Speakers & Moderators
Andy Chua
Andy Chua is a pioneer member of Singapore’s fossil and paleontology society, Singapore Fossil Collectors. He often conducts talks on prehistoric life and dinosaurs in schools, libraries and museums. He has been nominated for Singapore’s top book prize, the Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award and is currently writing the seventh book in the series. Andy works as an engineer and is an avid reader, photographer and jogger.
Brahmakumar s/o Balakrishnan
The writer, Brahmakumar Balakrishnan, is a civil servant, Grassroots leader and a three-time Distinguished Toastmaster, with over 25 years of public speaking experience. He coaches individuals from the ages of 7 to 70. He has won multiple awards from Toastmasters International (TI). In addition, he is a Tamil Translation Reviewer at TI (USA), He’s a member of the Tamil Translation Panel at his government agency.
As of June 2026, he has published three Tamil poetry books and a collection of story stories. He has uploaded over 100 Tamil Videos at his Youtube Channel: தமிழ்(த்)தேன் முன்னோட்டம் – Thamizh Thayn – Trailer His contributions to the Singapore society have been recognized and featured in Singapore Tamils 200, volume 2 (pages 125-135)
Cacticyn
Cacticyn is an illustrator and sculptor whose practice explores earthy and whimsical creations inspired by everyday surroundings. Working with acrylic paint and handcrafted materials, her work draws from observation, texture, and imaginative forms.
With over 8 years of teaching experience, her lessons focus on nurturing creativity, curiosity, and confidence. She is the author and illustrator of Kresek – Daily Life of Plastic Bags and Cato the Cat, and the illustrator of Jemma Dreams of Sushi.
Corinne Madelyn Fan Wai Foong
Corinne is an experienced educator with over 15 years across primary and early childhood settings. She is currently a Senior Lecturer and Head of Special Projects at NIEC-Ngee Ann Campus and has been invited to speak on children’s learning transitions and early language development. She holds a Master of Education (Early Childhood) from NTU and is fluent in English and Chinese. Join her to discover how dialogic reading can turn story time into meaningful, language-rich conversations with your child.
David Liew
David Liew is a prolific artist who has illustrated several bestselling book series. When he’s not teaching at the animation school, he may be found building miniature worlds in unattended drawers. He is the Regional Advisor to the Singapore chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Emily Lim-Leh
Emily Lim-Leh is a multi-award-winning author of over 50 children’s books. She is a 3-time winner of the IPPY Awards and 5-time winner of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. She was named Mediacorp’s Singapore Woman Award Honoree for inspiring readers through her writing voice following a challenging journey with a rare voice disorder. She’s also a recipient of the national Public Service Medal (Covid-19) for her informational e-picture books for the community. In her latest picture book Giant Clam Calamity, she lends a little voice to some marine-loving in our community.
Hwee Goh
Hwee Goh is a Singaporean author, editor, and former journalist known for her work in children’s literature and educational books. She has written widely for young readers, often focusing on engaging storytelling that reflects everyday life, culture, and social themes in Asia. Her works include picture books, chapter books, and non-fiction titles, and she is also active in developing reading and literacy programmes for schools and families.
Idris Mohamed Ali
Idris Mohamed Ali, fondly known as Pak Idris, is a master watercolourist who has captured Singapore’s landscapes for more than 60 years. This award-winning artist has exhibited at numerous group exhibitions, including four successful solo shows. His works can be found in the collections of the National Gallery Singapore, National Heritage Board, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various government agencies in Singapore and Malaysia, as well as private organisations and individuals.
A pioneer member of the Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya (APAD), Pak Idris has taught many young students under its Tunas (Budding Artist) programme, trained art teachers, and led a masterclass workshop at Maya Gallery. He is a recipient of the inaugural Hadiah Warisan (Heritage Prize) by Malay Heritage Foundation (2021), the Pingat APAD (APAD Award) in 1974, and the Cipta Mekar (Emerging Artist Award) for outstanding work at APAD’s Action ‘90 exhibition in 1990. He has also illustrated for various award-winning publications.
Jensrani T.
Jensrani, also known as Jansirani Thanabal, is a retired History teacher and former Media Specialist with the Ministry of Education, where she produced educational video and audio resources for teaching Tamil in primary and secondary schools.
After retiring in 2016, she began writing children’s books, debuting with her English picture book Jaden and the Rainbow. Guided by her passion for the Tamil language, she has since authored three Tamil children’s books. Her first Tamil novel for children was selected for the Beyond Words initiative by the Singapore Book Council, supported by the National Arts Council, and is currently used as a reader in some secondary schools.
