In the words of Tom Petty, ‘please, let it matter’. Lee Tzu Pheng was born in 1946 in Singapore. And to this day is one of Singapore’s most recognized poets, no small feat for a, woman. As what happens historically with female artists, she’s had moments of creative silence as she took care of her husband and her children and her household. She is quite shy and that has been reflected in her introspective, lyrical, and thoughtful nature and writings. She searches as many female artists do, for herself. Just simply herself. Her own identity. She has a questioning and curious response to patriotism for her country, and a faith that stops short of excluding her as male driven societies so often do. For many poets, not just female, the writing becomes not just about the happenings of a particular society or culture, but of their own involvement, or exclusion, from it. She did not create a large body, but she created a good body, a well respected and honored body of work. Apart from those participating in luxury travel Singapore provided her with a realism concerning what it is to be Singaporean and a woman.

Pheng was honored with an award, one of only six writers and the only Singaporean, the Gabriela Minstrel Award. Honored by the Chilean government before she was honored by her own. Her contributions to the world of literature and the world of Singapore garnered her this acknowledgment. This happened in 1995 and then in 1996 she was one of only two writers to receive the literary award for the Center for the Arts in Monte Blanc . She regularly participates in public readings, and leads seminars throughout the world, and has had her words set to music by some of the leading composers of the day. Classes in universities worldwide now teach courses wherein she and her writings are the subject matter. She has become personally involved with teaching and advising young writers and started the twice awarded yearly acknowledgement of young talent and the continued effort to nurture and encourage the young to put there hearts down on paper through the written word. She remains the shy girl however, looking calm and serene above the surface, like a swan…but with feet paddling and heart pounding just under the surface, wanting what is always wanted by any artist, to just let it matter.

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