Literary Singapore (2011)

Transcription

Contents
WRITERS
3
English
5
Chinese
67
Malay
105
Tamil
131
PUBLISHERS AND AGENTS
153
ORGANISATIONS
161
JOURNALS
166
NAC AND THE LITERARY ARTS
167
Acknowledgements
171
Introduction
unique approach to urban planning, a rigorous education system and, not least, ethnic
and religious harmony. Less known however, is literary production in the city-state. The
fiction, poetry, drama, literature for children, and comics which have been published over
recent decades testify to a dynamic literary diversity and a multi-cultural, multi-lingual
presence. Literary Singapore is a directory of 139 writers actively writing in English,
Chinese, Malay and Tamil, the country’s four official languages. It represents a spectrum of
acclaimed, distinguished, celebrated or recognised writers and artists who have imagined,
interpreted and expressed life, living, and what it means to be human. It includes useful
information on publishers, related organisations and literary journals in Singapore.
The Directory is by no means exhaustive; rather, it offers a broad range of voices in
contemporary Singaporean writing, and a comprehensive look at Singaporean writers from
different generations, writing in different languages, styles and genres. It will be readily
apparent that the human and literary imagination is hardly dependent on, or limited by, the
size of the writer’s country. The Directory was edited by Dr Leong Liew Geok, who went the
extra mile in a complex project, and to whom we are deeply grateful. We hope that international
audiences looking for new voices or world-views will find in it a rich resource, a useful guide, an
interesting compilation. Singaporeans will discover evolving literary traditions and a surprisingly
rich _ and growing _ literary heritage. They will be able to encounter literature not written
in their own mother tongue, and engage with works not usually associated with literature.
The Literary Arts Team
National Arts Council
Singapore
WRITERS
The international perception of Singapore is often defined by her economic success, her
03
Alfian Bin Sa’at
07 Chandran Nair
38
Meira Chand
08 Ng Yi-Sheng
39
Colin Cheong
09 O Thiam Chin
40
Felix Cheong
10 Alvin Pang
41
Michael Chiang
11 David Seow
42
Troy Chin
12 Haresh Sharma
43
Chong Tze Chien
13 Daren Shiau
44
Dave Chua
14 Desmond Sim
45
Elangovan
15 Kirpal Singh
46
Shamini Flint
16 Tan Hwee Hwee
47
Otto Fong
17 Tan Mei Ching
48
Adeline Foo
18 Paul Tan
49
Heng Siok Tian
19 Tan Tarn How
50
Ho Minfong
20 Eddie Tay
51
Philip Jeyaretnam
21 Jean Tay
52
Koh Buck Song
22 Simon Tay
53
Stella Kon
23 Verena Tay
54
Aaron Lee Soon Yong
24 Claire Tham
55
James Lee
25 Edwin Thumboo
56
Jin Pyn Lee
26 Toh Hsien Min
57
Madeleine Lee
27 Jessie Wee
58
Lee Tzu Pheng
28 Serene Wee
59
David Leo
29 Cyril Wong
60
Leong Liew Geok
30 Eleanor Wong
61
Sonny Liew
31 Robert Yeo
62
Catherine Lim
32 Yeow Kai Chai
63
Emily Lim
33 Chay Yew
64
Jeffrey Lim
34 Yong Shu Hoong
65
Suchen Christine Lim
35 Ovidia Yu
66
Aaron Maniam
36
Chris Mooney-Singh
37
ENGLISH
05
Alfian Bin Sa’at
English poet, short story writer, and trilingual playwright,
Alfian Bin Sa’at is Resident Playwright of W!LD RICE
Theatre Company. He has published two volumes of poetry,
One Fierce Hour (1998) and A History of Amnesia (2001). In
2001, he won the Golden Point Award for Poetry and also
received the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award.
Corridor: Twelve Short Stories (1999) won a Commendation
Award in the 1998 Singapore Literature Prize. His Malay
language plays have been produced by Teater Ekamatra.
While “Causeway” (1998) won a Commendation award
from Majlis Bahasa Melayu Singapura (Malay Language
Council of Singapore), “Fugitives” (2002), co-written with
Ng How Wee, marked his first foray into Chinese language
theatre. Nominated six times for Best Original Script for
The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards, he eventually
won for “Landmarks: Asian Boys Vol.2“ (2004) and
“Nadirah” (2009). Alfian’s plays have been translated into
German, Swedish and Danish, and have been performed
in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London and other European
cities. Malay Sketches (2012), comprising 50 short stories,
will be released in March.
“Alfian Sa’at has, in this second book written, arguably, one of
the most powerful collections by a Singaporean… This is a poetry
reminding us relentlessly of the human potential - and therefore a
society’s potential - for shutting our senses to disease we might have
helped aggravate, or, for daring to look unflinchingly at the roots of our
suffering.” Lee Tzu Pheng, The Straits Times Life!, 7 July 2001
“As a writer, Alfian has committed himself to engaging with
Singaporean issues of identity, family, culture, and belonging… Alfian’s
collection reveals a fiercely committed, inventive individual who seeks
to challenge, to confront, and hopefully to resolve.”
Susan Philip, Asiatic Journal, Vol 4, No 2 (Dec 2010)
b 1977
EMAIL
[email protected]
Collected Plays:
One (2010)
A History of Amnesia
(2001)
This collection of
four plays, “The Optic
Trilogy, “Fugitives”,
“Homesick” and “sex.
violence.blood.gore”
(the latter co-written
with Chong Tze Chien),
explores themes
that have become
the hallmark of the
playwright’s work:
national identity, racial
relations, and the
resistance of individuals
against authoritarian
systems.
Unapologetic, unafraid
and unyielding, Alfian’s
second collection of verse
delves with greater depth
into the concerns of his
first volume to reclaim
collective history and
memory.This is one of
the most dissonant and
penetrating voices in
Singaporean poetry.
GENRE / CATEGORY OF BOOK
Drama
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
“The Optic Trilogy”:
Nominated for Best Original
Script, Life! Theatre Awards
(2002)
“Fugitives”: Nominated for
Best Original Script, Life!
Theatre Awards (2003)
“Homesick: Nominated for
DISTRIBUTOR / PUBLISHER
Poetry
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Listed in the notable
books list by the Kiriyama
Pacific Rim Book Award
(administered by the
University of San Francisco)
Nominated, Singapore
Literature Prize (2004)
The Straits Times Life! Top
Ten Books of the Year
Ethos Books
Pagesetters Services Pte Ltd
Ethos Books
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
Email: enquiry@ethosbooks.
com.sg
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
com.sg
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-6065-3
978-981-08-0687-3
|7
Meira Chand
Of Indian-Swiss parentage, Meira Chand was born and
educated in London. She lived her adult life in Japan
and India before moving to Singapore in 1997. She
is the author of eight novels, seven of which are The
Gossamer Fly (1979), Last Quadrant (1981), The Bonsai
Tree (1983), The Painted Cage (1986), House of the
Sun (1989), A Choice of Evils (1996), and A Far Horizon
A Different Sky
(2010)
A panoramic novel of
the 30 tumultuous years
before Singapore’s
independence, covering
colonial times, war, the
Japanese Occupation and
the struggle for freedom
from British rule. These
historic events are seen
through the intermeshing
lives of three local
families, Chinese, Indian
and Eurasian.
A Far Horizon (2001)
Set in Calcutta, India in
1756, the novel centres
upon the notorious
incident of the Black Hole
of Calcutta and events
that will settle forever the
colonial history of India.
The novel explores the
lives of a town divided
by race and culture and
the prejudices that would
soon grow unchecked in
the era of Empire.
(2001). Her latest novel, A Different Sky (2010), covers
the 30 years before Singapore’s independence. In the
UK, the bookshop chain Waterstones voted the novel
as their Book Circle Choice for July 2010. Chand is an
Associate of the Centre for the Arts, National University
of Singapore and a Distinguished Reader at the
National Library. She has been Regional Chairperson
for the Commonwealth Writers Prize and a Visiting
Fellow at Mansfield College, Oxford. She is involved in
many programmes to promote literature and young
writers in Singapore.
“A Different Sky is historical fiction at its most complex and
engaging...Chand balances the communist groupings, Japanese
Occupation and emerging nationalism with skill...As history A
Different Sky is engrossing; as fiction, highly enjoyable.”
Literary Review, June 2010
Colin Cheong
Colin Cheong is a novelist, short-story writer and poet.
His first novel, The Stolen Child (1989), was Highly
Commended in the 1990 National Book Development
Council of Singapore Book Awards, for Fiction in
English. His other works of fiction are Poets, Priests
and Prostitutes (1990), Life-Cycle of Homo Sapiens,
Male (1992), Seventeen (1996), and Tangerine (1997),
which won the Singapore Literature Prize in 1996.
The Man in the Cupboard (1999), in unpublished
form, was also awarded the Merit Prize in the 1998
Singapore Literature Prize competition. His poetry
collection, Void Decks and Other Empty Places (1996),
won the Commendation Award in the 1995 Singapore
Literature Prize competition. The collection is available
at the National Online Repository of Artistic Works
(NORA). Cheong has spent the last decade writing
commemorative books for corporate clients. Polite
Fiction (2011), his latest work of creative fiction, has
just been published.
Polite Fiction (2011)
Polite Fiction is about
the rude reality behind
the stories we tell about
ourselves. Colin Cheong’s
latest work weaves a
central story through
the lives of a cast of
characters hiding behind
their own polite fictions.
Each chapter sends
sanitised fairy tales back
to the realm of shadows
where they lie in wait – to
remind us of how much
we lie.
The Stolen Child
(1989; repr. 2011)
A bildungsroman. Wings
finds that his family is
breaking up. He’s failing
in school. The Scouts are
no refuge. His friends,
no comfort. And worst of
all, he’s fallen in love. He
has to deal with it all – if
only he could find a way
to make sense of it all,
and the courage to do the
right thing.
