“City Book Room”
November 2016
Tan Waln Ching
Translation of Essay in Mandarin (Below)
City Book Room was featured in a Channel 8 television programme on independent bookshops in Singapore . It was broadcast in August 2016.
I love books, so it is my destiny to be in the publishing and bookshop industry.
I am from Malaysia, and came to Singapore in 2003 when I was admitted into the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore. I love the Chinese language. In my second year as an undergraduate, I chose to major in Chinese Studies. I would go to book stores like Great River Book Company, Grassroots Book Room and Shanghai Book Company to buy books that I needed for my classes. I was involved in organizing the Singapore Tertiary Literature Award in 2005 as a student. We invited Yeng Pway Ngon of Grassroots Book Room to be on the panel of judges. I was to get to know Mr Yeng well.
I worked for about a year in an art gallery after I graduated. In 2008 I joined Global Publishing, a local publisher of Chinese books. Such companies would be small enterprises. Its staff would have to multi-task—organise events and forums, do editing, correspond with colleagues overseas, keep in touch with other companies in the book industry etc. As I was also responsible for sales, I had to pay visits to the local bookshops. Thus it was that I showed up at Grassroots once again. This time, it was no longer as a customer that I approached Mr Yeng.
Mr Yeng let me know that he had just completed chemotherapy for prostate cancer. His eyesight deteriorated, and his typing speed was affected. I felt that typing was an easy job, and volunteered to enter data on the books into the computer on weekends, and email the list to libraries for their selection to purchase. Mr Yeng immediately accepted my offer. He asked me to come in once a week, starting the following week.
I am not sure how I managed to keep up going to Grassroots 3 to 4 times monthly for about three years. I did data entry, but later also helped to select titles to stock, and had conversations with Mr Yeng about the history of the local book industry, publishing, and one’s ideals. I benefited much from those years of working once a week at Grassroots.
In 2011 Mr Yeng told me that his latest novel Art Studio would be published soon. He wrote it after he was diagnosed with cancer. Its completion was thus an occasion for celebration. I proposed that he should have a book launch, and helped to organise the event. The launch was well received, and we both felt greatly encouraged. I continued to work part-time at the bookshop.
Then Mr Yeng asked if I would work full time. He was hoping that we would be able to turn Grassroots into a viable business.
I have great respect for Mr Yeng’s concept of publishing and running a bookshop. Thus even though I would suffer a salary cut of a thousand dollars a month I felt that I would benefit more than I would lose by joining him.
In order that Grassroots would interact better with readers, I helped to set up Facebook, Weibo and Sina web pages, and regularly updated news and information online. Aside from keeping the university libraries abreast on current titles, I helped Mr Yeng with typing, banking chores, sending lists of new publications to the libraries, publishing new titles and other tasks. We published the work of my former lecturer from the Chinese Studies Department, Associate Professor Lo Yuet Keung. I also organized a number of cultural activities at Grassroots.
Unfortunately book sales at Grassroots did not see any dramatic improvements.
Mr Yeng focused primarily on non-mainstream literature, history and philosophy titles. Customers told me that they would often find books at Grassroots which were not available elsewhere. A bookshop should have its own taste and style.
A year and a half later, Mr Yeng’s doctor informed him that his prostate cancer had relapsed. He felt that it was time to close Grassroots Book Room so that should he depart suddenly, his wife Goh Beng Choo and I would not find ourselves with a mess on our hands.
Soon after that Lim Jen Erh and his friend Lim Yeong Shin joined later by medical doctor Lim Wooi Tee, took over Grassroots Book Room. Mr Yeng retired on 1 August 2012. I assisted in matters of handing over to the new bosses, and left the bookshop three months later.
During my time at Grassroots, Mr Yeng would often ask me about my ideals in life. He said that a person with ideals was likely to face much hardship in life, and would have to make sacrifices. His insights were important to me. I had to ask myself what was meaningful to me about life. It was not that I do not care for the material aspects, but their pursuit surely cannot be the only thing to live for. One has to be concerned about oneself and one’s family, but also the community, the region we live in, the world. There is also the next generation to think about. If we are not satisfied with current conditions and hope for a better quality of life for the next generation, we would have to start to make it better.
People are gloomy when they talk about the situation of Chinese bookshops but in my six years of working with books, I have only been happy. Those who love books will know what I mean. At any rate, I got to taste failure, and am no longer a stranger to it. However failure should not only be based on quantifiable criteria. If we are able to persevere then we have not failed, even though the readership of Chinese language books may be declining.
I don’t think we should be unduly pessimistic about the Chinese bookshop and publishing business in Singapore. Readership is declining, but it is still possible for us to try to make it work. We need to put out high quality publications, and encourage a readership. This is still worthwhile trying to do. I had my experience to draw on, particularly shortcomings in selecting books, and in marketing.
Ultimately, the business I know best is books. In 2014 I started a publishing business at home—City Book Room.
