'Project Inkwell'
a literally fun world
By CASSANDRA YEAP

AFTER weeks of preparation, March 5, 2005 finally saw the long-anticipated launch of "Project Inkwell" with a literary festival, MGS Book Fest.
From as early as nine in the morning, students, teachers, families and friends thronged the many stalls and stations at the carnival of books. They revelled in this unique opportunity to give back to the school even while immersing themselves in the delightful world of the word in print. What a world it was!


White-washed walls and barriers from the construction sites came alive with brilliant, almost whimsical, depictions of well-loved characters of fiction, such as Scrooge from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Emblazoned upon another stretch of wall were the words of Rupert Brooke's stirring war poem, The Soldier. The Queen of Hearts mingled nonchalantly with the crowd, one of the many masquerading merry-makers so familiar to and beloved of readers the world over.


Activities for book-lovers were in no short supply. The book sale satisfied with its excellent range and quality of books; Mrs Lee's Cookbook and The Idiot's Guide to Knitting were among the titles that ensured there literally was something for the whole family. The talk "Tis the good reader that makes the good book" by Emmeline Payne tackled the very basics of building a child's reading foundation -- an investment of time and energy that would reap an abundance of life-long benefits.


Bessie Chua, local author and Fairfield MGS alumnus, launched her book, Little Pioneers, engaging and entertaining her young audience with readings. Meanwhile the girls from the Primary school were treated to puppetry workshops that challenged and explored the bounds of creativity and imagination. iTheatre with its performance of "Dancing with Dragons" that captured the best of Asian folklore brought the Book Fest and its many literary events to a fitting close.
To be sure, the crowd was simply spoiled for choice on Saturday, what with so many games to play, food to eat and all those books to feed the intellect and the imagination.


"Project Inkwell" could not have got off on a more glorious and successful note. The fun and excitement of Book Fest promised much of the same for the next five months.


Until August 2005, MGS expects to meet more great writers in person, and to enjoy a variety of literary activities ranging from a poetry-reading marathon to a book parade, to cookery classes with celebrity cookbook authors, to a lexical odyssey and more. Funds raised during the project will be used for the upgrading of the libraries in the school.


"Project Inkwell" brings to MGS not just the joy of reading, but also the opportunity for the girls to explore great literature through the ages and cultivate lasting habits of reading and learning.

Bessie Chua, author of the book, Little Pioneers. -- Methodist Girls' School picture.

Cassandra Yeap is a Secondary 4A2 student at Methodist Girls' School.