Koh, Buck Song
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Koh Buck Song (; born 1963) is a Singaporean writer, poet, and country brand adviser. He is the author and editor of more than 40 books, including nine books of poetry and ''
haiga is a style of Japanese painting that incorporates the aesthetics of ''haikai''. ''Haiga'' are typically painted by haiku poets (''haijin''), and often accompanied by a haiku poem. Like the poetic form it accompanied, ''haiga'' was based on simp ...
'' art. He works as a writer, editor and consultant in branding, communications strategy and corporate social responsibility in Singapore. He has held several exhibitions as a Singaporean pioneer of ''
haiga is a style of Japanese painting that incorporates the aesthetics of ''haikai''. ''Haiga'' are typically painted by haiku poets (''haijin''), and often accompanied by a haiku poem. Like the poetic form it accompanied, ''haiga'' was based on simp ...
'' art, developed from a 16th-century Japanese art form combining ink sketches with ''
haiku is a type of short form poetry that originated in Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases composed of 17 Mora (linguistics), morae (called ''On (Japanese prosody), on'' in Japanese) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern; that include a ''kire ...
'' poems. In 2023, his book ''Brand Singapore: Nation Branding in a World Disrupted by Covid-19'' (2021) was longlisted by the
Singapore University of Social Sciences The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) is a public autonomous university in Singapore. Established in 2017, SUSS focuses on applied degree programmes primarily in the social sciences. In 2017, SUSS received its inaugural class of ...
for the Alan Chan Spirit of Singapore Book Prize, while his book ''One United People: Essays from the People Sector on Singapore's Journey of Racial Harmony'' (2022) was shortlisted for best non-fiction by the Singapore Book Publishers Association.


Journalism career

Koh was with ''
The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
'' from 1988 to 1999, where he was literary editor, political supervisor and chief Parliament commentator, arts and features supervisor, and assistant editor of Sunday Review, a weekly world affairs section. His regular personal opinion column, ''Monday with Koh Buck Song'', ran for almost a decade. From 2003 to 2004, he was a contributing columnist on current affairs based in the USA for the Singapore newspaper ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and m ...
''. From 2004 to 2005, he was a regular columnist on leadership for ''The Straits Times''.


Literary career

Koh has edited several literary anthologies, and was the English section Editor, and then General Editor, of the multilingual literary and arts journal ''Singa'' in the 1990s. In 1992, he was poet-in-residence at the
Scottish Poetry Library The Scottish Poetry Library is a public library with charitable status specialising in contemporary Scottish writing in English, Scots and Scottish Gaelic. The library, which is free to join for UK residents, celebrated its 40th anniversary in ...
in Edinburgh under the Singapore-Scotland Cultural Exchange programme. He has also represented Singapore at literary conferences including at
Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
(UK) and Manila, and in poetry readings at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
and
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
in the USA. As a haiga artist with several exhibitions in Singapore and Laos, his art builds on earlier work exploring the synergy between poetry and painting, especially in collaborations with the abstract artist
Thomas Yeo Thomas Yeo (born 22 April 1936) is a Singaporean artist. His first solo exhibition came in 1960 at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 1984 he was awarded the Cultural Medallion. Personal life Yeo is born to an optician ...
and the watercolourist Ong Kim Seng. He was the
National Gallery Singapore , logo = National_Gallery_Singapore_logo.svg , image = Interior_of_the_National_Gallery_Singapore.jpg , caption = Interior of the National Gallery of Singapore with the airy corridors on 4 levels, the staircases a ...
's poet-in-residence 2021-22, the Gallery's third after
Edwin Thumboo Edwin Nadason Thumboo B.B.M. and Bar, PJG (born 22 November 1933) is a Singaporean poet and academic who is regarded as one of the pioneers of English literature in Singapore. Thumboo graduated in English from the University of Malaya in 19 ...
and Madeleine Lee, with poems and ''haiga'' artworks from his residency published by the Gallery in the book ''the world anew''.