When I was at Grassroots, Mr Yeng and I would often discuss plans for publication, but then his health failed. I took these plans to City Book Room. The first title I published was the out-of-print novel, Yeng Pway Ngon, Trivialities About Me and Myself. Next was Divining Dreams in a Dream: Essays on the Daoist Master Zhuangzi by Associate Professor Lo Yuet Keung. Most of the titles published by City Book Room received grants from the National Arts Council, which covered part of our production costs
After having published three titles, I signed a 2-year rental contract for a unit at North Bridge Road, opposite the National Library. We commenced business at the premises in April 2016. My husband, an interior designer, and his friends did the designing and renovation of the shop.
Our stock includes titles on the history of Malaya, Malaysia and Singapore; local literature; new publications from Hong Kong and Taiwan, such as literature and the humanities translated into Chinese; and out-of-print books To me, content and literary creativity are at the heart of a good book. I consult a group of friends who act as an editorial board. Our focus is on publishing literary studies and novels.
We do not carry titles on Internet literature, travel, cookery, inspiration, investment, and metaphysics.
City Book Room also runs monthly activities. We hope that by organizing book review circles, reading clubs, forums etc. we would build up a following, particularly of younger readers. With the Nanyang Technological University’s student group TrendLit, we organized a journals reading group; we collaborated with the young poet Zhou Hao, who led a session on poetry reading and appreciation.
Xing Zi is a friend. He is one of the founders of Trendlit [新文潮》文学社 ]. The group often holds its activities at City Book Room.
I have known Kenny since my days at Mr Yeng’s Grassroots and have followed the progress of his book shop and publishing company. He integrates marketing, media outreach and activities for readers very effectively. I admire the perseverance and spirit of enterprise of Books Actually.
Yeng Pway Ngon and Fong Hoe Fang of Ethos introduced Berrini (60 years old), founder of the Italian publishing house Metropoli d’Asia to City Book Room when he attended the Singapore Book Festival. Mr Berrini spoke about the Chinese translation of Noi Siamo La Classe Operaia which was published in Beijing. The talk was chaired by noted Singapore translator Goh Beng Choo.
It was at this event that I got to meet Chin Wey Tze, who encouraged me to write on City Book Room for s/pores.
We also want to venture into literature in translation. The Nonexistent Lover, a short story collection by Yeng Pway Ngon and translated into English by Goh Beng Choo will be published soon.
