20 Facts About Daren Shiau

Daren Shiau, is a Singaporean novelist, poet, conservationist, and lawyer in private practice qualified in Singapore, England and Wales.

Daren Shiau was educated at Raffles Institution, Raffles Junior College, and graduated from the Law Faculty of the National University of Singapore on the Dean's List in 1996.

Daren Shiau is the author of Heartland, Peninsular: Archipelagos and Other Islands, and Velouria.

Daren Shiau is a co-editor of Coast, a seminal mono-titular anthology.

In 2005, Daren Shiau was first runner-up in the Golden Point Award creative writing competition for his short story, Take Your Wings Off, I Say.

Daren Shiau has been invited to read in New York, Boston and London.

Daren Shiau has been a guest writer at the Melbourne Writers Festival, and the Hong Kong International Literary Festival.

Daren Shiau's works have been translated into several languages, namely Italian, German, Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and have been featured in cross-discipline public performances by other artists.

In 2015, Daren Shiau collaborated with indie band Riot in Magenta to present a performance at the Esplanade Recital Studio as part of the Singapore Writers Festival.

Daren Shiau has served as a writing mentor for the Creative Arts Programme administered by the Ministry of Education, and the National Arts Council's Mentor Access Project.

In 2021, Daren Shiau was appointed co-chair of the Singapore Writers Festival's advisory panel.

At the National University of Singapore, Daren Shiau was one of the first chairmen of the pioneering sustainability and environmental activism NGO, Students Against Violation of the Earth.

Daren Shiau was appointed as director on the independently managed Singapore Environment Council, and as board member of the National Parks Board, a statutory board of Singapore's Ministry of National Development.

Daren Shiau has been named an international expert of the Commission on Environmental Law of the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Switzerland, during which he published a monograph titled Communication and the Environment.

In 2016, Daren Shiau was further appointed to the Management Committee of the Garden City Fund, an Institute of Public Character in Singapore originally established by patron Lee Kuan Yew, which complements the National Parks Board's greening and biodiversity conservation efforts.

In 2016, Daren Shiau was conferred the civilian order, the Public Service Medal by the President of the Republic of Singapore.

In 2022, Daren Shiau was further conferred the civilian order, the Public Service Star by the President of the Republic of Singapore.

Daren Shiau has volunteered actively in the community, particularly in the Central Singapore District.

Daren Shiau has previously served as a Council Member on the National Youth Council.

Daren Shiau is a member of the founding Board of Directors for Crest Secondary School, the first Specialised School for Normal students in Singapore, which was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his National Day Rally speech in 2010.