Behind The Book – Singapore Literature Edition With Marylyn Tan
You have won the Singapore Literature Prize 2020 (Poetry) with Gaze Back.
No, but seriously, I can’t even say ‘I’m just grateful people like it’ because that’s patently untrue—I was prepared for it to get hate and confusion. I’m also amused, because when it first came out, my father said that I should write something ‘nicer so that more people would buy [it]’. But I’m a garbage-eating raccoon bog witch of a person, so that wasn’t quite possible for me.
Tell us more about what prompted you to write Gaze Back.
Feminism, being gay, and being sexually assaulted. There was a period of time, between the ages of 18-23, where I would get groped on trains, buses and crowds multiple times, and had multiple run-ins with your run-of-the-mill f***bois. I was also dealing with a deep discontent and distress at the systemic marginalisation and disenfranchisement of people who belong to minorities of race, gender, sexuality and physicality (disabled rights, fatphobia, etc.). I was deeply disillusioned at the amount of rampant violence designed into the system and built to police bodies. I wrote GAZE BACK as a possibility and a way back into personal power and autonomy.
What are your thoughts on literary awards and prizes?
I don’t enjoy people thinking institutional recognition is the only way to gain legitimacy as a writer or artist. I think they present us with the opportunity to expand the possibilities of what we think of as constituting art that isn’t merely ‘good’, but also ‘important’. There are many artists doing crucial work that isn’t formally recognised. On the other hand, if establishments and awards embrace work that does important political and ideological work, that traction it’s given can be invaluable—and so that decision made to award a prize to a particular work is political in and of itself.
Singapore Literature Prize is a prestigious award. How does the award change the reception of one’s work? I would also like to note at this point that you are the first female recipient of the award!
I’m not completely sure. I think the people I wrote it for love it regardless of whatever it brings home, and the people who are determined to find it terrible will do so anyway. Maybe it will convince some people it’s not all unsalvageable, indecipherable, degenerate trash? They will be sorely mistaken—I am the embodiment of degenerate trash. Yes, I am the first woman poet to win the SLP—the first woet (and lesbian)—who has all her queer mentors and radical poet multi-gendered mothers of her heart to thank for blazing ahead of her so that she could skip merrily into the maw of hell.
Thank you for your answers. One final question: why did you agree to this interview?
I think anyone, the people of NUS included, would benefit from more reading, so I’m happy to try and help (if I don’t put them off first, that is) shunt people towards the fount of pleasure and knowledge that is literature. Of course, part of this is aspirational and just me trying to find the hole back into devouring books again. Thank you for having me, biblically or otherwise!
About the author
Marylyn Tan is a queer, delicious, slutty, large-beasted, linguistics graduate, poet, and artist, who has been performing and disappointing since 2014. She is invested in good girls, bad queers, legally- ambiguous hijinks and endangered body parts. Her first child, Gaze Back (Ethos Books; Singapore Literature Prize (Poetry) 2020; Lambda Literary Loser), is both bible and s***post. Marylyn has been published, chastised, demonised, lusted over, but never bothered. Find her in her unnatural habitat @marylyn.orificial on Instagram.