By Koh Hui Theng

AS THE youngest Singapore Literature Prize (SLP) winner, Ng Yi-Sheng is worried the award, which he won this year, may jinx his writing career.

The 28-year-old full-time writer nabbed the award for his 2006 debut collection of poetry, Last Boy.

But he's worried it won't last. He reeled off the names of previous years' recipients and wondered aloud: "Have they done anything of note since then?"

Politically correct? No. Controversial? Yes. No wonder he makes headlines.

The Anglo-Chinese School and Columbia University graduate won the SPH-Theatreworks 24-hour Playwriting Competition in 1998 and 1999, the National University Singapore Poetry Competition (1999) and the Writers' Week Poetry Slam (2003).

He published SQ21: Singapore Queers in the 21st Century, a 2006 collection of coming-out stories.

Professional concerns aside, the full-time writer says 2008 has been "a year of unexpected, ridiculous glory".

my paper gets him to open up on this year's highlights and asked him what next year holds for him.

How did you feel when you heard you'd won the SLP?

I was speechless. I didn't think I stood a chance of winning, and in fact was telling some people that I didn't want to win. I thought that the timing (to win such a prestigious award) was too early.

I had recently become uncomfortable with some poems in Last Boy. I feel that my voice has moved on since then.

There were some idealistic visions of love in there that have since evolved.

What were some of the highlights of 2008 for you?

Watching my play, The Last Temptation Of Sir Stamford Raffles, being staged at the Drama Centre in August this year was amazing. I never thought that would be possible.

What's in store for you in the coming year?

I'm compiling a list of the top 10 names in the arts, to be published next month. It'll recognise people like poet-singer-performer Bani Haykal, frontman of indie band B-Quartet, for their genius. Sort of like the The Straits Times' Power List, but one strictly for the arts community.

Then I'm performing in Milking Mermaids, a play for The Substation's SeptFest. I'm also helping a friend write a book about the callboys of Switzerland.

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