Country branding career

As a country brand adviser, Koh has spoken extensively on brand Singapore overseas, including as keynote speaker at a City Nation Place global conference in London, UK; at the Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies in Phuentsholing, Bhutan; at a Pacific Economic Cooperation Council seminar in Tahiti; at the Japan Foundation in Tokyo as a cultural leader of Singapore; and the
Blavatnik School of Government The Blavatnik School of Government is the school of public policy of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. The School was founded in 2010 following a £75 million donation from business magnate Len Blavatnik, supported by £26 million fro ...
at Oxford University, UK. He was on the Marketing Advisory Panel for Singapore's country brand, "Passion Made Possible". In the 2000s, he was head of global media relations and strategic planning at the Singapore
Economic Development Board The Economic Development Board (EDB) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the government of Singapore that plans and executes strategies to sustain Singapore as a leading global hub for business and investment. H ...
. As a brand consultant, his projects include the global launches of Gardens by the Bay, National Gallery Singapore, and Fusionopolis. He wrote the first book on Singapore's country brand, ''Brand Singapore'' (2011, translated into Chinese and published in China in 2012, with a third edition in 2021). Another of his books that has a place branding theme is ''Around The World In 68 Days: Observations Of Life From A Journey Across 13 Countries'' (2021). At the
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School) is an autonomous postgraduate school of the National University of Singapore (NUS), named after the late former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew. History The Lee Kuan Yew School of ...
, he is on the Executive Education teaching faculty for nation branding, having previously been an adjunct associate professor of leadership.


Public service

His public service has included being Deputy Chairman of the
Censorship Review Committee Censorship in Singapore mainly targets political, racial, religious issues and homosexual content as defined by out-of-bounds markers. Implementation The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) approves publications, issues arts entertai ...
2009–10, and also a member of the Censorship Review Committees of 1991–92 and 2002–03, the only person to have served on all three panels."When liberal desires meet conservative fears", Long, Susan, ''The Straits Times''. 25 September 1999.


Selected works

* * Koh, Buck Song (text and poetry editor, with introduction, 1993). ''Singapore: Places, Poems, Paintings''. . * Koh, Buck Song (1994), ''Thumboo, Edwin Nadason (1933– )'', in Hamilton, Ian, ed., ''The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-century Poetry in English'', Oxford University Press. . * Koh, Buck Song (editor, with Ban, Kah Choon et al., 1995). ''Voices 4 – Readings By Singapore Writers''. National University of Singapore. . * Koh, Buck Song (2000). ''Toa Payoh: Our Kind Of Neighbourhood''. Housing and Development Board, Singapore. . * Koh, Buck Song (2001). ''The Worth Of Wonder''. . * Koh, Buck Song (editor, 2002). ''Heart Work: Stories Of How EDB Steered The Singapore Economy From 1961 Into The 21st Century''. . * Koh, Buck Song (editor, with Bhatia, Umej, 2002). ''From Boys To Men: A Literary Anthology Of National Service In Singapore''. . * Koh, Buck Song (2003). ''The Ocean Of Ambition''. . * Koh, Buck Song (2005). ''How Not To Make Money: Inside Stories From Singapore's Commercial Affairs Department''. . * Koh, Buck Song (2008). ''Heartlands: Home And Nation In The Art Of Ong Kim Seng''. . * Koh, Buck Song (editor, 2011). ''Heart Work 2: EDB And Partners: New Frontiers For The Singapore Economy''. . * Koh, Buck Song (2011). ''Living With The End In Mind: A Study Of How To Increase The Quality Of Death In Singapore – Perspectives Of 30 Leaders'', Lien Foundation. * Koh, Buck Song (2011). ''Brand Singapore: How Nation Branding Built Asia's Leading Global City''. . * Koh, Buck Song (2012). ''Perpetual Spring: Singapore's Gardens By The Bay''. (hardcover). (paperback). * Koh, Buck Song (2014). ''Learning For Life: Singapore’s Investment In Lifelong Learning Since The 1950s''. . * Koh, Buck Song (2016). ''Our Guardians: Keeping Singapore Safe And Secure Since The 1950s''. . * Koh, Buck Song (second edition, 2017). ''Brand Singapore: Nation Branding After Lee Kuan Yew, In A Divisive World''. . * Koh, Buck Song (editor, 2018). ''Making Cities Liveable: Insights From 10 Years Of Lectures At The Centre for Liveable Cities''. . * Koh, Buck Song (third edition, 2021). ''Brand Singapore: Nation Branding In A World Disrupted by Covid-19''. * Koh, Buck Song (2021). ''Around The World In 68 Days: Observations Of Life From A Journey Across 13 Countries''. * Koh, Buck Song (editor, 2022). ''"One United People": Essays From The People Sector On Singapore's Journey Of Racial Harmony''. *


