Phoebe Tay: Interview with a Deaf Writer

My name is Phoebe Tay. I was born in Singapore and did most of my schooling there until 16 years of age.  I am interested in travelling, food, reading, writing, cycling and personal development. When I was 17, I moved to Australia to train to become a teacher of the Deaf in Brisbane. In 2008, I moved to Melbourne to find work. I am a writer and a teacher of the Deaf. I am passionate about advocating for equality to education for Deaf children in developing countries and raising Deaf awareness in society to promote change. I am aspiring to work in the field of international development and enjoy meeting people of diverse cultures. I desire to promote cross-cultural understandings and bridge the gap between the hearing and Deaf cultures and also foster appreciation for other cultures in others.

What inspired you to start writing and what kind of writing do you enjoy doing?

When I was in primary school, I always enjoyed writing short stories and compositions. I would forget the time and lose myself whenever I attempted writing a piece. I used to keep a journal in my primary school days and even made my own little book of short stories. Writing is a creative outlet for me and also helps me find release from the stressors of everyday life. I enjoy writing Creative non-fiction especially profiles of people with inspiring lives and articles related to human rights, advocacy and Deaf awareness.

To view some of my articles, feel free to visit my blog. When I graduated from university, I started to take some interest in writing. I had an article published on a wedding website in 2008 and then became a columnist for the DiVine website in 2012 and have been contributing articles for the past 2 years to the site.

I also got involved as a Deaf writer with a few other Deaf in a series of Deaf writing workshops facilitated by Arnold Zable. The workshops culminated in 2 performances of 5 Deaf writers at the “Through Deaf Eyes” events at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival 2012. The 2 events were a success and each of us presented our stories to an audience on two different nights. After the performance, I was later approached by Andre Dao editor of the RightNow organisation to interview the 5 Deaf writers about Deaf writing perspectives. My article titled “The Deaf Writer- Does it exist?” was published in The Emerging Writer Handbook in May 2013. An excerpt of the article can be found here.

The Emerging Writer Handbook was launched at the Emerging Writers’ Festival in May 2013. I along with 2 other Deaf people did a presentation in Auslan at the launch. It was my very first time having an article published in an actual book. This motivated me to keep going. However, I believe that my involvement as a writer with Deaf Arts Network is coming to an end. This is because I am finding myself pulled in a different direction. I wish to combine my teaching background, writing and research skills to advocate for equality for Deaf children and Deaf people in terms of educational opportunities around the world. I believe it is important to live for something bigger than myself.

What has been the biggest obstacle for you? Have you come up against any barriers?

Obstacles for me in my life have been finding my place in society as a Deaf person. I grew up among hearing people and learnt to talk. I met a few deaf people in Singapore who also talked like me. I only picked up sign language much later when I started my special education degree at Griffith University in Brisbane where I learnt about Deaf culture and history. For a while, I felt I was neither here nor there and faced an identity crisis. I felt like I did not fit in with both Deaf and hearing people. Much later, as I began to embrace Deaf values and culture and as I picked up more sign language, I found myself proud to identify myself as Deaf. Refer to my blog post “Deaf Deaf Same” for more details on my journey or my creative non-fiction piece “Me, Myself and I” also posted on my blog.

Has your deaf identity helped you with your writing? How?

It has helped shaped the things and topics I touch upon in my writing. I tend to look for Deaf individuals with inspiring stories to do a profile on, or write about disability and human rights. It informs my writing and has shaped the direction of it. I seek to raise awareness amongst hearing people and break down barriers.

What topics get you the most excited about writing?

Human rights, humanitarianism, advocacy, Deaf characters, and non-fiction stories of Deaf individuals that are inspiring and give hope and confidence. The fact that words have the power to transform and shape minds and attitudes. The power to make an impact and serve as a catalyst for positive change.

What does a typical writing day look like to you? Do you have habits or a routine?

I don’t have any habits or a specific routine when it comes to writing. Sometimes when I am doing my normal everyday duties e.g. shopping or having a conversation with a friend, a fresh idea can come into my head at random. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to structure any article or story I am planning to write in the midst of going about my normal daily life. I find that ideas come into my head when I am just going with the flow of life. If I were to spend them sitting at my laptop expecting the ideas to flow straight away, it almost always never happens. The most effective way for me is to spend them reflecting and thinking about how best to go about writing and structuring the article and typing/writing down notes at random in a Microsoft Word Doc or in my writers notebook and when I’ve got the full picture, I start typing out the full story sometimes for hours at a stretch and sometimes in bits and pieces over a few days or a few weeks.

Do you have a special memory connected to writing?

Yes, my teacher reading my short stories and compositions aloud to the whole class when I was in Primary 3 and 4 in my primary school at Ngee Ann primary in Singapore.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Experiencing writer’s blocks especially when I need to meet a deadline and I am sitting at the computer and nothing comes to my head. To overcome this, I often go away and do my normal stuff while thinking about the article. When I get a clear idea, I get back to writing.

What is the best thing about being a writer?

The networking opportunities and the ability to reflect and gain insight after I’ve finished writing an article. It gives me a creative outlet for my thoughts and helps me find release in stressful moments. It gives me clarity on my thoughts and helps me realise how I define myself and how I wish to be defined.

What advice would you give to an emerging deaf writer or young writer?

To keep writing and seek out opportunities such as writing workshops or higher education at university to become a better writer. Never stay in your comfort zone if you want to grow and improve as a writer. Mix with other writers that are better than you and inspire those who are just beginning. Be open to meeting writers and people from all walks of life because everyone has a story waiting to be uncovered.

What do you consider the most important piece of advice you’ve received?

There is no limit. The only limit is in the mind.

What is next for you? What are you looking forward to in the future?

I am seeking to complete my Graduate Diploma in Professional Writing at Deakin University by June 2014. After that, I am seeking educational and work opportunities to further enhance my knowledge in the international development sector. I wish to use my teaching and writing skills to promote change and advocate for quality education for Deaf people around the world especially in developing countries where the high rate of illiteracy is prevalent. If more Deaf people are educated, they can then begin to understand their rights and lobby for change because knowledge is power.

Phoebe Tay is a Deaf Singaporean writer and Teacher of the Deaf based in Melbourne. She is working towards her Graduate Diploma of Professional Writing and aspires to work in the field of international development focusing on designing education projects for Deaf children around the world and advocating for their rights to have access to quality education.

Filed in: Real life stories