| Singapore | 29 Sept 2017 | Asia Samachar |
After the success of the ground-up initiative, The Birthday Book 2016, the team behind the Singapore-based project has recently launched the 2017 edition of the publication.
Launched as a ground-up initiative by a group of young Singaporeans last year, The Birthday Book is a publication where contributors are invited to pen essays on a central theme. While last year’s inaugural issue asked What is Singapore’s Next Big Thing, The Birthday Book 2017 asked contributors to write on What We Should Never Forget.
The number of contributors for each edition is congruent to Singapore’s age – so 51 last year and 52 this year – as the book was created as a birthday gift from young Singaporeans to their nation. An additional objective was the desire to provide young and emerging voices in Singapore with a platform to share their views on important aspects of the country’s future.
Indeed, just in its second year, the book has already attracted some notable voices to be a driving force in thought leadership in Singapore. From successful entrepreneurs to societal change makers and from academics and literary activists to public servants, the book contains names of prominent Singaporeans.
SEE ALSO: Former journalist Malminderjit bands 51 young leaders on Singapore’s next big thing
This year, the newly launched book has entries from award-winning poet and writer Alvin Pang, regional education expert Prof S. Gopinathan, Nanyang Technological University President Prof Bertil Anderson and former Nominated Member of Parliament and media consultant Viswa Sadasivan.
Malminderjit Singh, who edited the 2016 edition of the book, this time around co-edited the 2017 edition with Sheila Pakir.
The communications consultant now working with the Singapore Management University is also the President of the Young Sikh Association (YSA) and an active member of the Sikh community in Singapore, in addition to being active in several national initiatives and platforms.
Malminderjit kick-started the idea of The Birthday Book last year with his friend Aaron Maniam. The duo then expanded the team to bring in young and energetic individuals to help drive these projects. After the 2016 edition of the book sold nearly 2,000 copies, the team formalised themselves into a non-profit organisation called The Birthday Collective earlier this year. The proceeds from the sale of The Birthday Book goes to the Collective, which then uses these funds other ground-up projects that catalyse civic mindedness in Singapore.
The Birthday Book 2017 is on sale at major bookstores in Singapore and through thebirthdaycollective.com .
RELATED STORY:
Former journalist Malminderjit bands 51 young leaders on Singapore’s next big thing (Asia Samachar, 6 Sept 2016)
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