Poetry Festival Singapore published a new poetry collection by award-winning Singaporean author Desmond Francis Xavier Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé to mark the first papal visit to Singapore in 38 years.
“The poems within this new collection have journeyed with me over several years,” Kon shared. “When the Holy See Press Office announced Pope Francis’s visit to Singapore, I was delighted. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. I had renewed passion to make this book a worthy tribute. It is with deep humility and gratitude that I dedicate this first edition to Pope Francis, whom I admire and love.”
Kon, a Roman Catholic, considers “Heart Fiat” his most significant work. The collection explores conversations with God, contemplative silence, and confessional poetry. His other Catholic works include two anthologies “A Given Grace: An Anthology of Christian Poems” and “The Jesuit: Finding God in All Things.”
Pope Francis’s Apostolic Journey from September 3 to 13, 2024, will include Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore. This marks the first papal visit since Pope Saint John Paul II’s trip to Singapore in November 1986.
Desmond Francis Xavier Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé (born 1971) has received numerous literary awards, including the Singapore Literature Prize and the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award. He is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing & Publishing at Nanyang Technological University. The first edition of “Heart Fiat” is published by Poetry Festival Singapore (formerly known as National Poetry Festival), which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year
