除非是畅销书，文学写作在这个大环境下几乎无利可图，那么作家为何仍孜孜写作？这本中英双语主题书，收录32篇新加坡与外国作家提供的写作的理由，他们是：谢清、刘培芳、吴伟才、郭淑云、何华、梁文福、蔡宝龙、梁凤霞、贺尔、李青松、林有懿、叶欢玲、仇莉莲、梁海彬、李振宏、阿嗅、随庭、张嘉嘉、林艺君、李梅银、露凡、向阳、杨小滨、鸿鸿、毛尖、陈佳君、马尼尼为、林蔚昀、林雪虹、黄丽丽、管伟森、牛小流。拼死拼活，世界（终究）或许无法长成我们喜欢的样子，还好有文字摇橹，领我们到乌托邦，诗意栖居，伴以长影。
Why authors write? Especially in this age and environment, when one could hardly profit from it. 32 writers from Singapore and beyond shared with us a piece of themselves and the reasons they write. They are Chia Kwek Fah, Low Pooi Fong, Ng Wai Choy, Gouk Sok Eng, He Hua, Liang Wern Fook, Chua Poh Leng, Charmaine Leung, He Er, Li Qingsong, Lin Youyi, Yap Huan Lin, Kiew Li Lian, Li Meiyin, Neo Hai Bin, Daryl Li, Ah Xiu, Sui Ting, Teo Jia Jia, Lin Yi-jun, Lu Fan, Xiang Yang, Yang Xiaobin, Hung Hung, Mao Jian, Chen Chia-Jiun, Maniniwei, Wei-Yun Lin-Górecka, Lim Suat Hong, Wong Lih Lih, Kwan Wei Shen, Niu Xiaoliu. Despite our constant struggle, the world may very well turn out different from what we want it to be. Fortunately, we could find respite in writing. We could create a utopia with words, where we live poetically in the company of our elongated shadows.
