#NewBookDay: my first Rough Guide to Singapore for 6 years is officially out @RoughGuides, although some bookshops have already been stocking it. Unlike some guidebooks, it was researched in person (not online or on the phone). A short thread to provide some post-deadline updates

And the best way to end a Palestinian cultural event is with yet more dabke – just a little dose courtesy of Nabad. Hope Daughters of Jerusalem thoroughly enjoyed their performing stint in the Ireland and the UK

Even though it’s not really my sort of music, I loved being in the company of بنات القدس/Daughters of Jerusalem tonight and their musical director, the soft-spoken, dignified Suhail Khoury. Kings Place was thrilled. Hope they can somehow do another show in the UK before too long

King’s Place is a multi-floor Palestinian experience today

📰 [TMR WEEKLY] Latest articles in TMR Weekly—provocative essays and artistic reflections: • “Interview: Annemarie Jacir on Palestine 36” by @HadaniDitmars offers insights into the filmmaker’s (@AnnemarieJacir) powerful new project on Palestinian identity and history.

Those are the key changes I’m aware of, but I will post more updates in this thread as and when. Every post-pandemic trip to Singapore has included some work for this new edition and I’m especially glad we boosted our wildlife-spotting info. Hope travellers find the book useful

Restaurant closures aren’t news in Singapore and having been gathering speed because of ever-rising rents and labour/ingredient costs, but it was still news when the entire Privé chain folded – we covered the one at the Asian Civilisations Museum

Also, Bjorn Shen’s celebrated restaurant Artichoke at New Bahru, which used to serve inspired Middle Eastern food with Singapore tinges, did a totally unexpected swerve into… pizzas. As Bjorn notes, “Let’s see if we go another 16 years, or if this was a bad idea”

First thing to mention is that the Projector, Singapore’s much-loved indie cinema (and also an event space for independent voices) has gone bust. This news arrived actually just before our deadline but well, it didn’t make it into the book

PALESTINE 36 - the historical epic you've been waiting for - opens Oct 31st 🎬 Book your tickets NOW to watch Palestine’s official Oscar Entry for 2025; a stunning portrayal of the 1936 Palestinian uprising that took on an Empire🎟 🇵🇸 ♥ https://t.co/GJMP1hzPuF

Imagine, a @RAS_Soc talk full of charts and graphs 🙂 Excellent lecture last night by Peter Clift (UCL) on how changing climates and rivers have shaped Asian civilizations/history. I look forward to more multidisciplinary talks that recapture some of the society’s sciency roots

I now realise that Ken Scott was also involved in some of the Woodland sessions, so perhaps ‘How Can I Say Good Night When I Don’t Want To’ was a Woodland outtake…

Spent a little time with these talented people in Northern Jordan where @WorldMonuments has been training displaced Syrians in the craft of traditional stonemasonry. Many are returning to Syria with a skill that will help them rebuild

🚨 The #GazaGenocide is not over. Yesterday was the deadliest day since the so-called “ceasefire.” 🔴 Israel bombed multiple areas across the Gaza Strip including Al-Shati Refugee Camp, Al-Mawasi, Rafah & Gaza City 🔴 Over 100 Palestinians were killed, inc. over 40 children /1

Just a few days to go and I suspect most of Voices of Palestine is already sold out 🎉

As for tonight’s show, I think the most memorable of many memorable moments was Dave doing an ureleased song from, I think, the Poor David’s Almanack sessions (because he said it was recorded with Ken Scott). I asked if they’d play London again soon and they seemed a bit iffy 🤞

The rewards of waiting outside stage doors: after 40 minutes, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings finally emerged from the Palladium and a few hardy autograph hunters followed them to their car. So I got to say hello to them for the first time in 23 years. Dave remembered me.

Oh the excitement – how many years has it been since Gillian Welch & David Rawlings played London? (I know I saw them at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2011, but after that? I genuinely can’t recall)

Wonderful to finally have an official trailer for Palestine 36. Sadly, despite being a fan of Annemarie Jacir’s work and having known about this film when it was being shot, I still failed to get a ticket for the LFF premiere 😭

Was good to be reminded of how quantum crypto poses fundamental questions about our understanding of quantum theory, and about the threats that quantum computing could pose to conventional security – without the usual hype from the conglomerates now building these machines