The Mischief Of Ordinary Things Not Everything Is As It Seems

Is that a swing, or a pair of glasses? Is that word ‘ bar belles’ or ‘ barbells’ ? Look again, read again; you will see images and words in a new light in The Mischief of Ordinary Things. This innovative collection of poetry by Felix Cheong is inspired by artist Sam Lay’ s Life in a Notebook series, which playfully hides ordinary objects in plain sight in the artwork. So three-dimensional and seamless is the integration that you are forced to do a double take. In turn, Cheong responds to these thoughtfully cheeky images by penning poems about heartbreak, life in the workplace and art-making. Lyrical, witty and satirical, they offer an intriguing textural counterpoint to Lay's artwork, and a whole new world of meaning-making opens up. Welcome to The Mischief of Ordinary Things, where the familiar appears strange and what is strange, most familiar.

Felix Cheong is the author of 29 books across different genres, from poetry to fiction, from children’ s picture books to graphic novels. He has also written two opera librettos and his works have been widely anthologised and nominated for the prestigious Frank O’ Connor Award and the Singapore Literature Prize. Conferred the Young Artist Award in 2000 by the National Arts Council, Felix has been invited to writers festivals all over the world, such as Edinburgh, Austin, Sydney and Christchurch. He holds a masters in creative writing and is currently a university adjunct lecturer. Sam Lay is a Singapore-based cartoonist whose artistic practice blurs the lines between the familiar and the unfamiliar, transforming the ordinary into something extraordinary and making the extraordinary approachable. Lay's unique pantomime technique engages the reader in a silent yet captivating visual dialogue. Expanding his creative horizons in 2021 with the Arts x Everyday series titled "Life in a Notebook," Lay seamlessly integrates everyday objects into his illustrations, creating a visual world that feels both familiar and refreshingly new.