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As a journalist, Desmond most enjoyed covering entertainment and

lifestyle stories. Pictured here are some snapshots of his celebrity features.

 

These days, his writing seems more comfortable in poetry and fiction.

It’s the literary arts that consumes his time nowadays.

INTERVIEWS & READINGS

A Given Grace Anthology Reading

Series: Part Twelve

By Squircle Line Press

Poetry Festival Singapore

Walking Through Death’s Door

By Sebastian James

Death and Donuts

Poetry Festival 2024: Verse Unbound

Featuring Desmond Kon, Ng Yi-Sheng, Inbha A., Joshua Ip, Yong Shu Hoong, Farihan Bahron, Yeow Kai Chai &

Chew Thean Phai

Hosted By Shilpa Dikshit Thapliyal

Poetry Festival Singapore

Read! Fest '23: Writing Off Grief—

Featuring Prionka Ray, Mahita Vas

& Desmond Kon

Hosted By National Library Board

National Reading Movement

Singapore Literature Prize 2022

Awards Ceremony

[Kon’s contribution between 1:41:00–1:49:36]

By Singapore Book Council

Singapore Literature Prize

Off The Cuff: Featuring Desmond Kon, Jennifer Anne Champion & Robert Yeo

Hosted By Ow Yeong Wai Kit

Singapore Writers Festival

The Library Report: Are Celebrity Memoirs Written Just For Publicity?

Featuring Maliah Zubir & Desmond Kon

Hosted By Shabir Sulthan

National Library Board

Write and Burn Spoken Word Competition—Judges’ Reading  

Hosted By Woodlands Regional Library

Poetry Festival Singapore

Poetry of Healing Workshop: 

Developing Authenticity

Hosted By Bishan Public Library

Write and Burn

The Poet Survivor: Being True to One’s Identity & Art in a Woke Age—

Featuring Aaron Lee, Crispin Rodrigues & Jollin Tan

Hosted By Desmond Kon

Poetry Festival Singapore

The Intersection of Faith & Creativity

By Nicole Ann Law

nourishthesoul

Proust Questionnaire: 17 Questions

By Yeow Kai Chai

Quarterly Literary Review Singapore​

Sing Lit Poet Desmond Kon Tells Us About His Near-Death Experience

By Dewi Nurjuwit

Time Out Singapore

Artflakes: Singaporean Literary Hub—

An Interview with Desmond Kon

By Mutiu Olawuyi

CBA (Codka Bariga Afrika) TV English

World Anthropocene Manifesto: 

Featuring Speakers From 80 Territories

[Kon’s contribution starts at Session 2,

at approx. 1:20:55]

Hosted by Jérémy Cheval & Anne Laure Garcin

À l'Ecole de l'Anthropocène

Conversations—Everyone Has a Story to Tell: Featuring Kan Shuyi, Aravinth Kuramasamy, Desmond Kon, Kamini Ramachandran & Malik Mazlan

Hosted By Rishi Budhrani

Asian Civilisations Museum

Spoke & Bird #37: Alfian Sa'at & Desmond Kon [double bill segment

starts at approx. 58:20]
Hosted By Stephanie Chan

Spoke & Bird Poetry Open Mic

Head2Head Conversations:

The Pleasures of Poetry Featuring Desmond Kon & Yong Shu Hoong
Hosted By Crispin Rodrigues

Public Libraries Singapore

On Being Blue: In conversation with

the editors of Atelier of Healing

By Theophilus Kwek

Asian Books Blog

An Interview with Poet and Post-Structuralist Thinker: Desmond Kon

By Jason Eng Hun Lee & Tammy Ho Lai Ming

Hong Kong Review of Books

938 Now Arts & Culture Feature:

Interviewing Desmond Kon

Hosted By Vanessa Fernandez

938 Now 

Entry Points of Happy Chance

with Desmond Kon

By Azizah Siddique

Public Libraries Singapore 

Polymath Desmond Kon Talks About

His Near-death Experience, Religion, 

Philosophy and Writing in The Good

Day I Died

By Elaine Chiew

Asian Books Blog

Live Reading With Desmond Kon

By Dewi Nurjuwit

Time Out Singapore

The Changing State of Singapore Poetry: 

Featuring Koh Tai Ann, Desmond Kon

Zhicheng-Mingdé & Yeow Kai Chai

Hosted By Margaret Devadason

Poetry Festival Singapore

Love Radio on Night Spin 182.7:

Trio of Poems by Desmond Kon

[segment starts at approx. 5:20]

Produced By Deborah Emmanuel 

Singapore Writers Festival

Hold the Line by Pierre Vinclair:

Ethos Books Launch Video

[Kon’s contribution starts at approx. 3:05]

Produced By Jeremy Ho & Ng Kah Gay

Featuring Poets From France & Singapore

SWF Festival Bookstore

Candid Conversations With Desmond Kon

By Shafiq Guee

HYPE

Philosopher, Hermit, Journalist, Historian, Poet

By Zafar Anjum

Kitaab

The Tiger Moth Review: Poets Reading Video Series (Desmond Kon)

Invited By Esther Vincent

The Tiger Moth Review

Having Fun With First-Person Narration With Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé

Invited By Sydney Liu

Commaful

Desmond Kon Reads Forty-Two Poems

I Want to Write

Invited By Paul Munden, Alvin Pang

& Shane Strange

Recent Work Press

12th Feature of #25otm: Desmond Kon

Hosted By Annabelle Fabia-de Arroz

#25otm 

In Conversation With Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé 

By Goa Arts & Literature Festival 

The International Centre Goa

Featured Author Interview

By Lark Vernon Timmons

Pirene’s Fountain

On Meeting Gertrude Stein with

Local Wordsmith Desmond Kon

By Cally Cheung

Popspoken

In Love with Words

By Ashley Choo

The Urbanwire

Goal: An Interview with Poetry World Cup Winner Desmond Kon

By Zafar Anjum

Kitaab

Of Theology, Forms, and Absence 

By Divya Victor

Jacket2

Writers Spotlight

Invited By Lisa Lip

The Arts House Feb/Mar 2019

The Anti-Art Author

By Althea Duncombe​

Singapore Book Council Blog

Of Pots and Poets

By Shermaine Yeo

The Urbanwire

 

Poet of the Month

By Jacob Silkstone

The Missing Slate

Wrestling with Words

By Elizabeth Goh

The Urbanwire

The Metaview: Desmond Kon

Invited By Julie Innis & Frank Hinton

Metazen

Ask the Author

By Roxane Gay

PANK

Featured Author Interview

By Pamela Ho

The A List

Works by Desmond Kon

By Shermaine Yeo

The Urbanwire

Catching Up With Kon

By University of Notre Dame

Book People

Episode 22: Poems by Karen Greenbaum-Maya & Desmond Kon [Podcast]

By Jae Newman & Amy Watkins

Red Lion Square

Three Poems Plus Q&A

By Press 53

Prime Number Magazine

Author Showcase:

Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé

By Jessica Otto

Trapeze Magazine

CRITICISM & REVIEWS

Critical Introduction

By Samuel Caleb Wee

Poetry.sg

Review: The Gift of Returns:

Reckoning With Desmond Kon’s

The Good Day I Died ​

By Ho Kin Yunn

Cha: An Asian Literary Journal

Digital Communities At Work:

Singapore Poetry Writing Month

By Joshua Ip, Ann Ang & Cheryl Julia Lee

TEXT Journal Special Issue 64

Review: The Good Day I Died – By Desmond Kon

By Mitali Chakravarty

Modern Literature

Review: The Arbitrary Sign​

By Mandy Pannett

Rain Taxi Review

Singapore Shelf: Free E-Books That Reimagine Past And Future Singapores

By Olivia Ho

The Straits Times Life!

The Talented Local Poets

You Need On Your Bookshelves

By Dewi Nurjuwit

Time Out Singapore

Dissecting Love & Language

By Stephanie Studzinski

Cha: An Asian Literary Journal

Review: I Didn’t Know Mani Was

A Conceptualist

By Mandy Pannett

Kitaab

Sound, Sense, and Story: Narrativity

and Poeticity in the Contemporary

Lyric Poem

By Samuel Wee Ting Han

DR-NTU Institutional Repository

Literary Commentary:

“First Language, Second Tongue: 

Singapore Literature in English”

Edited by Koh Tai Ann

Singapore Chronicles: Literature

Literary Commentary:

“Burning In Your Hands:

Singapore’s Queer Literary Tradition

By Ng Yi-Sheng

Singapore Literature & Culture: Current Directions in Local & Global Contexts

Literary Commentary:

“dame de compagnie :: lady of company”

By Paul Hetherington & Cassandra Atherton

Prose Poetry: An Introduction

Review: Singular Acts of Endearment

By Mandy Pannett

Kitaab

World Poetry Day: Verse vs. Virus

By Elaine Chiew

ArtsEquator

The Zoom Boom

By Irie Aman

SingPoWriMo 2020 Issue 4


Creating Artifice: Between Page

and Objet d’Art

By Desmond Kon

WTC British Council Singapore

Where Have All The Critics Gone?