Linda Yew
Since publishing her first children’s book, Sleepless Sheep for Woolly Nights (winner of the First Time Writers and Illustrators Publishing Initiative Singapore, 2008) artist and writer, Linda Yew, has worked to capture in her art, the wonder and magic that children notice in the most ordinary things. She gathers much of her inspiration from personal tales, the environment, stories and cultures around the world. Often working with traditional art mediums, like watercolour and ink, her whimsical and stylised art pieces embody some of her own life experiences, observations about animals, nature, people and their interactions depicted in bold lines and colourful imagery.
Md Rosman Senin
Md Rosman, also known as RossMonday, is a Singapore-based digital illustrator and comic artist known for his dynamic visual storytelling and distinctive style. After earning his Diploma in Concept Design and Illustration, he took the leap to pursue illustration as a full-time career, turning his passion into a profession.
He is also actively involved in creating book cover illustrations for local publishers, steadily building a strong presence in local creative scene. The latest collaboration is with award winning writer Hassan Ali, Pengembaraan Zack Rushd: Cincin Bima Sakti, a modern fantasy Malay novel, and Nur-El-Hudaa Jaafar with Kecoh Di Lereng Bukit.
In 2025, Ross released his first original comic book, Saka: The Unearthly Legacy, which has since gone into its second print—marking a significant milestone in his artistic journey.
Melanie Lee
Melanie is the author of the graphic novel series “Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma”, of which the 2nd book “Coming of Age” received the 2023 Singapore Book Award (Best Young Person’s Title) and 2024 Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award (Middle Grade Category). She has also written the picture book series “The Adventures of Squirky the Alien” and the travel guide series “Out & About in Singapore”. When she is not writing children’s books, Melanie is a communications and creative writing lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Neil Humphreys
Neil Humphreys is a bestselling British-born author, columnist, radio host, and podcaster who has been based in Singapore for many years. Known for his witty and insightful observations of Singaporean life, he rose to prominence with his bestselling book Notes from an Even Smaller Island and has since written more than 30 books across humour, crime fiction, young adult fiction, and children’s literature. His popular works include the Inspector Low crime series and the Abbie Rose and the Magic Suitcase children’s series. Humphreys has also written for publications such as The Straits Times, TODAY, and The New Paper, and regularly hosts radio and podcast programmes focused on sports and current affairs.
Nur-El-Hudaa Jaffar
Nur-El-Hudaa Jaffar is an award-winning writer and translator of short stories and poetry. She is also the author of picture books such as the bilingual Azim Series, and middle grade novels. As a freelance editorial consultant, she helps writers and publishers develop books for publication. She was selected for the Virtual Residency programme for poetry translation at the National Centre for Writing, UK. To encourage creative expressions in Malay among primary and secondary students, she developed and ran Komikkan Ceritaku, a comic book writing and illustrating programme, in 2025.
Sin Joo Ee
Dr. Sin Joo Ee holds a PhD in Children’s Literature from Beijing Normal University and serves as Programme Head of the Early Childhood Education programmes (Bachelor’s and Master’s) at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. A recipient of teaching excellence awards from NUS and SUSS, she is a seasoned teacher educator specialising in Mandarin language curriculum development for young children.
Syed Ali Semait
Syed Ali was involved at an early age in the family book business (Pustaka Nasional). Pustaka Nasional was the major Malay publishing company in Singapore since 1960s. In 1994, Syed Ali joined the family business to supervise the Malaysian operations. While overseeing operations in Malaysia, he completed his MBA. In 2006, he took over the strategic planning of the family business when the Managing Director passed on. One of the key accomplishments was to foster publishing collaboration with several organisations in Singapore and Malaysia. He has focussed the publication to children’s books since 2010 to address the declining usage of Malay among young children.
Theodora Hui
Theodora Hui is the imaginative illustrator behind the Fossil Finders book Predators Paradise. With a passion for bringing stories to life through vibrant visuals, Theodora delights young readers with her playful, expressive artwork that captures the wonder of prehistoric worlds. Beyond books, she also works as an art instructor, caricaturist, and children’s face painter—sharing her creativity and love for art with kids of all ages.
Vivian Teo
Vivian Teo is the author of middle-grade book series My BFF Is an Alien and Mikaela Kong, published by Epigram Books. Her books have been shortlisted for the Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award, the Singapore Book Awards and the POPULAR Readers’ Choice Awards.
Vivian is also a freelance writer whose work has appeared in CNA and CNA Lifestyle. She enjoys writing about parenting, education, social and financial issues, and blogging on her parenting/lifestyle website, The Stuff Childhoods Are Made Of, at vivianteo.com.