“Chand tells the story in a direct and compelling manner. The
prose sweeps forward, and she evokes the period beautifully…
effortlessly…” TheTelegraph, 9th June 2010 GENRE / CATEGORY OF BOOK
Fiction
LANGUAGE
Fiction
LANGUAGE
English
English
Harvill Secker/Random
House
Weidenfeld & Nicolson/
Orion
Random House
20 Vauxhall Bridge
Road,London SW1V 2SA, UK
Tel/Fax:
[44] (0) 20 7840 8400
Email: enquiries@
randomhouse.co.uk
Orion House
3 Upper St Martin’s Lane
London WC2H 9EA, UK
Tel/Fax:
+ 44 (0) 207 7240 3444
Email: [email protected]
ISBN
0-297-60724-3
9781846553431
ISBN
b 1942
WEBSITE
www.meirachand.com
b 1965
Fiction
LANGUAGE
Fiction
LANGUAGE
English
English
AWARDS
Marshall Cavendish
International (Asia)
Times Centre
1 New Industrial Road
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
sg.marshallcavendish.com
ISBN
978-981-4351—54-6
Highly Commended,
NBDCS Book Awards
(1990)
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
ISBN
9789814346641
8|
|9
Felix Cheong
Named by Reader’s Digest as the 29th Most Trusted
Singaporean of 2010, Felix Cheong is the author of seven
books: four collections of poetry, two teen detective
novels and a non-fiction anthology of interviews. He has
also written two plays and edited a volume of essays.
His latest volume of poetry is Sudden in Youth: New and
Selected Poems (2009). Cheong has been invited to read
at writers’ festivals in Edinburgh, West Cork, Austin,
Sydney, Brisbane, Christchurch, Hong Kong, Chengdu,
Sudden in Youth:
New and Selected
Poems (2009)
The Call from
Crying House
(2006)
Sixty-six poems. Out of
the mundane, a flash of
the lyrical. And always,
the inventive wordplay,
touching on themes from
crisis of faith to divorce,
from fatherhood to being,
yes, tattooed. Sudden in
Youth brings together the
best of Felix Cheong’s
poetry.
A haunted house in
Katong. A strange SMS
from their teacher
who’s gone missing.
And a decades-old
murder that remains
unsolved. Tash Nathan,
Tricia Lim and Alfie
Chua investigate
the disappearance
of science teacher
Mr Adam Salleh
and stumble upon a
terrorist plot.
Kuala Lumpur, Ubud, Bangalore and Singapore. In 2000,
he received the National Arts Council’s Young Artist
Award for Literature. Broken by the Rain (2003) was
nominated for the Singapore Literature Prize in 2004.
Cheong, who has a Master of Philosophy in Creative
Writing from the University of Queensland, is currently
Michael Chiang
Born in Malaysia, Michael Chiang is a playwright
best known for crowd-pleasing hits like “Army Daze”
(1987), “Beauty World” (1988 ) and “Private Parts”
(1992). “Army Daze” was turned into a film in 1996.
Chiang’s endearingly local comedies helped demystify
theatre for the mainstream public, which explains
why many of his plays still enjoy regular revivals (with
ever larger-scale productions) to this day. Few realise
that playwriting is purely a hobby for Chiang, who has
spent the past three decades in print media, starting
out as a newspaper journalist and going on to become
CEO of a major publishing company. He created and
launched many popular news-stand titles, including
8 Days, the entertainment weekly that remains one of
the country’s best-selling titles. He now runs his own
media consultancy.
an adjunct lecturer at LASALLE College of the Arts,
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Temasek Polytechnic.
“Felix Cheong shows us in Sudden In Youth that he is, when at
his best, an indisputably talented poet possessed of an assured
voice who also happens to have a lot to say.” Richard Lord,
writersconnect.org, November 22, 2009
“It is an entertaining whodunit with a well-researched bit of
Singapore history cleverly thrown in.”
Kristina Tom, The Straits Times
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction
LANGUAGE
English
Ethos Books
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
com.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-3412-8
LANGUAGE
English
Landmark Books
106 Clementi Street 12
#04-38
Singapore 120106
Tel: (65) 6466 0443
Fax: (65) 6466 7630
Email: bookmark@pacific.
net.sg
ISBN
981-4189-05-7
b 1965
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
www.felixcheong.com
b 1955
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
www.alittleimagination.com.sg
Private Parts &
Other Play Things
(1994)
A compilation of plays
by Chiang, including his
best known and most
successful works, “Army
Daze” (1987), “Beauty
World” (1988), “Mixed
Signals” (1989) and
“Private Parts” (1992).
The plays provide wry
observations about
uniquely Singaporean
traits, values, and
aspirations. With a
foreword by Ong Keng
Sen, Artistic Director,
TheatreWorks.
Army Daze (1985)
Humorous look at
National Service
in Singapore, seen
through the eyes of a
middle-class mummy’s
boy. Loosely based on
the writer’s own NS
experience in the 70s, the
book adroitly captures
the fears and frustrations
of every 18-year-old
undergoing BMT (Basic
Military Training).
Drama
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
Landmark Books
#04-38
Singapore 120106
Tel: (65) 6466 0443
Fax: (65) 6466 7630
net.sg
ISBN
981-3002-77-8
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
ISBN
997-1652-25-0
10 |
| 11
Troy Chin
Troy Chin returned home to try his hand at making
comic books after almost a decade of studying and
working in America. Beginning with the first part of
The Resident Tourist in 2007, Troy went on to chronicle
an autobiographical journey via a five-part graphic
novel, with the most recent book (Part 5) launched
in 2011. Parts 1-3 were translated into Thai in 2010,
while a Singapore Internationale grant also allowed
the creator to showcase Tourist excerpts at a solo
The Resident Tourist
(Part 5) (2011)
The Resident Tourist
(Part 4) (2010)
exhibition in Berlin during the summer of 2010. While
Love and hate, truth
and lies, life and death –
words whose meanings
are forged through and
against their dialectical
opposites. But how do
you capture a world in
black and white when
everything seems to be
an infinite shade of gray?
Some things never
change. Be it the 90s
or today, we all have
the same hopes, fears,
aspirations, desires and
things which make us
tick. Time just makes us
a little wiser. Or does it?
the four-panel strip format Loti (2009), currently into
Tourist captures a darker, more introspective tone,
its second volume, depicts a lighter, more humorous
slice of Singaporean life. Chin has also contributed
stories to the first two volumes of the Southeast
Asian comics anthology, Liquid City (2008 and 2010),
published by US-based comics giant, Image Comics.
He received the Young Artist Award (Literary Arts) from
the National Arts Council in 2011.
“A palatable mixture of melancholy and literary joy.”
Joey Kang, Good Paper, June 2011
“This is first-rate non-fiction, the quintessential pop-culture
product of present-day Singapore.”
Umpagan Ampikaipakan, New Straits Times, 4 Jan 2010
Graphic Novel
Graphic Novel
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
Troy Chin
Dreary Weary Comics
Troy Chin
Dreary Weary Comics
57 Sunrise Ave
#01-10
Singapore 806748
Tel: (65) 6483 3370
Email: drearyweary@hotmail.
com
57 Sunrise Ave
#01-10
Singapore 806748
Tel: (65) 6483 3370
Email: drearyweary@
hotmail.com
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-7786-6
978-981-08-6074-5
b 1977
WEBSITE
www.drearyweary.com
Chong Tze Chien
A Theatre Studies graduate of the National University
of Singapore, Chong Tze Chien is an award-winning and
published playwright and director. His awards include
the Singapore Dramatist Award (1998) for “PIE”, The
Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards for Best Director
and Production of the Year and for Best Original Script
in 2011 for “Charged” (2010). “Turn by Turn We Turn”
(2011) dramatises the development and eventual demise
of traditional hand puppetry in China. Chong writes
frequently for television channels and films, including
“Gurushetram: 24 Hours of Anger” (co-written with T T
Dhavamani; 2010), Singapore’s first Tamil feature film,
which has been sold to India and neighbouring countries.
His work has been read and dramatised by the Royal
Court Theatre (UK) in 2000 and the Singapore London
Playhouse in 2005. In August 2006, “Furthest North,
Deepest South” had its international premiere at the 14th
Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary. For his contributions
to Singaporean theatre, Chong received the Young Artist
Award from the National Arts Council in 2006. He was
with The Necessary Stage from 2000 to 2004. He is
presently Company Director of another theatre company,
The Finger Players. Chong’s play, “Turn by Turn We Turn”
(2011), which he also directed, won The Straits Times Life!
Theatre Awards (2012) for Best Director and Production of
the Year.
“His writing shows that his understanding of the human condition is
incredibly perceptive.” Musa Fazal, Flying Inkpot - Review of “SPOILT”
[http://www.inkpotreviews.com/]
“Charged does not disappoint. It tackles issues of race with brutal
frankness and a refreshing lack of political correctness…The script is
explosive, yet sensitive and nuanced.”
Kenneth Kwok, The Flying Inkpot
b 1975
Four Plays (2011)
Chong’s sophomore
collection of plays,
including “Charged”,
winner of the 2011
The Straits Times
Life!Theatre Award for
Best Script. Through
his signature use of
experimental and
innovative puppetry and
stage devices, Chong’s
“Charged” is Singapore’s
most controversial and
nuanced political play
to date - addressing the
issue of racial tensions
in the most explosive
of scenarios - that of
a Chinese corporal
shooting his Malay
counterpart while on
military duty.
PIE to SPOILT, Chong’s
maiden collection,
comprises four highly
innovative plays,
exceptional in their
structure and design.
With characters often
hovering on the verge or
margins of society, with
unusual settings, with
themes of entrapment,
freedom, and political
manoeuvrings, Chong’s
works at every moment
question, confront and
destabilise conventional
norms.
