About the Programme
In today’s content-saturated landscape, unsolved crimes and supernatural tales earn their niche in YouTube video essays, podcasts, Reddit forums and more. Yet mysterious Japanese creator Uketsu has achieved both viral YouTube and literary fame with Strange Pictures and Strange Houses, the latter selling 2.24 million copies in Japan as of late 2024.
With both titles translated from the Japanese into English by Jim Rion, Uketsu’s strange stories continue to captivate new audiences worldwide. What is the appeal of these pictures and diagrams woven into conventional narrative form? Are Uketsu’s stories mystery, horror or could they even be WeirdLit, as some online communities call it?
Join us as we dissect the strange draw of Uketsu’s work and what he gets right about storytelling.
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About the Speakers
Tanvi Gupta (moderator)
Tanvi is a self-proclaimed book-polygamist, tea lover and animal enthusiast. With a cup of tea in one hand and a novel in the other, you'll often find her lost in a literary wonderland, blissfully unaware of the chaos that comes with dealing with actual people. In the unlikely event that you want to reach her, she can be found pottering around @tanvisreadventures - her bookstagram page.
Alex Chua (speaker)
Alexander Chua is the co-founder of local Book Bar, a local independent Bookstore that focuses on local and Asian Literature. We hope to make people fall in love with reading and grow the community of readers in Singapore.
Wayne Rée (speaker)
Wayne Rée (he/they) is a Singaporean writer.
Together with Benjamin Chee, he co-created Work-Life Balance, the prose/comics hybrid that won Best Literary Work and the coveted Book of the Year at the 2023 Singapore Book Awards. Work-Life Balance is currently being developed into an animated series by Robot Playground Media.
Wayne and Nurjannah Suhaimi co-created the comic, Worlds Apart: A Conversation About Mental Health, which has been reprinted in the anthology, How Are You Feeling?.
Wayne lives with his wife and their cat/gremlin.
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About “Worth the Hype?”
“Worth the Hype?” is a literary arts series that spotlights popular works of contemporary world fiction and asks the titular question: are they worth the hype? Each session will centre on bestselling works of literary fiction with speakers who will discuss the literary merits and commercial appeal of the book, author or genre. The speakers will also speak more broadly about the themes of the book and reflect on the work’s contemporary resonances in culture and society and/or on their own creative practices.
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Online Programme/Event Administrative Information
This programme is conducted entirely online. You may access Zoom via the app or using a web browser
Please ensure that you enter a valid email address as you will receive an email with the link to the online programme/event near the day of the programme/event.
The link to the programme should not be shared with others.
Do ensure you have a strong internet connection. Using your mobile data is not recommended.
The National Library Board, Singapore (NLB) reserves the right in its absolute discretion to disqualify or refuse admission to any registrant without any reason and notice.
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📍Venue: Online (Zoom)
🗓️ Date: Tuesday, 7 Oct 2025
🕛 Time: 7.30 pm - 8.30 pm
🎟️ Admission: Free with registration. Register here.