A new Sinophone Malaysian Literature Digital Collection at NIE Library was unveiled at a launch ceremony on 21 August 2024 in the Library Research Commons. Comprising entirely digitalised books, this new collection is a dedicated effort to preserve and promote a niche aspect of the literary landscape. What is Sinophone Malaysian Literature, and what makes it significant?
Sinophone Malaysian Literature encompasses works shaped by authors from southern China and Singapore. The genre thrived in the 1950s and 1960s, driven by the significant contributions of these Chinese authors, followed by the emergence of local talent as education became more widespread in Singapore. Its uniqueness attracted attention from scholars in China, Taiwan and beyond, with related research becoming increasingly vibrant. However, despite Singapore’s pivotal role in this literary movement, the disappearance of many important works over time has made continuing research challenging, leaving a lingering sense of loss.
The Journey Begins
Recognising the limited access to Sinophone Malaysian Literature, the team comprising librarians from Collection Development Services and Digital Library Services, along with Dr. Tan Kar Chun from the Asian Languages & Cultures Department, embarked on a mission to locate and digitise as many relevant books as possible. This effort included collaborating with a local book collector who generously provided access to rare and out-of-print books. The digital collection aims to preserve these literary treasures for future generations, providing scholars, students and enthusiasts with access to the captivating works.
The Road Ahead
The time and effort required for this project have been immense, but with the team's dedication, the digital collection continues to grow and uncover even more hidden gems of the Sinophone Malaysian Literature.
Currently, the collection is available exclusively to the NIE community. We hope that one day, this digital repository at the NIE Library can serve as a central hub for Sinophone Malaysian literary studies in Singapore, and even Southeast Asia.
Interested to find out more?
Click here to view a video introduction to the project.
Hear what NIE experts have to say about the significance of the collection.
Browse the books in the Sinophone Malaysian Literature Digital Collection via the Library Portal.
马华文学网上藏书库
马华文学的蓬勃发展与兴盛，南来的中国作家，居功不少。尔后，随着新加坡教育的普及，新加坡也培养了一批对写作有浓厚兴趣的 本土作家。在南来作家及本地作家的努力下，五六十年代的马华文学，取得更的大发展，无论是创作理念，写作手法及内容，独树一帜，受人瞩目，引起海内外，如中国、台湾等地学者的注意；相关研究，也日渐蓬勃。我们身为马华文学发源地之一的新加坡，在研究这一课题上，理应占了不少的天时地利，可事实并非如此。因许多马华作品的佚失，导致相关研究的道路上，布满荆棘，让人唏嘘。有鉴于此，国立教育学院图书馆，才会想到向本地藏书家求助，请他们借出许多宝贵的书籍，供图书馆扫描后，制成网上藏书库，希望能为对马华文学的研究有兴趣的莘莘学子、学者提供研究的便利。
这项工作，所需花费的人力及时间，自不在话下。不过，在大家的努力下，网上藏书库的书籍，仍在不断地增补。希冀有朝一日，教育学院图书馆的这一马华文学网上藏书库，能成为新加坡，甚至是东南亚研究马华文学的资源重镇。
陈家骏博士
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