Drama
Drama
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
Epigram Books
English
The Necessary Stage
1008 Toa Payoh North
#03-08
Singapore 318996
Tel: (65) 6292 4456
Email: enquiry@
epigrambooks.sg
http://www.
epigrambooks.sg
278 Marine Parade Road
#B1-02 Marine Parade
Community Building
Singapore 449282
Tel: (65) 6440 8115
(65) 6440 9274
Fax: (65) 6440 9002
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-8495-6
12 |
PIE to SPOILT: A
Collection of Plays
(2002)
981-04-7667-1
| 13
Dave Chua
Malaysian-born Dave Chua, who has a degree in
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from
the University of California, Berkeley, took up writing
in 1992. He was joint-winner of the 1995 Golden
Point Award for his short story, “Father’s Gifts.” Gone
Case (1997) received the Singapore Literature Prize
Commendation Award in 1996. In 2001, he won the
second prize at the Singapore Screenplay Awards for
Feature-Length Scripts. Chua was a recipient of the
Gone Case
A Graphic Novel
(with Koh Hong
Teng) [2010]
Gone Case (1997)
National Arts Council’s Arts Creation Fund in 2009.
The Beating and Other Stories (2011) has just been
A graphic novel
adaptation of the
award-winning novel.
A touching, yet
unsentimental, story
about growing up in
Singapore as seen
through the eyes of
Yong, a 12-year-old,
who experiences the
paradoxes of life in a
Singaporean housing
estate.
Graphic Novel
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
[email protected]
ISBN
9789810873905
English
published.
“The graphic novel format also enables the writer and artist
to show, rather than tell, resulting in uncluttered, poignant
moments.” Nicholas Yong, The Straits Times, Jan 3, 2011
b 1970
EMAIL
[email protected]
Elangovan
Elangovan, bilingual poet-playwright-director, was
educated in Raffles Institution, and obtained his BA
(Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts) and
MA (Middlesex University, UK) in Theatre Directing.
He has published three collections of poetry and
11 collections of plays, among which are “Talaq”
[“Divorce”] (1999) and “Smegma” (2006), and three
Singapore Internationale award-winning collections:
“Flush” (2002), “Oodaadi” (“Medium”; 2003), and “1915”
(2005). The most striking feature in his plays is the
representation of historically and culturally identifiable
experiences shared by the multi-ethnic communities
in Singapore. His works carry radical content and often
combative, but convincing, rhetoric that shatters any
attempt to perpetuate the culture of silence here or
anywhere. The sheer unremitting force of his quest to
speak truth to power is evident in his writings. He is the
Artistic Director of Agni Kootthu (Theatre of Fire). He
received the Southeast Asia Write Award in 1997.
b 1957
I, Bose (2009)
1915 (2005)
Two plays. “I, Bose”
investigates the
impregnable mystery
of the death of Netaji
Subash Chandra Bose,
the WW II leader of the
Indian National Army,
and the conspiracy
theories surrounding his
death. “Transportation”
reconstructs the
experiences of Indians
transported overseas to
the penal settlements
established by the British
from the late eighteenth
to mid-twentieth
centuries.
Two plays. “1915”
explores the Singapore
Mutiny by the Indian
Army’s 5th Light Infantry
Battalion on Monday,
15th February 1915,
as seen through the
eyes of the mutineers.
“Romusha” registers
the victims’ voices when
Japan sent about 70,000
Asian slave labourers
from Singapore and
Malaya to complete the
infamous 415 km SiamBurma Death Railway.
Drama
Drama
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
AWARDS
[email protected]
Singapore Internationale
Award (2005)
AWARDS
Commendation, Singapore
Epigram Books
#03-08
Singapore 318996
Tel: (65) 6292 4456
Email: enquiry@
epigrambooks.sg
http://www.epigrambooks.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-2275-0
[email protected]
ISBN
981-05-3508-2
ISBN
981-046461-4
14 |
| 15
Shamini Flint
Malaysian-born Shamini Mahadevan Flint was a
corporate lawyer before resigning to be a stay-at-home
mum, writer, part-time lecturer and environmental
activist. Her Inspector Singh crime novels are published
by Little, Brown (UK) and Minotaur (US). They include
Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian
Inspector Singh
Investigates: The
Singapore School of
Villainy (2010)
Inspector Singh
heads an investigation
into the murder of a
senior partner at an
international law firm,
clubbed to death at
his desk. There is no
shortage of suspects from the victim’s fellow
partners to his wife and
ex-wife - or motives,
as many of the lawyers
have secrets they would
kill to protect. What he
discovers rips apart
the fabric of Singapore
society and exposes the
rotten core beneath.
Ten (2008)
Maya “Zico” David just
wants to play football
… but she’s having
a tough time. Her
teacher makes her
write lines, her brother
prefers hockey, and her
grandmother doesn’t
believe girls should play
football. Will Maya’s
dream ever come true?
Children’s Literature
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Little Brown Book Group
English
AWARDS
Shortlisted, Red Dot Award
100 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y ODY
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7911 8000
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7911 8100
ISBN
978-0749929770
for eight years. In 2008, he left to become a full-time
comic artist and publisher. He created the comic trilogy,
Sir Fong’s Adventures In Science. The series aims to
entertain and educate readers aged 9–14 by weaving
sci-fi plots into the Singapore science syllabus. It was
Murder (2009), Inspector Singh Investigates: A Bali
named “Ten Good Local Reads” by The Straits Times in
Conspiracy Most Foul (2009) and Inspector Singh
2005, was on the National Library’s “Top Ten Borrowed
Investigates: The Singapore School of Villainy (2010).
List” in 2009 and was also named by The Straits Times
Shamini also writes children’s books with cultural and
environmental themes, including The Seeds of Time
(2008), an environmental fantasy, and Ten (2009), a tale
of growing up and football. Her latest book is Diary of a
Cricket God (2011).
“Shamini Flint moves things along at a cracking pace and the dapper
Belgian detective with the superior ‘little grey cells’ would have been
intrigued, I feel sure, to meet one of his 21st-century rivals.”
Susan Kurosan, The Australian, 11 Dec 2010
as the “Children’s Bestseller” in 2010. In 2010, Otto
created Balance, a comic book published in collaboration
with HELP Family Service Centre, that highlights the
plight of single-parent families. He has also written
several Chinese plays, including the first R(A) [Restricted
(Artistic)] Mandarin play in Singapore, “Another Tribe”
[1992], and two Singapore Arts Festival plays, “Mr Beng”
(1999) and “HERStory” (2011).
Sir Fong’s
Adventures In
Science Book 3 –
Cells (2010)
Sir Fong’s
Adventures In
Science Book 2 –
Light (2009)
A possible mutation
in a bacterium may
trigger an epidemic of
dog flu. Super teacher
Sir Fong and his star
students, Totto, Izak
and Abby, must learn
all about “Cells” to stop
a possible pandemic!
Earth is under
threat from an alien
superpower. The League
of Dead Scientists
anoints a clumsy teacher,
Sir Fong, and his star
students, Totto, Izak and
Abby, to save the day by
learning all about “Light”!
Graphic Children’s Fiction
Graphic Children’s Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
Ottonium Comics LLP
Ottonium Comics LLP
Blk 115 Bukit Purmei Rd
#04-248
Singapore 090115
Tel/Fax: [65] 9646 0681
Email: otto.fong@gmail.
com
Blk 115 Bukit Purmei Rd
#04-248
Singapore 090115
Tel/Fax: [65] 9646 0681
ISBN
978-981-08-3542-2
“It’s as fantastic and educational as it sounds. Otto Fong combines
humour, interesting characters, a Singapore background and a
science lesson... We need more such Singapore books – seriously
fun!” Tan Shee Lah, Lifestyle magazine, Nov 2010, p 55
Fiction
Otto Fong was a Science teacher in Raffles Institution
“(Book 2) is simple, funny and packed with information... you never
really feel as if you are reading a regular science text book. Nor do
you get bored – the action zips along to the very last page and will
keep you hooked.” Shameen Idiculla, What’s Up (a newspaper for
primary schools); Nov-Dec 2009, p 21
English
Otto Fong
Sunbear Publishing Pte Ltd
15 Akyab Road
Singapore 309976
Tel: (65) 6358 3376
(65) 9450 7478
Fax: (65)- 6358 3375
Email: info@
sunbearpublishing.com
b 1969
b 1968
WEBSITE
EMAIL
www.shaminiflint.com
[email protected]
WEBSITE
sirfong.blogspot.com
facebook.com/sirfong
978-981-08-6501-6
ISBN
ISBN
9789810815974
16 |
| 17
Adeline Foo
A Media Development Authority scholarship recipient,
Adeline Foo is an MFA graduate of New York
University’s Tisch School of the Arts. A mother of three,
Adeline first decided to write for children, motivated
by her son’s reluctance to pick up a book. Since 2006,
when her first book, Ben’s Friends from the Rainforest,
was published, she has chalked up 17 published
titles, including four national best-sellers: The Diary
The Diary of Amos
Lee: I’m Twelve,
I’m Tough, I Tweet!
(2010)
The third book in a
series, it’s about growing
pains and discovering
life’s patient humour to
cope with school life.
This story traces Amos
Lee’s journey from class
wimp to swim champ.
Amos finds his voice
as a resident writer of
the school’s first Poop
Fiction magazine, and
also works hard to win
the coveted Tween Idol
contest; will he succeed?
The Amulet (2008)
Chronicling the author’s
childhood memories
of growing up in a
Peranakan household,
The Amulet has Puteh,
a 6-year-old child,
travel back in time to
search for a missing
amulet. Through her
journey, Puteh learns
about the history of the
rice dumpling and also
finds a loyal friend. (The
character of Puteh is
named after the author’s
grandmother.)
of Amos Lee: I Sit, I Write, I Flush! (2009), which won
the inaugural Red Dot award (2010) presented by the
International Schools Libraries Network of Singapore;
The Diary of Amos Lee: Girls, Guts and Glory! (2009);
The Diary of Amos Lee: I’m Twelve, I’m Tough, I Tweet!
