International Kids' Lit Quiz debuts in Singapore to celebrate the “sport of reading”

Release Date : 28 Oct 2013

Singapore is the first Southeast Asian country to participate in the Kids' Lit Quiz

as it gears up for the World Finals 2014

Singapore, 28 October 2013 – Kids' Lit Quiz, an internationally acclaimed literature competition dubbed the 'Olympic Games' of reading, made its Southeast Asian debut in Singapore today at Jurong Regional Library.  Organised by the National Library Board under its Read! Singapore initiative, today's competition saw 10 schools trying out the Quiz as a pilot event, ahead of the Singapore National Finals in April 2014.

40 students aged 10 to 13 faced off in an intense literary battle today, answering 100 questions from different categories such as poetry, characters, nursery rhymes and authors. Besides referencing literary classics and contemporary novels, questions are also drawn from books relating to popular culture, movies and even comics.

St Hilda's Primary School, Gan Eng Seng School and St Theresa's Convent emerged as the top three teams today. “Our team really enjoyed the Quiz. We did not really have to prepare too much as we are always reading. There're still so many great books out there that we haven't read, so we'll keep reading. We also love the book prizes!”  said Mahima Hari, 10, from St Hilda's Primary School.

Come April 2014, school teams will compete at the National Finals for the chance to represent Singapore and take on the world's top young readers at the 23rd Kids' Lit Quiz World Finals in Cornwall, United Kingdom next July.

“This great literature quiz is a fun way for young readers to recall the nuggets in the stories that they have read, and a chance for them to meet other book lovers. I hope the excitement building around the Kids' Lit Quiz will help generate enthusiasm for literature among students in Singapore. Today's pilot of the quiz shows that students do enjoy reading, and continually amaze us with how much they know about the books they have enjoyed.  I am sure that the team which wins the right, during next April's National Finals, to represent Singapore will do us proud on the international stage,” said Mrs Elaine Ng, Chief Executive Officer, National Library Board.

F&N Magnolia, a strong supporter of NLB's reading programmes and the main sponsor for the Kids' Lit Quiz in Singapore, will be sponsoring the Singapore team's trip to the UK for the World Finals. They are also sponsoring book voucher prizes for today's Quiz and the National Finals.

“For three years now, F&N MAGNOLIA has nurtured the joy of reading to the nation with the National Library Board. This initiative by the National Library Board aims to promote a culture of reading among Singaporeans by offering opportunities to rediscover the joys of reading. We are delighted to fortify this relationship with our support of Kids' Lit Quiz, organised by the National Library Board under its Read! Singapore initiative.

Kids' Lit Quiz is a great programme for F&N MAGNOLIA to be involved with as milk nourishes the body and F&N MAGNOLIA is a brand that represents nutrition. This gels very well with Kids' Lit Quiz which cultivates good reading habits and nourishes the brain. F&N MAGNOLIA has been a champion of nutrition, for both body and mind, for many generations and will continue to do so in future", said Ms Angela Koh, Senior Marketing Manager, F&N Foods Pte Ltd.

The Kids' Lit Quiz was created by university lecturer and Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit Wayne Mills, who strongly believes in the importance of reading for pleasure. The Kids' Lit Quiz has grown from its humble beginnings in 1991 to an international 'Literature Olympiad', attracting thousands of children across five continents annually. Participating countries include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and UK.

“The Singapore students impressed me because they had no idea what to expect during the competition, yet they answered the questions very well and showed good content knowledge. This Quiz is not just for those who can read; it rewards thosewho love to read,” shared Wayne after the Quiz.

 

Schools interested to sign up for the Singapore National Finals in April 2014 can contact the National Library Board athelpdesk@library.nlb.gov.sg from 1 November 2013.