Books remain as important as ever, even in an age where TikTok, Instagram and short-form videos dominate
If you are a bookworm and just love reading, let it be known. Declare your love for books by wearing these exclusive T-shirt designs celebrating Singaporean literature (often shortened to SingLit).
These eight designs have been produced by Uniqlo, the Japanese fast-fashion brand well-loved in Singapore for its winning combination of affordable, stylish and comfortable apparel, in partnership with the National Library Board (NLB).
Inspired by the love for reading, they are as part of its National Reading Movement which seeks to encourage people to, well, read more books, across a variety of genres, and together with their loved ones.
The first four designs celebrate SingLit by shining the spotlight on four books. These include: Sugarbread by Balli Kaur Jaswal, which explores complex family relationships through the language of food; A Bad Girl’s Book of Animals by Wong May, a book of poems exploring loneliness, communication and humanity; The Angel Tiger and Other Stories by Barrie Sherwood, featuring an anthology of vignettes about the Singaporean experience (among others); and The Gatekeeper by Nuraliah Norasid, part fictional fantasy story about a pair of sisters, part commentary on Singapore’s racial landscape.
The second set of four feature designs that are all about the love of the written word. These include tongue-in-cheek slogans like “reading is the only exercise I need” to the universally relatable sentiment that the original book is always better than its subsequent film or TV adaptation.
These T-shirts are available at the Uniqlo Orchard Central flagship store now, where they can be further customised if desired with text, photographs and stickers at the UTme! customisation booth there. The adult-sized T-shirt retails for $29.90, while the kid-sized one costs $19.90.
These shirts will eventually be available at other selected outlets at a later date.
Over at Uniqlo’s outlet at 51@AMK, there is also a library wall, featuring 33 NLB eReads, including six audiobooks. The books come under fiction, sustainability and wellness.
Pick up SingLit or other books at www.nlb.gov.sg. For more information on Uniqlo T-shirts and stores, visit www.uniqlo.com/sg/en.