Selected works in anthologies & other books

* Sionil Jose, Francisco (1991). ''New Voices In Southeast Asia''. Solidarity, Manila, Philippines. * Singh, Kirpal (editor, et al. 2000). ''Rhythms: A Singaporean Millennial Anthology Of Poetry''. National Arts Council, Singapore. . * ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (2000). ''Modern Literature of ASEAN''. *
Edwin Thumboo Edwin Nadason Thumboo B.B.M. and Bar, PJG (born 22 November 1933) is a Singaporean poet and academic who is regarded as one of the pioneers of English literature in Singapore. Thumboo graduated in English from the University of Malaya in 19 ...
& Yeow, Kai Chai (editors, 2009). ''Reflecting On The Merlion: An Anthology Of Poems''. National Arts Council, Singapore. . * Poon, Angelia; Holden, Philip & Lim, Shirley Geok-lin (editors, 2009). ''Writing Singapore: An Historical Anthology Of Singapore Literature''. National University of Singapore Press, Singapore. . . *
Gwee Li Sui Gwee Li Sui (; Korean: 위리서; born 22 August 1970) is a bestselling writer in Singapore. His works include poetry, comics, non-fiction, and translation. He wrote ''Myth of the Stone'', a graphic novel in English. He is also the author of ''Spia ...
, (editor, 2016). ''Written Country: The History of Singapore through Literature''. . * Essay: "Tommy Koh on the Censorship Review Committee 1991-92", in Yeo, Lay Hwee et al (editors, 2018). ''Tommy Koh: Serving Singapore And The World''. * Essay: "The English language in Singapore: Lens and Launchpad to the World", in
Tommy Koh Tommy Koh Thong Bee (; born 12 November 1937) is a Singaporean diplomat, lawyer, professor and author who served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 1968 and 1971. Early life and education Koh was born in S ...
& Wightman, Scott (editors, 2019). ''200 Years Of Singapore And The United Kingdom''. * Essay: "America - The Top 'Soft Superpower'", in
Tommy Koh Tommy Koh Thong Bee (; born 12 November 1937) is a Singaporean diplomat, lawyer, professor and author who served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 1968 and 1971. Early life and education Koh was born in S ...
& Singh, Daljit (editors, 2021). ''America: A Singapore Perspective''.


Selected ''haiga'' art exhibitions & talks

* "Six Views Of Japan And Singapore". Super Japan Festival of Japanese Arts. The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. May 2016. * "''Refleksi'': A ''Pantun'' Art Exhibition (using the Malay poetic form ''pantun''). National Poetry Festival. LASALLE College of the Arts. August 2016. * "Between Japan And Singapore: ''Haiga'' And Its Modern Legacy". Singapore Writers Festival. The Arts House at the Old Parliament. November 2016. * "ASEAN@50 ''Haiga'': Vientiane 2017". ASEAN Insurance Council. Vientiane, Laos. November 2017.


References


Further reading

*
National Library, Singapore The National Library is the flagship national library of Singapore. A subsidiary of the National Library Board (NLB), it is located on an 11,304–square metre site in Victoria Street within the Downtown Core. It is the country's largest pub ...
. Chua, Alvin: Singapore Infopedia: * National Arts Council, Singapore – ''Literary Singapore: A Directory of Contemporary Writing in Singapore'', 2011. * National Book Development Council of Singapore. Database of Singapore Writers: * Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. 2006 media coverage by faculty: "Anyone can be a leader, not just the man at the top": * Singapore Management University. Knowledge@SMU: "Singapore’s brand “keloid”: Going beyond canes and chewing gums", July 2011: * Institute of Policy Studies. Roundtable: "Brand Singapore", May 2011: * Public Service Division, Singapore. ''Challenge'' magazine, July–August 2011: * ''Portfolio'' magazine. Almagro, Marc. 13 June 2017: * ''Place Brand Observer''. 8 December 2020: * Spotify conversation with Colombian podcaster Paola Segura Salguero. 27 July 2021. * Case study on Singapore in ''Nation Branding: Concepts, Issues, Practice'' (edited by Keith Dinnie, Routledge UK and USA, third edition, 2022) {{DEFAULTSORT:Koh, Buck Song 1963 births Living people Harvard Kennedy School alumni Singaporean journalists Singaporean people of Chinese descent Singaporean poets Alumni of the University of London Communications consultants Alumni of the University of Cambridge Hwa Chong Junior College alumni Saint Andrew's School, Singapore alumni Branding consultants Singaporean consultants