(2010); and Whoopie Lee: Almost Famous (2011). Other
children’s books include The Kitchen God (2008), The
Thing Under My Bed (2009) and Georgette’s Mooncakes
(2009).
AWARDS
Nominated, Popular
Readers’ Choice Award
(2011)
Epigram Books
#03-08
Singapore 318996
Tel: (65) 6292 4456
Email: enquiry@
epigrambooks.sg
http://www.epigrambooks.
sg
Crossing the Chopsticks and Other Poems (1993), My
City, My Canvas (1999) and Contouring (2004). Two
collections, Is My Body a Myth and Mixing Tongues, have
just been released (2011). Her poems are included in
the following anthologies: Words for the 25th (1990),
New Voices in Southeast Asia (1991), Singapore: Places,
Poems, Paintings (1992), The Calling of Kindred: Poems
from the English Speaking World (1993), Journeys:
Words, Home and Nation (1995), More Than Half the Sky:
Creative Writings by Thirty Singaporean Women (1998),
No Other City: An Anthology of Urban Poetry (2000), Love
Gathers All: A Philippines-Singapore Anthology of Love
Poems (2002), Tumasik (2009), Fifty on 50 (2009), and
Speaking for Myself: An Anthology of Asian Woman’s
Writing (2009). A short story, “A Choice of Two Salads”,
has been translated into Italian. “The Lift”, a short play
staged in 1991, was read at the Third International
Women Playwrights’ Conference in Adelaide (1994).
& WORDS: Poems
Singapore and
Beyond (2010)
ed Edwin Thumboo
One hundred and
seventy selected poems
in English, including
translations from
Chinese, Malay and
Tamil, as well as selected
poems from World
Englishes. Heng’s “My
city, my canvas” is on
p.75.
Moving Worlds
A Journal of
Transcultural
Writing
Vol 10, No 1 (2010)
A biannual
internationally refereed
journal, based at the
University of Leeds.
Heng’s ”Stairway”
and “Meeting Crow at
Karakorum Highway,
Pakistan”, are on
pp.146-147.
Heng attended the International Writing Program at the
b 1971
Poetry
Poetry
[email protected]
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
WEBSITE
EMAIL
English
Heng Siok Tian has published three volumes of poetry:
University of Iowa in 2000.
LANGUAGE
Heng Siok Tian
LANGUAGE
English
Ethos Books
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
com.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-1327-7
www.amoslee.com.sg
b 1963
Ethos Books
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
com.sg
School of English
University of Leeds
LS2 9JT, England
and
ISBN
School of Humanities and
Social Sciences
Nanyang Technological
University
50 Nanyang Avenue
Singapore 639798
978-981-08-6321-0
ISBN
1474-4600
ISBN
978-981-08-7132-1
18 |
| 19
Ho Minfong
Born in Burma, Ho Minfong was raised in Thailand
and now divides her time between Singapore and New
York. She graduated from Tunghai University (Taiwan)
and Cornell. She developed “Sing to the Dawn”, a
1975 prize-winning story, into a novel (1984) which
was turned into a musical (1996) and an animated
film (2008). “Tanjong Rhu” won First Prize in the 1982
Singapore Short Story Competition and the 1983
The Minfong Ho
Collection (2010)
Sing to the Dawn
(1984; repr. 2008)
A collection of three
award-winning works,
Sing to the Dawn, Rice
without Rain and The
Clay Marble. Set in
Thailand and Cambodia,
the novels highlight
aspects of rural life
and the difficulties and
ordeals suffered by many
farmers from corrupt
governments, political
instability, war and their
own traditions.
A young and ambitious
girl in a rural village in
Thailand, Dawan seeks
the opportunity to further
her education at a city
high school by taking a
special examination. She
has to compete with her
brother who takes the
same test, and contend
with a traditional father
who disapproves of city
life.
Asiaweek Short Story Competition. Rice Without Rain
(1986), won the 1988 National Book Development
Council of Singapore Award (Fiction) and was a runnerup in the 1987 Commonwealth Prize. The Clay Marble
(1991) came from Ho’s experience as a nutritionist in
1980 at the Thai-Cambodian border, where numerous
refugees had fled the war in Cambodia. Journeys:
An Anthology of Short Stories (2008) compiles 12 of
Ho’s stories. Her books for younger children, Hush! A
Thai Lullaby (1996) and Maples in the Mist: Children’s
Poems from the Tang Dynasty (1996), have earned her
recognition in the United States. Ho was a recipient of
the Southeast Asia Write Award (1996), the Cultural
Medallion (1997) and the Caldecott Honor Award (1997).
Young Adult Fiction
writer. His first book, First Loves (1987), comprising
nine linked stories, was on the Sunday Times Bestseller
List for 18 months and was Highly Commended by the
National Book Development Council of Singapore (1988).
His subsequent works include Raffles Place Ragtime
(1988), also a best-seller, which deals with the rat race
of modern society. Abraham’s Promise (1995) was Highly
Commended in the 1996 National Book Development
Council of Singapore Awards, and Tigers in Paradise
(2004) collects both his earlier works, and includes two
essays on Singaporean literature in English. He was a
Visiting Fulbright Fellow at Harvard Law School in 1988,
and received the Airey Neave Award for constitutional
law writing, writing on the rule of law. He received the
National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award in 1993, and
the Southeast Asia Write Award in 2003. Jeyaretnam
has attended the University of Iowa’s International
Writing Program, The Melbourne Writers’ Festival, and
the Cambridge Seminar. He is a Senior Counsel and
Managing Partner of law firm Rodyk & Davidson. He was
Singapore with his wife and three children.
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Rice Without Rain was
awarded First Prize in
the NBDCS Book Awards
(1988) and Best Books for
Young Adults, American
Library Association (1991)
The Clay Marble was
awarded Best Children’s
Book (USA; 1991) and was
among Notable Children’s
Trade Books in the
Language Arts (1992)
Short story version won
First Prize, Council on
Interracial Books for
Children (New York; 1975)
b 1951
“Abraham’s Promise is a novel of regret for actions not taken and
words unspoken, eloquent in the spareness of its prose and the
gradual unveiling of the narrator’s self-deception.”
Barbara Quick, The New York Times, February 25, 1996
Young Adult Fiction
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Marshall Cavendish
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
ISBN
9789812610010
20 |
Philip Jeyaretnam is a Cambridge-educated lawyer and
President of the Law Society from 2004-2007. He lives in
978-981-4302-45-6
Philip Jeyaretnam
b 1964
EMAIL
[email protected]
Abraham’s Promise
(1994, repr. May
2010)
Abraham Isaac, teacher
of Latin, philosopher
and father, has,
after many years, a
young pupil. Teaching
pulls him back into
memories of his past
life and loves, when
he believed he had a
valuable role to play as
a proud citizen of a new
country. But now he
is old, and the burden
of his years weighs on
him heavily. Abraham
is estranged from his
strong, successful son.
Descending into the
past, Abraham is led to
an understanding and
reconciliation of his life
and times, hard-won in
maturity.
Tigers in Paradise:
The Collected Works
of Philip Jeyaretnam
(2004)
This anthology includes
the two novels Raffles
Place Ragtime and
Abraham’s Promise,
Jeyaretnam’s collection
of short stories (First
Loves), with three new
stories, essays and a
Foreword by Peter Wicks.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
AWARDS
Highly Commended (Fiction),
NBDCS Awards (1996)
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
ISBN
9789812327925
ISBN
978-981-4302-68-5
ISBN
| 21
Koh Buck Song
Heartlands: Home
And Nation In The
Art of Ong Kim Seng
(2008)
An artistic collaboration
with the Singaporean
watercolourist Ong Kim
Seng, an award-winning
Dolphin Fellow of the
American Watercolor
Society. This is Ong’s
Cultural Medallion
Grant project, about
Singapore’s urban
heartlands, drawing on
his own memories of
this landscape since the
1950s. The nine poems in
the book are companion
pieces to the book’s
chapters.
From Boys To Men:
A Literary Anthology
of National Service
In Singapore, edited
by Koh Buck Song
& Umej Bhatia
(2002, with a critical
introduction)
A collection of over 50
poetry and prose works
and extracts of theatre
scripts about National
Service in Singapore by
30 Singaporean writers,
including women.
Included in the selection
are some of the best
works on the subject
since the 1960s and new
works up to 2002, the
35th anniversary of NS.
Poetry & Art
Poetry, Prose, Drama
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
Ong Kim Seng
Blk 1003 Bukit Merah Central
#03-07
Technopreneur @ Red Hill
Industrial Estate
Singapore 159836
Tel: (65) 6270 4676
ISBN
978-981-08-1618-6
22 |
Landmark Books
#04-38
Singapore 120106
Tel: (65) 6466 0443
Fax: (65) 6466 7630
net.sg
ISBN
Stella Kon
Koh Buck Song is the author and editor of nineteen
Stella Kon was born in Edinburgh to parents from
books, including three volumes of verse, A Brief History
established Peranakan families in Singapore. Her
Of Toa Payoh (1992), The Worth Of Wonder (2001) and
best known work is “Emily of Emerald Hill” (1984), a
The Ocean of Ambition (2003), and several anthologies,
one-woman drama which won Singapore’s National
including Singapore: Places, Poems, Paintings (1993).
