, but the frequency later dropped to once a week. Like Random Notes in Wen Feng, Xin Miao Mailbox served as a forum for readers and Xing Ying to communicate with one another.⁷⁸

In creating Xin Miao, Xing Ying hoped to give secondary school students a platform to publish their writings. Ever the nurturer of writers, he wrote in his first editorial: “If you keep writing, the article gets better. If you keep using the pen, it gets sharper.”⁷⁹ Singaporean writer Liu Shun (柳舜), who used to contribute to Xin Miao, recalled that Xing Ying was approachable and kind to younger writers, and listened to their concerns.⁸⁰

Xin Miao published fiction, poems, essays, playscripts, illustrations and woodblock prints. Similar to Zhou Mo Qing Nian, the topics and themes were relevant to the lives of younger readers, with articles like “My First Overseas Trip” (我的第一次旅行) by Yang Zhi (杨之).⁸¹ The issue on 15 March 1958 (Figure 7), for example, included contributions such as “The First Test” (第一次测验), “Mango” (芒果), “Rabbit, Wolf, Elephant, Fox” (兔子·狼·大象·狐狸) and “In the Rubber Plantation” (在胶林里).⁸² Writings on local conditions were also popular, such as “Life in the Lower-income Class in Singapore and Malaya” (新马的一部分底层生活) by Xue Li Si (学裏思), “To the Wet Market” (上巴刹) by Xiao Yun (小韵), “My Village” (我的乡村) by Zhu Ying (竹影), “A Fire in Geylang” (芽笼的火灾) by Hong Xing (红星), and “Queenstown” (女皇镇), a poem by Gao Bang (高邦).⁸³

Xin Miao was also a platform for music education and appreciation, with several of the issues featuring musical scores and music-related writing. Xin Miao published four scores, all composed by Huang Hun (黄昏), with lyrics by Hu Yang (湖洋): “Lullaby” (摇篮曲), “Midnight” (子夜), “A Nursery Rhyme My Mother Taught Me” (母亲教我一首儿歌) and “Idyllic Fields” (田园芳草) (Figure 7).⁸⁴ Articles with musical themes included “Learning Music with Friends” (与友人学音乐) by Gao Xiu (高秀), “Music and Life” (音乐与人生) by Yu Si Yi (余思毅), and “My View on ‘Running Donkey’: Chinese Folk Dance” (我看《跑驴》:中国民间舞蹈) and “The New School Song” (新校舍歌) by Shan Ba Zi (山芭子).⁸⁵

Xin Miao published music scores (middle) and satirical comics (left) alongside the usual literary contributions. The scores were presented in Chinese-style numerical notation, rather than Western-style notation. 15 March 1958, 19. (Microfilm NL2736)

Conclusion

Both Nanyang Siang Pau and Nanfang Evening Post had significant readerships, which contributed to the influence of their literary supplements. As an editor, Yao Zi focused more on literary aesthetics, relying on a group of regular contributors, while Xing Ying focused more on developing writers and engaging readers. However, in Zhou Mo Qing Nian, Yao Zi, too, accepted amateur works from young writers.

Given their positions of influence, Yao Zi and Xing Ying played an important role in promoting local literature and writers, many of whom later became established figures in the Chinese literary scene. In addition, both editors brought world literature and new ideas to local readers, including Western writing techniques, translations of foreign classics, and international literary news. They also promoted multiculturalism by publishing translations of Malay literary works and original essays in Chinese discussing Malay literature. Vibrant, cross-cultural and multilingual, the literary scene in the 1950s and 1960s is an area that deserves further study.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Goh Yu Mei for helping me locate the research materials, Joanna Tan for her assistance in administrative matters during my fellowship at the National Library of Singapore, and the librarians – Kevin Seet, Juffri Supa’at, Ang Seow Leng, Lim Tin Seng and others – who helped me retrieve closed access materials and shared information with me. I would also like to thank Professor Chan Tah Wei for giving his comments and advice on the article, and Soh Gek Han and the editorial team for patiently editing my paper.

About the author

Seah Cheng Ta obtained his PhD in Chinese Language and Literature from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and is currently a research associate at the School of Humanities at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He was a visiting scholar at UCLA and a Lee Kong Chian Research Fellow at the National Library of Singapore. He has won the Fang Xiu (方修) literary award in Singapore and Taiwan’s Zhou Meng Die (周梦蝶) literary award. His research interests include Singapore Chinese literature, Southeast Asian history and global Chinese studies.