Literature nourishes the mind. This is particularly needed in our high-tech, highly stressed life.
Reading literature books is a pleasurable way to anchor us to humanity.
城市书房
二零一六年十一月
陈婉菁
城市书房曾被本地 8 频道网络电视访问，谈有关本地独立书店的课题，于今年 8 月播映。
因为爱书，和书有緣吧。
我来自马来西亚，二OO三年，我从马来西亚來新加坡國立大學念社会科学系。我喜欢中文，大二那年选中文系为主修。由于要买课本，所以我会逛中文书店，如长河、草根、上海书局。二OO五 年，我在大学参与主办大专文学奖，筹委会邀请英培安先生为大专文学奖的评审，所以，我对草根书室的英培安先生有比较深刻的认识。
大学毕业，我在一家艺廊工作约一年，二OO八年，我到本地出版社——八方文化创作室工作。由于中文出版规模小，所以什么都得做，如办活动、讲座、编辑、与海外同事协调、与书商往来等等。由于我也有负责行销工作，我须拜访本地书店。所以，我又回到英培安的草根书室，但不再以读者的身份回去找英先生。
英先生告诉我他患了前列腺癌症，刚进行完电疗，视力变差了，打字很慢，我觉得打字很简单，所以就主动提出每逢周末到书店帮他打字，将一本本书的资料输入电脑，再电邮给图书馆选书。英先生马上答应，下个周末开始来帮忙，建议我每个周末来书店一次。
也不知道怎么的，我一个月去草根三四次的习惯，就维持了接近三年多。我来书店帮他英先生用电脑打字，后来开始帮忙选书、也谈本地的书业历史、出版、理想，在书店兼职这期间，获益良多。
二O一一年，英先生告诉我他的最新小说《画室》快要出版了，这部小说是他患癌期间书写的，所以现在能出版并非侥幸。然后，我主动提出帮忙他办新书发布会。发布会的反应很好，英先生和我都觉得很受鼓舞。发布会后，我又再到他的书店兼职，他问我是否愿意来他的书店全职帮忙，希望我们能好好发展草根的事业。
我很敬仰英先生的出版和办书店的理念，也希望能帮忙他，尽管每个月的薪水少了一千元，我仍然觉得我获得的比失去更多。
在草根全职工作后，为了和读者有互动，我帮英先生在脸书和微博、新浪网设立账号，定期放草根的书讯等等。除了定期介绍书籍給大学图书馆，我也帮忙英先生订书，到银行付书款、发行书籍等等，后来，也在草根出版了我的中文系老师，劳悦强教授的著作，以及在草根办一些文艺活动。
可惜，草根的业绩并没有很大的起色。
英先生的书店是以售卖文史哲的书类为主，而且也以非主流的书籍为主，读者告诉我，他们常在草根买到外面找不到的书。书店要有自己的品味与风格。
一年半后，英先生去复诊，医生告诉他前列腺癌有复发的迹象，他觉得是时候要关草根了，以免他忽然不在，我跟他的太太吴明珠女士会手忙脚乱。
不久，林仁余与朋友林永心，还有后来的林韦地医生愿意承接草根，所以，英先生于二O一二年八月一日退休。我跟新老板们交接完工作，三个月后，我也离开草根了。
我在草根工作时，英先生常问我，你的理想是什么。他也说为了理想，你也许会吃许多苦头，也可能会牺牲掉一些东西。我觉得这个问题很重要，因为这问题会不断推动我去思考自己的未来，什么是生命。这也不是说，我不重视物质，而是人生终究不仅是追求务实的生活而已吧。活着，关心的不仅是自己、家人，还有社群、邻国、世界，还包括下一代。如果我们不满意自己的当前生活，希望我们下一代拥有质量的生活，那么，就应该从我们这一代先改变吧。
尽管每当人提起中文书业，都会很悲观，但根据我自己在书业六年多的经验，大部分的时间我都很快乐，那是精神上的快乐，如果你喜欢书，你会明白我的意思。至少我对失败的滋味、细节有充分的体会。失败不仅是由数字定位的。如果在面对人口减少阅读华文书的趋势下，你仍然坚守，耕耘，不断尝试，这就不是失败了。
我觉得，新加坡的华文书业还不至于太悲观。阅读的人口确实有下跌的趋势，不过，我们仍然还有尝试与开拓书业的可能性。只要我们选择出版好书，鼓励阅读，我觉得这仍然是一件值得尝试的事情。
我希望自己过去六年多的经验，特别是失败的选书、行销策略经验等，能在未来的事业上用到。
说到底，我最在行的，还是书本。
二O一四年十二月，我在家成立了出版社——城市书房。
我在草根工作时，常和英先生讨论出版计划，后来因为他健康的理由而告吹。所以，我就在城市书房实践之前的出版计划，第一本就是他的绝版长篇小说《我与我自己的二三事》。第二本则是我大学中文系老师的著作——《梦中占梦——庄子真的这么说？》。城市书房出版的著作大多数获得国家艺术理事会赞助部分出版经费，舒缓了我们的成本开销，让我们在资源较充足的条件下完成出版及宣传。
出版了三本著作后，今年四月，我在国家图书馆对面的桥北中心租下一个单位，签了两年合约。我的丈夫是室内设计师，帮我设计了这家书店的装潢，由他的装修伙伴们装修。六月一日起，我们在桥北中心三楼设立了书店门市兼出版社。
城市书房的书籍包含新马历史书籍、本地文学、港台出版的新书，如翻译文学和人文出版品以及绝版书。对城市书房来说，内容和文学造诣是非常关键的。我常常与一些义务组成编辑小组的朋友们，一起讨论城市书房的出版计划.
城市书房没有售卖有关网络文学、旅行、食谱、励志、投资、玄学的书籍。
我们每个月也在书店办几场活动，透过办导读会、分享会，讲座等等，鼓励读者多来书店，接近书本，支持书店，希望成为城市书房的一份子。我们特别鼓励年轻人来城市办讲座、如曾与本地年青人办的新文潮文学社办杂志分享会、年青诗人周昊导读诗歌集等等。
《消灭众神》作者孤星子是我的朋友，也是《新文潮》文学社（NT U Trendlit）的创办人之一，他和朋友常来城市书房办活动。 这次也是他提出在城市书房办新书分享
我在英培安的草根书室工作期间就认识 Kenny，一直留意他的出版社和书店的动向，他们在行销、社交 媒体与读者的互动非常密切，佩服他办书店的毅力和魄力。
透过英培安先生与方可弘先生的介绍，意大利出版社Metropo li d’Asia 的创办人安德烈·贝里尼认识了城市书房。为配合新加坡作家节的举 办，安德烈（60岁）10 月底来新，并在城市书房举行一个小型的讲座，和我们分享他在北京 出版著作 Noi Siamo La Classe Operaia 中文版的体会，分享会由本地知名翻译工作者吴明珠女士主持。
我就是在这场讲分享会里认识了蔚芝, 她鼓励我，并引荐我在 s/pores 介绍城市书房。
城市书房也尝试出版本地翻译文学，如我们计划明年出版吴明珠女士英译英培安《不存在的情人》的短篇小说集。
文学是每个地方很重要的精神粮食。高科技的生活无法解决我们的精神需求。当我们有难以排解的苦闷与孤独时候，我们寻求唯有透过阅读文学作品，一种较愉悦的方式，去感受自己深处的需求。