Xie Shi Min
Xie Shi Min grew up reading and listening to local ghost stories and is now scarred for life. She took up Chinese calligraphy and motorcycle riding for her book, Ghost Hunters of Geylang. She is the author of Dragonhearted, which was shortlisted for the Singapore Book Awards in 2017 and won the Hedwig Anuar’s Children’s Book in 2018. In her spare time, she plays with her cat Jazzy and loves going on deep dives that will inspire her next book.
Andy Chua
Andy Chua is a pioneer member of Singapore’s fossil and paleontology society, Singapore Fossil Collectors. He often conducts talks on prehistoric life and dinosaurs in schools, libraries and museums. He has been nominated for Singapore’s top book prize, the Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award and is currently writing the seventh book in the series. Andy works as an engineer and is an avid reader, photographer and jogger.
Brahmakumar s/o Balakrishnan
The writer, Brahmakumar Balakrishnan, is a civil servant, Grassroots leader and a three-time Distinguished Toastmaster, with over 25 years of public speaking experience. He coaches individuals from the ages of 7 to 70. He has won multiple awards from Toastmasters International (TI). In addition, he is a Tamil Translation Reviewer at TI (USA), He’s a member of the Tamil Translation Panel at his government agency.
As of June 2026, he has published three Tamil poetry books and a collection of story stories. He has uploaded over 100 Tamil Videos at his Youtube Channel: தமிழ்(த்)தேன் முன்னோட்டம் – Thamizh Thayn – Trailer His contributions to the Singapore society have been recognized and featured in Singapore Tamils 200, volume 2 (pages 125-135)
Cacticyn
Cacticyn is an illustrator and sculptor whose practice explores earthy and whimsical creations inspired by everyday surroundings. Working with acrylic paint and handcrafted materials, her work draws from observation, texture, and imaginative forms.
With over 8 years of teaching experience, her lessons focus on nurturing creativity, curiosity, and confidence. She is the author and illustrator of Kresek – Daily Life of Plastic Bags and Cato the Cat, and the illustrator of Jemma Dreams of Sushi.
Corinne Madelyn Fan Wai Foong
Corinne is an experienced educator with over 15 years across primary and early childhood settings. She is currently a Senior Lecturer and Head of Special Projects at NIEC-Ngee Ann Campus and has been invited to speak on children’s learning transitions and early language development. She holds a Master of Education (Early Childhood) from NTU and is fluent in English and Chinese. Join her to discover how dialogic reading can turn story time into meaningful, language-rich conversations with your child.
David Liew
David Liew is a prolific artist who has illustrated several bestselling book series. When he’s not teaching at the animation school, he may be found building miniature worlds in unattended drawers. He is the Regional Advisor to the Singapore chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Emily Lim-Leh
Emily Lim-Leh is a multi-award-winning author of over 50 children’s books. She is a 3-time winner of the IPPY Awards and 5-time winner of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. She was named Mediacorp’s Singapore Woman Award Honoree for inspiring readers through her writing voice following a challenging journey with a rare voice disorder. She’s also a recipient of the national Public Service Medal (Covid-19) for her informational e-picture books for the community. In her latest picture book Giant Clam Calamity, she lends a little voice to some marine-loving in our community.
Hwee Goh
Hwee Goh is a Singaporean author, editor, and former journalist known for her work in children’s literature and educational books. She has written widely for young readers, often focusing on engaging storytelling that reflects everyday life, culture, and social themes in Asia. Her works include picture books, chapter books, and non-fiction titles, and she is also active in developing reading and literacy programmes for schools and families.
Idris Mohamed Ali
Idris Mohamed Ali, fondly known as Pak Idris, is a master watercolourist who has captured Singapore’s landscapes for more than 60 years. This award-winning artist has exhibited at numerous group exhibitions, including four successful solo shows. His works can be found in the collections of the National Gallery Singapore, National Heritage Board, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various government agencies in Singapore and Malaysia, as well as private organisations and individuals.
A pioneer member of the Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya (APAD), Pak Idris has taught many young students under its Tunas (Budding Artist) programme, trained art teachers, and led a masterclass workshop at Maya Gallery. He is a recipient of the inaugural Hadiah Warisan (Heritage Prize) by Malay Heritage Foundation (2021), the Pingat APAD (APAD Award) in 1974, and the Cipta Mekar (Emerging Artist Award) for outstanding work at APAD’s Action ‘90 exhibition in 1990. He has also illustrated for various award-winning publications.
Jensrani T.
Jensrani, also known as Jansirani Thanabal, is a retired History teacher and former Media Specialist with the Ministry of Education, where she produced educational video and audio resources for teaching Tamil in primary and secondary schools.
After retiring in 2016, she began writing children’s books, debuting with her English picture book Jaden and the Rainbow. Guided by her passion for the Tamil language, she has since authored three Tamil children’s books. Her first Tamil novel for children was selected for the Beyond Words initiative by the Singapore Book Council, supported by the National Arts Council, and is currently used as a reader in some secondary schools.
