THE V. I.
LITERARY ARCHIVES

xtracted from the V.I. Library archives and private collections and deposited here are most of the literary articles contributed by Victorians to the V.I. Echo, the Victorian, the Analekta and the Seladang, over the years up to 1980. Articles written by teachers and those too rigidly academic or too highly technical have not been included. Some minor spelling and grammatical mistakes that eluded the editors of those times have been corrected. Missing issues in these publications for certain years will preclude us from ever compiling a full collection, but what we already have comprises an impressive and respectable legacy of the pupils of the Victoria Institution. Within these electronic pages will be found the names of many well-known Victorians who have penned their thoughts and dreams as schoolboys and schoolgirls setting forth on their first halting literary steps...

The subject matter ranges from humour to philosophy, from science fact to science fiction, from the human condition to the animal world, school affairs to international affairs; formats range from introspection to celebration, from satire to survey, from prose to poetry. They are the products of the minds of Victorians mainly from Form 3 and up, though a few Lower Formers' efforts have also been included. The nuggets archived here - and some are admittedly rough while others are more highly polished - represent a mother lode for any sociologist, historian, educationist and, yes, even psychologist, curious about the V.I. and the lives of its denizens, the prevailing cultural attitudes and the burning issues of the eras that the writers lived in.

Also included will be works of Victorians who, after cutting their literary teeth at the Old School, have gone somewhat further than their contemporaries. We are happy to recognise and display their school and post-school works here.

This feature will take a while to build as we slowly sift through the V.I. publications of yesterday. Meantime, wander in and browse among these musty shelves, as you would in any old book shop, and see what Victorians in their time have wrought... !

The V.I. Web Page Created on 21 November 1999. Last update on 23 September 2023. Pagekeeper: Chung Chee Min