Playwriting Competition in 1982, and has had over 10
He co-edited with Umej Bhatia From Boys To Men: A
productions in four countries. She also won the same
Literary Anthology Of National Service In Singapore
(2002). He was writer-in-residence at the Scottish
Poetry Library in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1992, and has
also represented Singapore at literary events in the
Philippines, UK and US. Koh was previously literary
editor of The Straits Times, as well as General Editor
competition twice previously, for “The Bridge” (1977)
and “Trial” (1982). Her shorter plays are collected in A
Breeding Pair (1971), The Immigrant and Other Plays
(1975) and Emporium and Other Plays (1977). Kon has
written short stories for various anthologies, and two
novels, The Scholar and the Dragon (1986) and Eston
of the literary journal, Singa. His poems have appeared
(1995). She is now Chairman of Musical Theatre Ltd, a
in anthologies including Writing Singapore: A Historical
Singapore not-for-profit organisation which composes
Anthology of Singapore Literature (2009) and Reflecting
On The Merlion (2009), and have been exhibited at
venues like the National Museum, Singapore Art
Museum and the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. The
Worth Of Wonder was the first volume of Singaporean
poetry in English published in the 21st century.
b 1963
Eston (1995)
Fantasy fiction about
an angel in Singapore,
guiding people along
the spiritual path, with
a good deal of sex and
violence along the way.
Emily of Emerald
Hill (1984)
A one-woman play about
a lonely girl’s struggle to
find love and acceptance
in the great days of
Peranakan society.
original musicals. Kon has now turned to writing
musicals: “Exodus” (2003), “Blue Willow House” (2006),
“Victorian Days” (2006), “Peter and Pierre” (2006), “Lost
in Transit” (2008) and “Merlion Rising” (2009).
b 1944
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
www.emilyofemeraldhill.com.
Fiction
Drama
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Merit Award, Singapore
English
AWARDS
First Prize, Singapore
Playwriting Competition
(1982)
Constellation Books
44 Owen Road
#05-313
Singapore 210044
Constellation Books
ISBN
44 Owen Road
#05-313
Singapore 210044
981-05-6091-5
ISBN
981-04-6989-6
981-3065-67-2
| 23
Aaron Lee Song Yong
A lawyer by profession, Aaron Lee is a poet and editor.
Five Right Angles
(2007)
Just as there exists no
geometric shape with
five right angles, no life
corresponds exactly to
expectation. Each poem
in this collection speaks
with guarded tenderness
and an array of simple
human demands amidst
everyday urban existence.
A larger picture
emerges—one composed
with beauty, pattern and
order.
A rousing poetry
collection centred on the
metaphor of a journey
from darkness to light,
from uncertainty to
insight, mapped out
in lucid and measured
language.
wildly successful Mr Midnight horror series alone has
of Sunlight (1997), which received the National Book
sold well over 2 million copies. Together with the Mr
Development Council of Singapore Merit Award in
Mystery series, Lee has authored nearly 100 children’s
1998, and Five Right Angles (2007). The former was
books. The Mr Midnight series has been translated into
named one of the best books in 1997 by The Straits
major Asian languages, including Chinese and Japanese.
series are ongoing. Lee turned to writing full-time after
the bestselling No Other City: The Ethos Anthology of
an illustrious advertising career during which he won
Urban Poetry (2000), and with Pang, Ramon C Sunico
innumerable awards, many for advertisements he wrote
and Alfred A Yuson, Love Gathers All: The Philippines
in Chinese.
– Singapore Anthology of Love Poetry (2002). His work
has been published internationally and he has read
and spoken at literary events in Germany, Malaysia,
Australia, the Philippines and the US. Lee is also an
arts commentator and writing instructor.
New hard shapes of poetry… negotiated with an easy realism…”
Dr Gwee Li Sui, fr Foreword, Five Right Angles
Poetry
Poetry
b 1972
EMAIL
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Shortlisted, Singapore
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
NBDCS Merit Award (1998)
It has also gained a foothold in Eastern Europe. Both
Literature Prize (2008). Lee co-edited with Alvin Pang
“An impressive first volume… using words sensitively and with
originality to intimate fragile intimations of the complex modern
reality.”
Prof Louis James, “Finding the Tiger in Our Midst”, Interlogue Vol
2 (1999)
James Lee is Asia’s most popular children’s author. His
He has published two volumes of poetry, A Visitation
Times; the latter was a finalist for the Singapore
A Visitation of
Sunlight (1997)
James Lee
[email protected]
“Harry Potter may have won the hearts of young readers all over the
world but Asia has found his match in the MR MIDNIGHT series of
books.”
Channel News Asia
“MR MIDNIGHT has become a successful brand.”
The Straits Times
“MR MIDNIGHT is Asia’s answer to Harry Potter.”
Various newspapers, using an AFP wire story
“Asian younsters are devouring MR MIDNIGHT books.”
New Straits Times
“James ‘MR MIDNIGHT’ Lee” is Asia’s top children’s writer.”
FAMILY magazine
Mr Mystery #8:
The Mystery of the
Sydney Slayings
(2008)
Perfect for fans of
“whodunnit” stories,
the Mr Mystery series
challenges readers to
solve mysteries with
young Alvin and his
crack crime-busting
squad of teenagers.
There are twists and
turns in every case.
Mr Mystery bears the
unmistakable James
Lee style: fast, gripping
and with dollops of
humour. There are 19
books in the Mr Mystery
series, with new
additions every year.
Ethos Books
Pagesetters Services Pte
Ltd
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
Email: enquiry@
ethosbooks.com.sg
Ethos Books
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
com.sg
ISBN
981-00-9536-8
This horror series is
extremely popular
throughout Asia and
parts of Eastern Europe.
There are two tales in
each book. The stories
are about anything and
everything, and include
monsters, aliens, demon
dentists, killer clowns,
shrunken heads, monster
fish, gravediggers,kung fu
fighters, dragons, ghosts,
vampires and other
creatures and beings
of every conceivable ilk.
There are 75 books in
the series. New books
are released throughout
the year.
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
Angsana Books
Flame Of The Forest
Publishing Pte Ltd
Mr Midnight #29: My
Creepy Cruise (2006)
English
Angsana Books
Flame Of The Forest
Publishing Pte Ltd
Blk 5 Ang Mo Kio
Industrial Park 2A
#07-22/23 AMK Tech II
Singapore 567760
Tel: [65] 6484-8887
Fax: [65] 6484-2208
Email: mail@
flameoftheforest.com
www.flameoftheforest.com
Blk 5 Ang Mo Kio
Industrial Park 2A
Singapore 567760
Tel: [65] 6484-8887
Fax: [65] 6484-2208
Email: mail@
flameoftheforest.com
www.flameoftheforest.com
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-4193-43-6
978-981-4193-13-9
ISBN
978-981-05-8368-2
24 |
| 25
Jin Pyn Lee
Jin Pyn Lee is a writer and filmmaker. An English
Literature graduate from the National University of
“And the Dolphin
Smiled”, in Just
When Stories (2010)
Originally inspired by
Rudyard Kipling’s Just
So Stories, this collection
of stories showcases
internationally acclaimed
contemporary authors.
Dedicated to the river
dolphins of Asia, “And
The Dolphin Smiled” is
about a dolphin which
sees with her ears, her
friendship with a little
village boy and the
transformation of their
world.
The Elephant and
the Tree (2006; 2009)
A heartwarming tale
of loyalty and love that
begins between a small
elephant and a tiny tree,
quickly grows into the
greatest of friendships.
The best friends discover
that while change can
lead one down a difficult
path, as long as they
have each other, they will
never walk alone.
LANGUAGE
English
Beautiful Books Ltd
Please contact the author
ISBN
9781905636204
Madeleine Lee has published four books of poetry: a single
headlamp (2003), fifty three/zero three (2004), y grec (2005),
Singapore, Lee made publishing history when The
co-written with Eleanor Wong, and synaesthesia (2008).
Elephant and the Tree (2006), her debut children’s
picture book, became the first in its genre from
Singapore to be translated into Japanese, Spanish,
Catalan and Chinese, in addition to its English
language edition being sold in English-speaking
countries around the world. The animation of the story
in Japanese won a Best Animation award in Japan
in 2009, another first for Singapore. In 2010, Lee’s
Her fifth volume is in press. She has read at festivals in
“And the Dolphin Smiled” was published in Just When
Stories, an anthology of stories by internationally
acclaimed writers. Profits from this book and Lee’s
writings go to various charities helping to conserve
Asia’s natural heritage – a frequent theme in her
articles and short films.
Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and Taiwan. Her poems have
appeared in many anthologies. They have been turned into
film, dance, visual art, and translated into Bahasa Indonesia
and Chinese. She was on the Steering Committee of the
2005 Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), where she conceived
“Second Link”, a performance of Singaporean/Malaysian
literature which played to favourable reviews in Singapore
and Kuala Lumpur. For the 2007 SWF, Lee and Cake
Theatre turned y grec into a theatrical production, later
nominated for Best Production in The Straits Times Life!
Theatre Awards (2008). Lee initiated NORA (www.nlb.gov.sg/
nora), an e-repository of Singaporean literature launched
in January 2005. She has spoken on creative writing,
“Singapore has a new rare classic of its own. Jin Pyn has an
alarming instinct for the nub of what makes a great fairytale.”
The Sunday Times, Dec 3, 2006
Charming story… accompanied by deceptively sophisticated
graphic design, will have you smiling and feeling about five again.”
STYLE magazine, Dec 2006
Madeleine Lee
“But it is Jin Pyn Lee’s And the Dolphin Smiled that really stands
out, and this is all the more remarkable as it is only three and a
half pages in length and a perfect example of how so much can be
said in so few words.”
Fantasy Book Review, 22 Sep 2010
LANGUAGE
conducted poetry workshops in schools and been a mentor
in the Mentor Access Programme. Her current project is
“MOVING WORDS” with SMRT/ NAC, a display of new and
old Singaporean poems on the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit).