By Joshua Ip

SingPoWriMo 2019 Issue 2

Mining the Limits of Literary

Experience

By Lark Vernon Timmons

Pirene’s Fountain

Track Changes Feature:

Gertrude Stein’s Apraxia/Aphasia

By Desmond Kon

Poetry.sg

Raffles Reads: The Good Day I Died

By Tan Yu You

Word of Mouth

Review: Sanctuary Short Fiction

By Breadley Winterton

Taipei Times

Review: Babel Via Negativa

By Mandy Pannett

Kitaab

Top Writing Tips

By Desmond Kon

WTC British Council Singapore

Singapore Shelf: 10 Reads for February

By Olivia Ho

The Straits Times Life!

Blurb: Mok Zining’s The Orchid Folios

By Desmond Kon

Ethos Books

Blurb: Love and Life at the Gallery (Edited by Ow Yeong Wai Kit & Genevieve Wong) 

By Desmond Kon

Poetry Festival Singapore

Blurb: Elaine Chiew’s The Heartsick Diaspora, and Other Stories 

By Desmond Kon

The Ethical Shop

Blurb: S. Mickey Lin’s Uncanny Valley By Desmond Kon

Marshall Cavendish

Review: I Didn’t Know Mani Was

A Conceptualist

By Eileen Tabios

Galatea Resurrects

Review: Sanctus Sanctus Dirgha

Sanctus

By Mandy Pannett

Kitaab

Summer Reads: Desmond Kon

Zhicheng-Mingdé’s Top Three

By Mia Ayumi Malhotra

Lantern Review

Singapore Shelf: Anima Methodi

By Olivia Ho

The Straits Times Life!

Singapore Shelf: Ars Moriendi

By Akshita Nanda

The Straits Times Life!

Review: Union Anthology

By Linda Ashok

The Rumpus

Editors Corner: Books Were

Looking Forward To

By Iris A. Law

Lantern Review

My Book of the Year 2020:

Two Recommended Titles

By Desmond Kon

Singapore Unbound

My Book of the Year 2019:

Recommended Title

By Desmond Kon

Singapore Unbound

My Book of the Year 2018:

Three Recommended Titles

By Desmond Kon

Singapore Unbound

My Book of the Year 2017:

Four Recommended Titles

By Desmond Kon

Singapore Unbound

My Book of the Year 2016:

Four Recommended Titles

By Desmond Kon

Singapore Unbound

Review: I Didnt Know Mani

Was A Conceptualist

By Robin Choo

npTribune

Summer Reads: Issue 1 Contributor Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé

By Mia Ayumi Malhotra

Lantern Review

00:00 / 03:43
Trio of Poems on Love Radio
00:00 / 19:26

PRESS

Poetry Festival Singapore Publishes Award-Winning Catholic Poet’s Book Dedicated to Pope Francis

By Signis Asia

World Catholic Association for Communication

Singapore Festival Publishes Poetry Collection to Mark Papal Visit

By LiCAS•news

Light of Catholics in Asia

Poetry Festival Singapore Publishes Award-Winning Catholic Poet’s Book Dedicated to Pope Francis

By International News

Today's Catholic

Poetry Festival Singapore Publishes Award-Winning Catholic Poet’s Book Dedicated to Pope Francis

By Asia News

Catholic Sabah

Singapore-Philippines Catholic Editors Break World Record Twice with 2023 Living Now Book Awards Gold Win

By Signis Admin

World Catholic Association for Communication

The Big Read: Singapore Writers Are Going Places But What’s the Next Chapter for SingLit?

