Almost a decade since the Pulitzer Prize-Winning novel The Sympathizer was published, we revisit developing conversations around the continuing global refugee crisis with acclaimed author Viet Thanh Nguyen. As displaced individuals contend with the physical perils of war, we consider a different conflict that has emerged within the global imaginary: how has storytelling been used by some to build a new sense of community, while being leveraged by others to efface them? With time and memory dislocated, how do narratives have the potential to be wielded as both refuge and subterfuge?

This programme is part of the Spotlight on Asian-American Authors and is made possible with the support of the U.S. Embassy Singapore.