Linda Yew
Since publishing her first children’s book, Sleepless Sheep for Woolly Nights (winner of the First Time Writers and Illustrators Publishing Initiative Singapore, 2008) artist and writer, Linda Yew, has worked to capture in her art, the wonder and magic that children notice in the most ordinary things. She gathers much of her inspiration from personal tales, the environment, stories and cultures around the world. Often working with traditional art mediums, like watercolour and ink, her whimsical and stylised art pieces embody some of her own life experiences, observations about animals, nature, people and their interactions depicted in bold lines and colourful imagery.
Md Rosman Senin
Md Rosman, also known as RossMonday, is a Singapore-based digital illustrator and comic artist known for his dynamic visual storytelling and distinctive style. After earning his Diploma in Concept Design and Illustration, he took the leap to pursue illustration as a full-time career, turning his passion into a profession.
He is also actively involved in creating book cover illustrations for local publishers, steadily building a strong presence in local creative scene. The latest collaboration is with award winning writer Hassan Ali, Pengembaraan Zack Rushd: Cincin Bima Sakti, a modern fantasy Malay novel, and Nur-El-Hudaa Jaafar with Kecoh Di Lereng Bukit.
In 2025, Ross released his first original comic book, Saka: The Unearthly Legacy, which has since gone into its second print—marking a significant milestone in his artistic journey.
Melanie Lee
Melanie is the author of the graphic novel series “Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma”, of which the 2nd book “Coming of Age” received the 2023 Singapore Book Award (Best Young Person’s Title) and 2024 Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award (Middle Grade Category). She has also written the picture book series “The Adventures of Squirky the Alien” and the travel guide series “Out & About in Singapore”. When she is not writing children’s books, Melanie is a communications and creative writing lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Neil Humphreys
Neil Humphreys is a bestselling British-born author, columnist, radio host, and podcaster who has been based in Singapore for many years. Known for his witty and insightful observations of Singaporean life, he rose to prominence with his bestselling book Notes from an Even Smaller Island and has since written more than 30 books across humour, crime fiction, young adult fiction, and children’s literature. His popular works include the Inspector Low crime series and the Abbie Rose and the Magic Suitcase children’s series. Humphreys has also written for publications such as The Straits Times, TODAY, and The New Paper, and regularly hosts radio and podcast programmes focused on sports and current affairs.
Nur-El-Hudaa Jaffar
Nur-El-Hudaa Jaffar is an award-winning writer and translator of short stories and poetry. She is also the author of picture books such as the bilingual Azim Series, and middle grade novels. As a freelance editorial consultant, she helps writers and publishers develop books for publication. She was selected for the Virtual Residency programme for poetry translation at the National Centre for Writing, UK. To encourage creative expressions in Malay among primary and secondary students, she developed and ran Komikkan Ceritaku, a comic book writing and illustrating programme, in 2025.
Sin Joo Ee
Dr. Sin Joo Ee holds a PhD in Children’s Literature from Beijing Normal University and serves as Programme Head of the Early Childhood Education programmes (Bachelor’s and Master’s) at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. A recipient of teaching excellence awards from NUS and SUSS, she is a seasoned teacher educator specialising in Mandarin language curriculum development for young children.
Syed Ali Semait
Syed Ali was involved at an early age in the family book business (Pustaka Nasional). Pustaka Nasional was the major Malay publishing company in Singapore since 1960s. In 1994, Syed Ali joined the family business to supervise the Malaysian operations. While overseeing operations in Malaysia, he completed his MBA. In 2006, he took over the strategic planning of the family business when the Managing Director passed on. One of the key accomplishments was to foster publishing collaboration with several organisations in Singapore and Malaysia. He has focussed the publication to children’s books since 2010 to address the declining usage of Malay among young children.
Theodora Hui
Theodora Hui is the imaginative illustrator behind the Fossil Finders book Predators Paradise. With a passion for bringing stories to life through vibrant visuals, Theodora delights young readers with her playful, expressive artwork that captures the wonder of prehistoric worlds. Beyond books, she also works as an art instructor, caricaturist, and children’s face painter—sharing her creativity and love for art with kids of all ages.
Xie Shi Min
Xie Shi Min grew up reading and listening to local ghost stories and is now scarred for life. She took up Chinese calligraphy and motorcycle riding for her book, Ghost Hunters of Geylang. She is the author of Dragonhearted, which was shortlisted for the Singapore Book Awards in 2017 and won the Hedwig Anuar’s Children’s Book in 2018. In her spare time, she plays with her cat Jazzy and loves going on deep dives that will inspire her next book.