By Nicole Lam

Channel NewsAsia

The Big Read: Are Public Libraries Dying? Not in Singapore—Far From It

By Renald Loh

Channel NewsAsia

Catholic Editors Break World Record Twice with 2023 Living Now Book Awards Gold Win

By International News

Today's Catholic

Love Enabled: Docuseries Episode 5 
Featuring Stephanie Esther Fam,

Poet with Cerebral Palsy

[Kon’s contribution between 9:11–13:27]

By OGS Official

Our Grandfather Story

Richest Singapore Book Prize Worth $30,000 Launched by SUSS

By Clement Yong

The Straits Times Life!

Singapore-Philippines Editors Break World Record Twice with Living Now Book Awards Win

By Press Office

Catholic Sabah

Singapore Catholic Editors Win US Literary Award

By UCA News Reporter

The Union of Catholic Asian News 

Filipino, Singaporean Authors Receive

Top Prize at Illumination Christian

Book Awards

By LiCAS•news

Light of Catholics in Asia

Filipino, Singaporean Authors Receive

Top Prize at Illumination Christian

Book Awards

By SIGNIS Asia

World Catholic Association for Communication

Singapore Catholic Editors Win US Literary Award

By UCA News

Herald Malaysia

Singapore Catholic Editors Win US Literary Award

By UCA News

Catholic Sabah

A Friendship Borne Out Of Prose

And Poetry

By Edmund Lim & Gerry Faigal

Opus Dei News

Why Are S'poreans Waking Up Exhausted Even After 7 Hours Of Sleep?

By Akshita Nanda

The Straits Times Life!

How The Singapore Literary

Ecosystem Tackles Mental Health

By Sarah Tang

ArtsEquator

Singapore Writers Get Comfortable

With Death

By Olivia Ho

The Straits Times Life!

Art Picks: Free E-Books From Ethos, Objectifs’ Digital Library, And More

By Ong Sor Fern

The Straits Times Life!

Ethos Books Is Offering Six

Of Its Titles Online For Free

By Dewi Nurjuwit

Time Out Singapore

Writing Workshops, Singlit Comics

Event Go Online

By Aditi Bharade

The Straits Times Life!

Must We Define Singapore’s Literary Voice For It To Be Recognised?

By Beatrice Bowers

Lifestyle Asia

Spoke & Bird Poetry Open Mic:

Alfian Sa'at And Desmond Kon

By Olivia Ho

The Straits Times Life! Happenings

HYPE Goes Digital!

By Shafiq Guee, Ruth Chan & Tan Yan Hui

HYPE

Arts Picks: Dragonflies

By Ong Sor Fern

The Straits Times Life!

5 Things To Check Out From Home:

An Arty Game Night, Modelling Lessons With Layla Ong & More

By Keng Yang Shuen

Female Singapore

Things To Do This Week:

Workshops And Livestreams To Help

You Stay Connected And Sane

By Sophie Hong

Buro Singapore

The Arts House Introduces Home-Based Writing Workshops For Circuit Breaker

By Bakchormeeboy

Bakchormeeboy Arts & Culture Review

From a Light Maze on The Padang to Promenade Theatre by Disabled Performers: 7 Highlights of the Light To Night Festival 2020

By Ong Sor Fern

The Straits Times Life!

7 Breathtaking Programmes You Cant Miss at Light to Night Festival 2020

By Time Out Singapore in partnership

with National Gallery Singapore

Time Out Singapore

S’pore’s Light To Night Festival 2020 Returns 10 Jan With Interactive Art Installations Inspired By Local Poets

By Vera Leng

Hype & Stuff

Light to Night 2020 at Asian

Civilisations Museum

By Singapore Art Week

The A List

Escape Into Art

By Ong Sor Fern

The Straits Times Life!

Light to Night Festival 2020–Bring

Your Imagination to the Invisible Cities

By Rachel Neoh

Hype & Stuff

Sonnets Commissioned by Light to

Night Festival 2020: Invisible Cities

By National Gallery Singapore

nationalgallery.com

Poetry Forms in Fashion​

By Olivia Ho

The Straits Times Life!

10 Books to Look Out For in

Singapores Bicentennial Year

By Olivia Ho

The Straits Times Life!

Singapore: Top 12 Writers and Titles

to Watch

By Teri Tan

Publishers Weekly

An Irish Literary Summer School

in Singapore

By Neil Murphy

The Irish Times

Winners of the SLP: English Poetry

By Singapore Book Council

Singapore Literature Prize: 

Celebrating Our Writers 1992–2018

Local Writers and Readers Mourn

Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul

By Olivia Ho

The Straits Times Life!

