Singapore Writers' Festival:

This morning had a fair showing for an audience compared to the last week, except perhaps for the Mandarin sessions and Anita Nair's which was commendable.

Watching from a distance for someone who attended most events from the start, the festival feels as if it's already over. Last weekend, saw healthy audiences but I think the packed symposium (yesterday and the day before), stole all of an electrifying mood and dynamic energy.

However, there was a renewed energy later in the evening for 2 book launches featuring self-published authors and how packed the rooms were then.

At the symposium, how many aspiring and established authors, editors and publishers paid SGD$300/-. to educate themselves for a personal enrichment. Questions had the gathered crowd in stitches and the panel discussions like priceless tutorials, were informal and lively.

And what fun networking and getting to know everyone during the breaks.
Today, I'm missing many of my new friends. Lisa, May, Chiki, Gayathri, Sumitha, Hari, Richard, Sharmini, etc. Of course, I knew they were not coming.

2 whole days were enough, each felt. That's why we exchanged all our emails and phone numbers yesterday. Even Raman of Silverfish Books returned to Kuala Lumpur last night and most of the authors, publishers and agents have already left.

I myself am exhausted. I felt I could last out a whole day of events but 3 was the most I could manage.
I never recovered from my long flight and had plunged straightaway into the all-day week-long events.

But what a fabulous time I've had.

Slowly but surely, I shall get it all down on paper.