“What is exciting is a new purposefulness, an impatience with the
opacity of the material world which the artist’s new-found powers strive
to penetrate. And flashes of a new brilliance are evident, illuminating
felicitous syntheses of image and idea. To take a walk through this
collection is to participate in the artist’s discovery of her evolving
potential, in a way instructive to those who, like the poet, believe there
are poems out there inscribed in every landscape and waiting to be
uncovered.” Lee Tzu Pheng, from the Intro to fifty three/zerothree
English
AWARDS
Media Development
Authority of Singapore – First
Time Writers and Illustrators
Publishing Award
Best Animation Award –
Japan Wildlife Film Festival
Kelly Sonnack
Literary Agent - Andrea
Brown Literary Agency
Email: Kelly@
andreabrownllit.com
b 1975
b 1962
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
www.elephantandtree.com
[email protected]
WEBSITE
http: //trulymadlee.blogspot.com
synaesthesia (2008)
Twenty-four poems.
Madeleine Lee’s fourth
collection reads like a
lingering dance with the
senses. Reflecting on a
multitude of seemingly
everyday objects and
entities, Lee aims
to evoke a powerful
connection to the little
realities we experience
in life. At turns sterile,
whimsical, pithy, and
even amusing, this
startling collection forces
us to re-examine our
circumstantial existence,
in relation to our
animate and inanimate
surroundings.
fiftythree/zero
three (2004)
This collection of 29
poems takes inspiration
from a variety of
landscapes spanning
England, Cambodia,
Malaysia, Paris and of
course, Singapore. One
of the poems in this
collection, “Coffee” was
adapted into a short
film and was featured
on MediaCorp’s Arts
Channel in 2004.
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
firstfruits publications
[an imprint of media
exodus LLP]
exodus LLP]
Woodlands Central Branch
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
Email: firstfruitsoikos@
gmail.com
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
gmail.com
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-1563-9
981-05-2064-6
ISBN
0978-0-7624-3532-6
(Running Press Kids)
978-4-8401-2443-0
(Media Factory Inc)
978-986-1891-736
(Grimm Press)
26 |
| 27
Lee Tzu Pheng
An award-winning poet, Lee Tzu Pheng graduated
from and taught in what is now the National University
of Singapore until her retirement in 2001. She has
published four volumes of poetry: Prospect of a
Drowning (1980), which won the 1982 National Book
Development Council of Singapore Award for Poetry;
Against the Next Wave (1988) and The Brink of an Amen
(1991) which both won the 1992 NBDCS Award for
Lambada By Galilee
& Other Surprises
(1997)
This collection of 40
poems is intensely aware
of the ironies, sometimes
comic, of many of life’s
experiences, from
the spiritual to the
mundane. It grows from
the awareness of the
power as well as the
inadequacies of poetry,
and deals with the
writer’s struggle to affirm
art’s life-enhancing role.
Against The Next
Wave (1988)
The author’s
breakthrough collection
after more than ten
years of silence, the 43
poems here rediscover
the meaning of silences
and writing, and emerge
from the maturing of
the interior life. The
collection explores the
intensities and essential
vulnerabilities integral
to living.
Poetry, and Lambada by Galilee and Other Surprises
(1997). Lee received the Cultural Medallion for
Literature in 1985 and the Southeast Asia Write Award
in 1987. In 1996, she received both the Gabriela Mistral
Award from the Republic of Chile and the MontblancNUS Centre for the Arts Literary Award for services to
literature. Her poetry has been set to music for choral
performance. She is known for her work in mentoring
younger writers.
David Leo
David Leo graduated in English from the National
University of Singapore and taught secondary school
for five years before pursuing an aviation career. He
received the 1993 Publishers Prize for Fiction for Ah,
the Fragrance of Durians (1993), the 1994 National Book
Development Council Commendation Award for The Sins
of the Fathers (1993) and the 1995 Singapore Literature
Prize Commendation Award for Wives, Lovers & Other
Women (1995). His short stories have been adapted for
television in the award-winning The Singapore Short Story
Project, as well as for the stage. News At Nine (2003), a
collection of short stories, is a secondary school text. His
poems have been published in journals and anthologies
like Singa: Literature and the Arts in Singapore, No Other
City – the Ethos Anthology of Urban Poetry (2000), Love
Gathers All – The Philippines-Singapore Anthology of
Love Poetry (2002), Rhythms – A Singaporean Anthology
of Millenial Poetry (2000), and man/born/free – Writings
on the Human Spirit from Singapore (2011). Leo is a
Shakespeare Can
Wait (2001)
One Journey, Many
Rivers (1997)
A teacher reminisces
about his teaching days
in a neighbourhood
school in the 1970s and
ponders the essence
of education. How does
it prepare students for
life? At the heart of the
novel is a teacher who
never ceases being one.
One hundred and nine
poems divided into
three sections. The
first section deals with
the poet’s struggle to
come to terms with
his father’s death; the
second section paints a
traveller’s impressions
of the places he has
visited; and the third
section comprises
poems on various
subjects as one man
journeys through life.
Fiction
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
freelance writer on a variety of subjects.
“...the lack of a large audience/readership for these poems is not
really a drawback, as they are inward-looking, depicting a very
personal moment in the poet’s life. Yet the provocative manner in
which his grief finds expressions lends them a quality of universality
beyond their immediate milieu.”
Tara Dhar Hasnian, Interlogue: Studies in Singapore Literature, Vol
2: Poetry (1999)
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
English
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
ISBN
981-204-788-3
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
NBDCS Award for Poetry
(1989)
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
b 1946
b 1948
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
[email protected]
English
Ethos Books
Pagesetters Services
Pte Ltd
English
Ethos Books
Pte Ltd
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
Email: enquiry@
ethosbooks.com.sg
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
Email: enquiry@
ethosbooks.com.sg
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-3256-8
981-00-9537-6
ISBN
9971-65-505-5
28 |
| 29
Leong Liew Geok
Born in Penang, Malaysia, Leong Liew Geok received her
early education there. A graduate of La Trobe University
and the University of Adelaide, Australia, she has graduate
degrees in Modern English and American Literature
from the University of Leicester, England, and George
Women without Men
(2000)
Eighty-four poems on
art, love, food, nature
and death, arranged
under four sections.
From the flesh to the
spirit, from the satirical
to the meditative, and
from the man-made
to the woman-shaped,
the poems negotiate
the colliding facets of
contemporary life with
searing honesty.
More than Half
the Sky: Creative
Writings by Thirty
Singaporean Women
(1998)
A comprehensive
anthology of women’s
writing in English in
Singapore. Represented
are 7 playwrights, 10
poets and 13 fiction
writers. The 40 previously
unpublished works and
excerpts provide insights
into what Singaporean
women are writing
and thinking about:
themselves and other
women; men; sexual
politics; children; work;
love; marriage; freedom;
society.
Poetry
Poetry, Prose, Drama
LANGUAGE
English
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
ISBN
981-204-050-1
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Sky was on The Straits
Times best-seller list for 2
weeks (21 March
& 28 March 1998)
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
Sonny Liew
Malaysian-born Sonny Liew read philosophy at Clare
College, Cambridge. He is an Eisner-nominated comic
artist based in Singapore. His first foray into comic
illustration was with “Frankie and Poo” which appeared
in The New Paper in 1995. Subsequently, he studied
Washington University, US. She taught in the Department
illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. His
of English Language and Literature, National University of
work includes Wonderland (2009), My Faith in Frankie
Singapore from 1981 till 2002. Leong has two collections
(a collaboration with Mike Carey and Marc Hempel for
of poetry, Love is Not Enough (1991) and Women without
DC Vertigo (2004)), Regifters (DC Minx, 2007) and the
Men (2000). She edited More than Half the Sky: Creative
Writings by Thirty Singaporean Women (1998). Her poems
have appeared in anthologies from Singapore and abroad.
She has published articles on the Literature of the Pacific
War in Malaya and Singapore, Singaporean Literature in
English, and contributed many entries in these areas to
various encyclopedias, most recently, The Encyclopedia of
Twentieth Century Fiction (Wiley-Blackwell; 2010). She is
married, with three children.
“The strengths of this collection lie in its accessibility and its wideranging scope…What is most important is that the judicious mix of
genres, styles and writers leaves the reader with a distinctly positive
impression of the vibrancy and vigour of Singapore women writing in
English.” Ong Sor Fern, “Women carry more than half the load”,
The Straits Times (Life! Books), Saturday, March 7, 1998, p 16
“She is inside and outside several worlds, which collide, need
recognition, or need mourning...She writes ‘academically’ when
she chooses to…here indicated by a sestina, ‘Of Mothers I Think
Particularly’, yet can move easily to the demotic (‘Forever Singlish’)
and sometimes the scatological (‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’).”
Peter Nazareth, World Literature Today, 75: 3 /4 (Summer/Autumn),
2001: 142
b 1947
comic adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility
(Marvel Comics, 2010). He spearheaded Liquid City,
an Eisner-nominated, multi-volume comics anthology
featuring creators from Southeast Asia, for Image Comics
(2008-Present). His Malinky Robot series was a Xeric
grant recipient and winner of the Best Science Fiction
Album award at the Utopiales SF Festival in Nantes
(2009). Liew received the National Arts Council’s Young
Malinky Robot:
Collected Stories &
Other Bits (2011)
A collection of five
stories, Malinky Robot
is set in a near-future
city of San’ya. It blends
dystopic sci-fi and
indie sensibilities into
a uniquely charming,
oddball world.
Artist Award in 2010.
“Malinky Robot is the real deal, the kind of book that should go not
just on the must-buy list, but on the must-buy-for-friends list...[it]
reads like something you’ve known all your life and also are seeing
for the first time... a story of gentle tragedy, a near-future sci-fi
comic with heart, a buddy story with an impressive supporting cast.