Desmond Kon Wins Gold at

2016 Living Now Book Awards

By Zafar Anjum

Kitaab

Best Singapore Poems Over Past

Two Years Collected in a Book

By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh

The Straits Times Life!

Singapore’s First Migrant Festival ​

By Tristan Chan

South China Morning Post

Singapore Author Wins American

Book Award

By Lee Jian Xuan

The Straits Times Life!

Country Spotlight: Singapore

By Teri Tan

Publishers Weekly

New Museum to Publish 2015

Triennial Poetry Book

By Dan Duray

ARTnews

Graphic Novel Gets Nod

for Lit Prize

By Lee Jian Xuan

The Straits Times Life!

Desmond Kon’s Twin Win at 2015

Living Now Book Awards

By Zafar Anjum

Kitaab

In Search of the Great Singapore Novel

By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh

The Straits Times Life!

Singapore Literature Prize Hands Out

24 Awards to 22 Authors

By News Desk

TODAYonline

Leonard Cohen: Singapore Writers

and Musicians Pay Tribute to Him

By Eddino Abdul Hadi

The Straits Times Life!

Author Behind Hit Netflix Series

13 Reasons Why Will Be at

Singapore Writers Festival​

By Mayo Martin

Channel NewsAsia

Sonny Liew’s ‘Charlie Chan’ Leads Singapore Literature Prizes

By Dennis Abrams

Publishing Perspectives

Read Local

By News Desk

The Business Times

The 19th Singapore Writers Festival Attracts Record Attendances

By Media Centre

National Arts Council

Poetry Festival Singapore Features

First Poetic Drama

By Olivia Ho

The Straits Times Life!

Singapores Literary Scene

Enjoying Revival

By Lee Jian Xuan

The Straits Times Life!

Mapping the Literary Roots Between ASEAN and India

By Mitali Chakravarty

Kitaab

Singapore Literature Prize

By News Desk

Channel NewsAsia

S’pore Writers Fest 2015: On

Translations, Paintings and Football

By Mayo Martin

TODAYonline

Historic Poetry Win at National

Indie Excellence Book Awards

By Zafar Anjum

Kitaab

S’pore Art: Top Picks for 2014

By Mayo Martin

TODAYonline

The Ekphrases of Eye/Feel/Write:

Writing About Architecture

By Sucharita Dutta-Asane

Kitaab

American Writers Festival in

Singapore

By News Desk

TODAYonline

Singaporeans in Ipoh Old Town

By Ista

Eksentrika

Singapore: Poetry at the Planetarium

By Team Kitaab

Kitaab

The Ten Best Poets From Singapore

By Tarandip Kaur

Culture Trip

Record Number of Awards at 2016 Singapore Literature Prize Ceremony

By News Desk

Asia Today

Kon Clinches Silver at 2015

Independent Publisher Book Awards

By Zafar Anjum

Kitaab

State of the Arts: July 12 to 19

By Mayo Martin

TODAYonline

Ten Singaporean Poets You Must

Know About

By Karen George

Marie France Asia

Kon’s Double Win at Beverly Hills International Book Awards

By Zafar Anjum

Kitaab

Singapore Writers Festival 2015:

A Party of Words, Pop, Drama

By Media Centre

National Arts Council

Poetry 2.0

By Tan Teck Heng

The Business Times

Spore Wins Poetry World Cup Against Pakistan

By Mayo Martin

TODAYonline

Writers Fest Ends on a High

By Corrie Tan

AsiaOne

Desmond Kon: Singular Acts of Endearment

By National Arts Council

Fiction Singapore 2015/16

Poetry in Motion

By Loretta Perera

Singapore Magazine

CausewayEXchange In Ipoh

By Ili Aqilah Yus Amirul

Ipoh Echo

Kon’s Four-Region Sweep at the

2016 USA Regional Excellence

Book Awards

By Zafar Anjum

Kitaab

Inaugural Writers-in-the-Gardens Residency Programme

By Media Centre

National Arts Council

5 Fun Events to Attend at Singapore

Writers Festival—Even if You Hate

Reading

By SG-Promoted

SG Magazine

Four Paths To Joy: Poetry Reading

& Discussion

By Olivia Ho

The Straits Times Life!

Frightfully Good Writers Festival

By Victoria Barker

AsiaOne

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