World Book Day 2024

On 20 Apr 2024, more than 450 students from secondary schools all over Singapore gathered at our auditorium to witness the opening ceremony of World Book Day and Literature Under the April Sky. The ceremony was graced by Minister of State of Ministry of Education & Ministry of Manpower, Ms. Gan Siow Huang. Ms. Gan, who is also the Chairperson for the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), launched the collection of students’ works from the 2024 Author-in-Residence Programme. The book showcases outstanding works written by student participants of the programme. Ms Gan also presented the Feiyue Award to 28 students from the Chinese Language Elective Programme (CLEP), recognising their efforts in Chinese Language and Literature.

The theme for this year’s World Book Day, "Cultivating Inner Elegance through Reading" (腹有诗书气自华), is inspired by the Song Dynasty poet, Su Dongpo. The quote emphasises the importance of being well-read and knowledgeable, as being so can broaden our horizons, promote our growth, and establish good character. 

We were also honored to have Ms. Ayri Chang (张西女士), a renowned writer from Taiwan, and Mr Neo Hai Bin (梁海彬先生), an established local writer and theatre practitioner as our esteemed guests. Ms. Chang’s lecture on "Reading and Life" and Mr Neo's lecture "Loneliness No More (为了不愿一个人)" left a deep impression on the audience.

2024年4月20日，逾450位来自各中学的学生齐聚在华侨中学（中学部）会堂，见证了2024世界书香日暨文学四月天的开幕典礼。开幕典礼由教育部兼人力部政务部长、推广华文学习委员会主席颜晓芳女士担任主宾。颜部长在开幕式上发布了学生作品选集《心有灵犀一点通》，此书收录了参加《驻校作家计划》的学生的优秀作品。不仅如此，颜晓芳女士也向28位荣获“语特飞跃奖”的中学生及初级学院学生颁发奖项，认可他们在语文特选课程中的努力与付出。

今年的活动主题，“腹有诗书气自华”灵感来自于宋朝诗人苏轼的作品。博览群书不但可以增广我们的见识，促进我们的成长，更能够建立我们优良的品德。 

活动也有幸邀请到了台湾著名作家张西女士，以及本地著名作家与剧场工作者梁海彬先生为在场学生做专题演讲。张西女士的讲座，“阅读与生活” 及梁海彬先生的“为了不愿意一个人”都让在场学生收获匪浅。

Written by: 4O2 Chen Han Yu 陈翰宇