The design is brilliant, and the storytelling is resonant in all the best
ways.” Wendy Holler, Newsarama, August 2011
Wonderland (2008)
“...the quirky tale
of Mary Ann, the
meticulous and dutiful
housekeeper for the
White Rabbit, as she
continues the tale...”
This is a terrific look
at a great classic. The
energetic, actionpacked illustrations
complement the story
in Disney-cartoon style,
making for a great read
for all ages.”
“ ... droll and urbane... a rare piece of literature that’s been inspired
by another yet deserves its own prideful place on the bookshelf.”
Publishers Weekly, March 2009
b1974
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
http://sonnyliew.com
Comic
Comic
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
AWARDS
Image Comics
ericstephenson@
imagecomics.com
Eisner Nomination
(Pencilling/Inking)
Disney Press
ISBN
978-1607064060
Email: Rich.Thomas@
disney.com
ISBN
978-1423104513
ISBN
981-204-629-1
30 |
| 31
Catherine Lim
Malaysian-born Catherine Lim is Singapore’s most
prolific writer of English fiction, with more than 19
books - short stories, supernatural tales, novels,
reflective prose, poems and satirical pieces - to her
name. Her work deals largely with the east-west divide,
Asian culture, in particular Chinese culture, women’s
issues and those concerning Singapore’s culture,
history and politics. Lim’s O Singapore! Stories in
Miss Seetoh in the
World (2010)
The Catherine Lim
Collection (2008)
Set against the
backdrop of modern-day
Singapore, the novel
ultimately examines,
with wit, wry irony and
warm understanding, the
unchanging quandaries
of the human condition,
when love and sex,
religion and politics,
tradition and modernity,
can all come together in
an unruly mix, to show
human nature at its most
depressing and its most
inspiring.
Consisting of an early
novel [The Serpent’s
Tooth (1982)] and three
short story collections
[They Do Return—But
Gently Lead Them Back
(1983); O Singapore!
Stories in Celebration
(1989) and The Woman’s
Book of Superlatives
(1993)], the collection
may be seen as a
narrative chronicle of
a society in transit,
one where multiethnic
characters struggle with
their identities as the
past and the present
intersect, mingle and
clash.
Fiction
LANGUAGE
English
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
ISBN
9789814328364
Fiction
LANGUAGE
Celebration (1989) received the 1990 Commendation
Award for Fiction from the National Book Development
Council of Singapore. Lim received the Southeast
Asia Write Award in 1999 and was conferred an
Honorary Doctorate in 2000 by Murdoch University,
Australia. She was made a Chevalier de L’Ordre des
Arts et Des Lettres by the French government in 2003,
and appointed Ambassador for the Hans Christian
Andersen Foundation, Copenhagen, for 2005. Many of
Lim’s works are studied in local and foreign schools
and universities. Several have been translated into
other languages. Her novella A Leap of Love (2003) and
novel The Bondmaid (1995) were made into films. Lim
guest-lectures at local and international seminars,
conferences, arts/writing festivals and cruise ships
worldwide. She has written numerous articles on
contemporary and cultural issues, and regularly posts
online critiques on politics in Singapore.
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
ISBN
9789812618566
development for Raffles Holdings before she was
diagnosed in 1999 with Spasmodic Dysphonia, a rare
voice disorder. She took a sabbatical, during which she
decided to become a writer with her own publishing
company. Her books have been inspired by her own
struggles with her condition, from which she has since
recovered. Lim is the first writer outside North America
to win three IPPY (Independent Book Publisher) Awards:
for her first book, Prince Bear and Pauper Bear [2007;
Bronze Medallist, 2008]; Just Teddy [2008; Bronze
Medallist, 2009]; and Bunny Finds The Right Stuff [2007;
Silver Medallist, 2010]. Lim was also the first writer in
Southeast Asia to be a Moonbeam Gold Medallist in 2009
for The Tale of Rusty Horse (2008). Her books have been
turned into cartoon animation for television, iPhone and
iPad and Moo-o interactive e-book formats.
“Ed’s rave: A lonely, poorly made toy bear finally finds an owner, and
helps a chewed-up bear escape a sorry fate. Lovely story about hope
and friendship. Gorgeous illustrations by Neal Sharp.”
Simply Her, Jan 2008, p 138
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
www.catherinelim.sg
The Tale of Rusty
Horse (2008)
Prince Bear &
Pauper Bear (2007)
Rusty Horse, an old
forgotten rocking horse,
longs to be a favourite
with everyone. An old
fairy grants his wish
but he has to choose
between popularity or
the friendship of a child.
Rusty finally learns that
real magic lies within
his power to choose
what truly matters to
him.
In this story of love and
second chances, Pauper
Bear, a teddy without a
mouth, longs to be loved,
whilst Prince Bear loves
himself. Their paths take
different turns and when
they finally meet again,
the two bears experience
love and friendship with
new perspectives.
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
AWARDS
AWARDS
“A simple story can make your spirit soar and children will for sure
remember Rusty Horse who found joy in making someone else
happy. Lots of feel-good elements – love, hope, selflessness, finding
a soul mate…And the illustrations do justice to the words.”
Lifestyle, Aug 2008, p 46
b 1971
WEBSITE
Marshall Cavendish
Emily Lim was a corporate director of business
b 1942
English
Emily Lim
[email protected]
WEBSITE
www.mustardseedbook.com
Moonbeam Gold Medal
Winner, 2009
Mustard Seed Books
50 Chin Swee Road
#09-04
Thong Chai Building
Singapore169874
Email: mustardseedbook@
gmail.com
ISBN
978-981-08-0418-3
IPPY Bronze Medal Winner,
2008.
One of 8 winners, First Time
Writers and Illustrators
Publishing Initiative; 2007
(organized by the Media
Devt. Authority and the
National Book Development
Council of Singapore)
Mustard Seed Books
50 Chin Swee Road
#09-04 Thong Chai Building
Singapore169874
Email: mustardseedbook@
gmail.com
ISBN
978-981-05-9004-8
32 |
| 33
Jeffrey Lim
Though a lawyer by profession, Jeffrey Lim is a
storyteller at heart. Singapore is his home, but the
world his canvas. Lim has always lived in more than
one world, living in Singapore and other places, in the
corporate world and imaginary landscapes. He has two
collections of short fiction, Faith & Lies (1999) and The
The Coffin That
Wouldn’t Bury (2008)
Twenty stories that “blur
the distinction between
insanity and imagination,
reader and writer,
character and narrator.”
Where business
travellers live only for
travel; government
permits are needed to be
somebody; gravediggers
swap places with the
dead; and people let
loose when a purple haze
envelopes Singapore.
Faith & Lies (1999)
Seventeen short stories
filled with myth, rumour
and testament.Taxi
drivers you should never
trust. An amnesiac who is
a shapeshifter. An issue
from Bard’s Digest. A
hitchhiker meets the Car
Boot Strangler. A fictional
character who writes
her own stories. Houdini
gives up his oldest trick.
Coffin That Wouldn’t Bury (2008). They are anthologies
of speculative fiction, from stories of horror to
mythology, from fantasy to parallel realities. He has
published short stories in various anthologies, and
teaches young writers techniques of creative writing.
“With this new collection, Lim has added to his earlier impressive
debut [Faith & Lies] and his stature as a writer with impressive
imaginative powers.”
Prof Ronald Klein, Dept of English Studies, Hiroshima Jogakuin
University, Japan
Suchen Christine Lim
Born in Malaysia, Suchen Christine Lim has published
four novels, a collection of short stories, several children’s
books and one non-fictional work. She was awarded
the inaugural Singapore Literature Prize (1992) for her
novel, Fistful of Colours (1993). Another novel, A Bit of
Earth (2001), and a short-story collection, The Lies That
Build A Marriage (2007), were shortlisted for the same
prize in 2004 and 2008 respectively. A co-authored play,
“The Amah: A Portrait In Black & White”, won the NUSSHELL Short Play Merit Prize (1986) and a children’s
book was awarded the National Book Development
Council of Singapore Merit Prize (1980). Rice Bowl
(1984) and Gift from The Gods (1990) are earlier novels.
Stories of the Chinese Overseas (2005), a non-fictional
work, is published in US as Hua Song: Stories Of The
Chinese Diaspora (2005). Lim’s short story, “The Morning
After”, was filmed for television as part of the Singapore
Short Story Project. She was featured in the Edinburgh
International Book Festival (2009). A Fulbright Fellow in
the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program
(1996), she has been writer-in-residence in Western
A Bit of Earth
(2001; new ed.
2009)
Wong Tuck Heng, son
of a doctor beheaded
in China, arrives in
Malaya, the land rich
in tin. He schemes and
works his way to the
top, and challenges
British immigration
laws, spelling tragedy.
A narrative that spans
three generations and
three families – the
Wongs, the Wees, and
the Mahmuds – whose
destinies collide.
The Lies That Build
A Marriage (2007)
A mother finds out her
son is gay; a daughter
finds out her two
mothers are lesbians; a
niece stumbles upon the
body of her dead uncle
dressed in his wife’s
sarung kebaya; and
an old man’s nascent
feelings for a Filipino
maid lead him back to his
suppressed art.
Australia, Scotland, South Korea, the Philippines, and has
conducted writing workshops for the Arvon Foundation in
the United Kingdom. She co-scripted and was featured
in “Writing The City” (2010-2011), filmed for the British
Council in Singapore. Lim is a Visiting Fellow in Creative
Writing at Nanyang Technological University (2011).
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
Ethos Books
Ethos Books
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
com.sg
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
com.sg
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-0925-6
981-04-1126-X
b 1965
b 1948
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
[email protected]
WEBSITE
http://www.suchenchristinelim.com
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
AWARDS
AWARDS
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
sg.marshallcavendish.
com
71 Ayer Rajah Crescent
#01-01
Mediapolis Phase Ø
Singapore 139951
Tel: (65) 6777 9366
Email: phil@
monsoonbooks.com.sg
Website: www.
monsoonbooks.com.sg
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-261-895-5
34 |
Monsoon Books Pte Ltd
978-981-05-8713-0
981-05-8713-9
| 35
Aaron Maniam
Aaron Maniam graduated with First Class honours in
Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Somerville
College, Oxford, and has an MA in International
and Development Economics from Yale University.
