On 24 May 2025, I had the privilege of speaking at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) for the first time!
My session, “Discovering Singapore’s History: Adapting War Narratives into Meaningful and Engaging Children’s Stories,” focused on how educators, docents, and content creators can help the young connect with war narratives or World War II stories.
It was a joy to share the stage with prominent illustrator David Liew, who moderated the session with warmth.
Despite our age gap, I discovered that David and I had many things in common: we are former educators, we have many friends in common, and we share a passion for history.
During my talk, I shared about the broad historical context as well as introduced my children’s book series, Our Amazing Heroes.
The year 2025 is special for Singapore and Singaporeans.
It marks Singapore’s 60th year of independence (or SG60).
It also marks 60 years of the Singapore Armed Forces (or SAF60).
And it is also the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
That is why this year, in particular, is especially timely to reflect on Singapore’s history.
And this is the background as to why I launched my children’s book series Our Amazing Heroes this year.
I shared about the importance of dramatic scenes and illustrations, grabbing children’s and adults’ attention.
However, war stories for children should not just be about war. I spoke about the importance of focusing on inspiring stories that convey important values, like courage, compassion, and resilience.
I also talked about keeping stories relatable and relevant, and above all how I connected various stories to each other through what I called a “Marvel Cinematic Universe” approach towards episodic storytelling.
After my talk, we had a very enjoyable and engaging Question and Answer session where the attendees asked insightful and interesting questions. I had a lot of fun exchanging views!
Beyond my talk, AFCC was a chance to explore the rich world of children’s literature. I attended a thought-provoking session by Lianne Ong and Kenneth Heng on writing about social issues like rough sleeping.
The talk was an important reminder that children’s books can (and should) tackle tough topics with care and empathy, especially in the age of the Internet.
I also visited the Book Illustrators Gallery, which was quite curiously located at Bras Basah Complex, near the National Library. I am guessing that this was probably a sign that space is always a premium for book events in Singapore! It was also great catching up with artist and designer Derrick Tham there.
And of course, it was definitely a joy to see Our Amazing Pioneers available for sale at the festival bookshop. It was a good reminder of how far I have come along my writing journey.
AFCC 2025 was a wonderful experience of learning, sharing ideas, and connecting with others who believe in the power of stories to spark curiosity and inspire change.
I’m grateful for the warm conversations, the kind support from many people, and the shared commitment to making a difference through books.
I hope I will be invited for the next festival and be able to continue telling stories that matter.
Thank you for reading.
Cheers,
Shawn Seah
Shawn Seah Li Song 
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