Imagining the Past
Don Bosco makes up stories, but tries to get the historical setting right.
Whether he is writing about the adventures of a young detective who lived in Singapore 100 years ago in his Sherlock Hong series or the tales of three Singaporean kids who travel back in time in Time Talisman, Singaporean author Don Bosco looks closely at information to make sure he gets his history right.
Q: You were not around 100 years ago, so how do you know what Singapore was like then?
A: I read a lot about Singapore's history during my A-Levels, as well as throughout my time in university. Those textbooks and readings gave me a good sense of the major events and different time periods in Singapore’s past. I still refer to some of them. Especially the books by Constance Mary Turnbull, which every student of Singapore history must read at some point.
I also bought a book titled, Singapore Through 19th Century Photographs by Jason Toh. Not only does it have lots of fascinating photos from as far back as the 1860s showing the development of Singapore, it also has short biographies about some photographers who worked here, which inspired some of the characters and incidents in my stories.
Q: Isn't it enough to rely on just one history book? Why do you search through different sources?
A: Most of the information sources have similar content, but once in a while, I would come across some unusual fact, like an intriguing anecdote about an amateur drama production, a fight between dock workers, or an interesting new textile business that was launched. This would inspire cool plots and character ideas that were quirky, yet based on historical accounts. So I use many different sources to find unusual anecdotes.
Q: How do you know which sources to trust?
A: Before I use a piece of information, I check that it is supported by at least three different academic sources. It is also useful to find out more about each writer's background, to know how much professional experience each one has in writing about the topic.
For my Sherlock Hong and Time Talisman books, I realised readers might want to look up some of the background details, so I drew from reputable sources on Singapore history that are also easily accessible. The best example of this is National Library Board's Infopedia website (http://infopedia.nl.sg/), where each article has a list of references so students can go look up the original sources.
Q: There so many websites around. Can you tell if they are giving you the correct facts?
A: Simple errors are easy to spot. If you check enough websites, you might get a sense of what the correct date should be, or the right way to spell a name, because the odd error will stand out. Sometimes, it is not so easy to tell fact from error. You might know the popular story of Sang Nila Utama, the legendary prince from Palembang who visited this island about seven hundred years ago and saw a lion which inspired him to name it Singapura, or Lion City. Throughout my childhood, I took this to be a fact because I saw it in a few history books.
But lately, thanks to the internet, I've discovered zoological insights that suggest there were no wild lions in these parts, and that the animal would more likely have been a tiger, or perhaps even a masked palm civet. The internet makes it easier to be aware of such discrepancies.
LEARNING FROM DON BOSCO
Don Bosco is a fiction writer. Readers expect him to use his imagination. So, it may surprise you to discover how careful he is to get facts right.
Like many fiction writers, Mr Bosco does not invent every single thing in his stories. He places his made-up characters and plots in the real world. His job would be easier if his stories were set in present-day Singapore. Instead, the background for his tales is the past. Fortunately, he can count on different historical resources and his information literacy to get it right.
Two super sites to visit:
Whether he is writing about the adventures of a young detective who lived in Singapore 100 years ago in his Sherlock Hong series or the tales of three Singaporean kids who travel back in time in Time Talisman, Singaporean author Don Bosco looks closely at information to make sure he gets his history right.
Q: You were not around 100 years ago, so how do you know what Singapore was like then?
A: I read a lot about Singapore's history during my A-Levels, as well as throughout my time in university. Those textbooks and readings gave me a good sense of the major events and different time periods in Singapore’s past. I still refer to some of them. Especially the books by Constance Mary Turnbull, which every student of Singapore history must read at some point.
I also bought a book titled, Singapore Through 19th Century Photographs by Jason Toh. Not only does it have lots of fascinating photos from as far back as the 1860s showing the development of Singapore, it also has short biographies about some photographers who worked here, which inspired some of the characters and incidents in my stories.
Q: Isn't it enough to rely on just one history book? Why do you search through different sources?
A: Most of the information sources have similar content, but once in a while, I would come across some unusual fact, like an intriguing anecdote about an amateur drama production, a fight between dock workers, or an interesting new textile business that was launched. This would inspire cool plots and character ideas that were quirky, yet based on historical accounts. So I use many different sources to find unusual anecdotes.
Q: How do you know which sources to trust?
A: Before I use a piece of information, I check that it is supported by at least three different academic sources. It is also useful to find out more about each writer's background, to know how much professional experience each one has in writing about the topic.
For my Sherlock Hong and Time Talisman books, I realised readers might want to look up some of the background details, so I drew from reputable sources on Singapore history that are also easily accessible. The best example of this is National Library Board's Infopedia website (http://infopedia.nl.sg/), where each article has a list of references so students can go look up the original sources.
Q: There so many websites around. Can you tell if they are giving you the correct facts?
A: Simple errors are easy to spot. If you check enough websites, you might get a sense of what the correct date should be, or the right way to spell a name, because the odd error will stand out. Sometimes, it is not so easy to tell fact from error. You might know the popular story of Sang Nila Utama, the legendary prince from Palembang who visited this island about seven hundred years ago and saw a lion which inspired him to name it Singapura, or Lion City. Throughout my childhood, I took this to be a fact because I saw it in a few history books.
But lately, thanks to the internet, I've discovered zoological insights that suggest there were no wild lions in these parts, and that the animal would more likely have been a tiger, or perhaps even a masked palm civet. The internet makes it easier to be aware of such discrepancies.
LEARNING FROM DON BOSCO
Don Bosco is a fiction writer. Readers expect him to use his imagination. So, it may surprise you to discover how careful he is to get facts right.
Like many fiction writers, Mr Bosco does not invent every single thing in his stories. He places his made-up characters and plots in the real world. His job would be easier if his stories were set in present-day Singapore. Instead, the background for his tales is the past. Fortunately, he can count on different historical resources and his information literacy to get it right.
- The Infopedia website is a good starting point. Each article gives you information about important events, people and places. Go to http://infopedia.nl.sg/
- Refer to history books written by experts, including text books.
- General knowledge can be useful. For example, information about Malayan wildlife helped Mr Bosco rethink the legend of the "lion" city. So, you can find out more about Singapore even in sources that are not directly about Singapore.
Two super sites to visit:
- http://infolit.nl.sg/index.php/students/ for fun facts on information literacy;
- http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/index.aspx for your projects and assignments.