His debut collection, Morning at Memory’s Border
(2005), was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature
Prize in 2007. In 2003, he won First Prize in the
Golden Point Award for English poetry. His poems
have been featured in youth anthologies; the online
Morning at Memory’s
Border (2005)
Fifty poems presented in
three sections. “Mornings”
is a percolation of nascent
schoolboy thoughts that
made themselves into
words at times of their
own choosing. “Memories”
broadens the focus from
the individual to explore
the creative tensions
and opportunities of an
Indian-Muslim-withEurasian-Malay-and-adash-of-Chinese-roots in
cosmopolitan Singapore.
“Borders” explores the
self-in-the-world, finding
synergy rather than struggle
between the various
determinants of the poet’s
identity.
journals Stylus and Softblow; Over There: Poems from
Singapore and Australia (2008), From the Window of
This Epoch (2009), a collection of Singaporean and
Malaysian poetry; and &WORDS: Poems Singapore
and Beyond (2010). He was one of 50 poets in Fifty
on 50 [2009], a collection which marked Singapore’s
50th anniversary of internal self-government. He
is currently the youngest member on the Arts and
Culture Strategic Review Steering Committee for
the Ministry of Information, Communication and the
Arts, and a Council Member for the English Language
Institute of Singapore. An alumnus of the Creative Arts
Programme (CAP), he now mentors young writers
under CAP and the National Arts Council’s Mentor
Access Programme.
b 1979
Chris Mooney-Singh
Australian-born Chris Mooney-Singh has published
three volumes of poetry, The Laughing Budhha Cab
Company (2007), The Bearded Chameleon (2011),
and Poems from the Bamboo River (2008; a joint
collection), one chapbook and three poetry-music
CDs. He has appeared in a wide range of literary zines
and print journals. He co-edited with K F Pearson
The Penguin Book of Christmas Poems (1992). His
short stories have appeared in several Singaporean
and regional anthologies like The Best of Singapore
Erotica (2008), and The Best of South-East Asian
Erotica, (2010); his short plays, “Ghosts on a Bumboat”
(2008) and “Rootitootitooit” (2009) in Singapore Short
and Sweet. “Fish Factory”, a libretto for contemporary
opera, was performed at the Adelaide Festival Theatre
(1996). Mooney-Singh is the founder of Poetry Slam
in Singapore, the first registered poetry slam in Asia,
and Executive Editor of Writers Connect, a network of
published and emerging writers. He co-founded Word
Forward in 2003 with his wife, Savinder Kaur, and
subsequently, The Writers Centre.
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Shortlisted, Singapore Literature
Prize (2007)
First Prize, Golden Point Award
(English Poetry; 2003)
[an imprint of media exodus LLP]
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
[email protected]
Life is a taxi-ride, a series
of capsule journeys from
one life experience to
another. Australianborn convert to Sikhism
Chris Mooney-Singh
offers a series of taxi
-cab experiences: the
often heightened view of
city life makes these 28
poems from Australia,
UK, India and Singapore
some of the most
poignant human and
poetic vignettes from an
Asian travel perspective.
The Bearded
Chameleon (2011)
Thirty-five poems set in
India, Mooney-Singh’s
country of inspiration
that compelled him
in 1989 to adopt
the Sikh way of life.
Mooney-Singh writes
for the first time from
the perspective of a
Westerner who now
sports a beard, turban
and Indian attire and by
doing so, merges with
the landscape of Indian
society.
“After Octavio Paz, Mooney-Singh is the only poet who writes
about the paradoxes of Indian landscape with great passion.”
H S Shivaprakash, Indian Literature, May 2010, pub. Sahitya
Akademi, New Delhi
b 1956
Poetry
EMAIL
The Laughing
Buddha Cab
Company (2007)
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
http://chrismooneysingh.com
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
The Writers Centre,
Singapore
182 Cecil Street #03-10
Telok Ayer Performing Arts
Centre
Singapore 069547
Tel/Fax: [65] 9180 5501
Email: savinder@
wordforward.org
ISBN
Red Wheelbarrow Books
Telok Ayer Performing Arts
Centre
Singapore 069547
Tel/Fax: [65] 9180 5501
Email: savinder@
wordforward.org
ISBN
978-981-08-7418-6
978-981-05-9626-2
ISBN
981-05-3610-0
36 |
| 37
Chandran Nair
Chandran Nair was educated at Raffles Institution and
the University of Singapore (MSc, Marine Biology). He
is the author of Once the Horsemen and Other Poems
(1972) and After the Hard Hours,This Rain (1975), Poems
and Lyrics of the Last Lord Li [with Koh Ho Ping,1975)
as well as Reaching for Stones [2010].He won the New
Nation Short Story prize in 1973 with “Leta”, was founder/
President of the Society of Singapore Writers (1976), and
edited Singapore Writing (1977) and Short Stories from
Reaching For Stones
(2010)
His collected poems
(1963 – 2009) from his
first two volumes; the
book also includes 30
new poems.
After the Hard
Hours, This Rain
(1975)
Second book of poems
mainly on the theme
of love.
Asia and Africa (1977). He is a signatory of the Asean
Writers Declaration which states the objectives, rights
and responsibilities of writers in the national and ASEAN
contexts. After a career as a publisher in Singapore, he
Ng Yi-Sheng
Ng Yi-Sheng is a full-time writer in multiple genres,
including poetry, fiction, drama, non-fiction and
journalism. In 2008, he became the youngest writer
ever to win the Singapore Literature Prize for last boy
(2006). He is an active presence in the Singapore arts
community, both as artist and commentator. He hosts
the quarterly artists’ presentation series ROJAK, and
has officially blogged for the Singapore Biennale, the
Singapore Arts Festival and the National Art Gallery.
He has created plays for Toy Factory, W!LD RICE,
Musical Theatre Singapore and TheatreWorks. Ng
also authored the novel adapted from the film “Eating
Air” (2008), and edited the best-selling non-fiction
work, SQ21: Singapore Queers in the 21st Century
joined UNESCO in 1981 as a book development expert and
(2006). Recently, he edited GASPP: A Gay Anthology of
has worked in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Europe. Now
Singapore Poetry and Prose (2010) and completed a
translation of the work of Chinese Singaporean poet,
Wong Yoon Wah.
retired, he lives in France.
“… even from a purely sociological point of view, one sees through
his imagery all the varied influences on this Malaysian/Singaporean
Indian, and watches as the influences struggle to form, not a
‘Revolving Man’, but a real person… It is very interesting readingbut even more, it is so forcefully well-written.“ Nallama Jenstad,
reviewing Once the Horsemen and Other Poems (1972), Singapore
Book World, Vol 3 (1972)
Eating Air (2008)
last boy (2006)
A love story set in the
streets of Singapore,
featuring motorcycle
gangs, loan sharks,
drug deals, sting rays
and photocopy shops;
the frustrated dreams
of a young underclass
searching for its own
freedom in the concrete
jungle. Adapted from
Kelvin Tong and Jasmine
Ng’s indie film, “Eating
Air.”
Ng’s first collection of
poetry traces his psychic
journey as a young
man in search of love
and cultural identity.
Written in a variety of
lyric forms, his poems
draw on iconography
as diverse as nuclear
physics, Aztec mythology
and Singaporean family
history.
Fiction
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
“We are worried about the poet’s development, we search for those
unhealthy signs that indicate a falling into the clichéd and routine
and we expect a richer, mellower mood. If we are inclined to such
ungenerous thought, Chandran Nair’s new volume, After the Hard
Hours This Rain, sets our minds at ease. Our poet is as articulately
tough as ever.” Ban Kah Choon, New Nation, 3 Jan 1976
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
Ethos Books
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
com.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-6717-1
English
Woodrose Publications
b 1945
b 1980
WEBSITE
EMAIL
www.chandrannair.tk
[email protected]
WEBSITE
http://lastboy.blogspot.com
English
[an imprint of media exodus
LLP]
AWARDS
Singapore Literature Prize
(2006)
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
gmail.com
www.firstfruitspublications.
com
http://www.facebook.com/
firstfruits.publications
ISBN
981-08-0280-3
38 |
English
LLP]
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
gmail.com
ISBN
981-05-6309-4
| 39
O Thiam Chin
O Thiam Chin turned to writing in 2005, after studying
mechatronics and working in telecommunications, media
and marketing for a few years, then obtaining a degee
in English Language and Literature from the Singapore
Institute of Management. He is the author of three
collections of short stories, Free-Falling Man (2006),
Never Been Better (2009), and Under The Sun (2010). His
short stories have been featured in Asia Literary Review,
Kyoto Journal, The Jakarta Post, The New Straits Times,
Under The Sun
(2010)
Never Been Better
(2009)
Offers unflinching
snapshots of everyday
life, encapsulating the
gritty and real, the
subtle and extreme
in 50 stories which
surprise, reveal and
evoke the strange
and familiar, whether
on the fringes or in
the mainstream, and
delivering more of
O’s keen and honest
observations of human
flaws and foibles.
Filled with deeply
affecting stories of
individuals whose
intersections of loves
and losses mark the
dawn of their awareness
and longing, this
collection illustrates O’s
literary versatility in the
assortment of characters
who occupy the world of
ambivalence and false
optimism, yet still persist
in trudging on with
strength and resilience.
Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, The International Literary
Quarterly, QLRS, Karavan, Asia Writes, World Literature
Today and in a number of anthologies. Never Been
Better was longlisted for the 2010 Frank O’Connor Short
Story Award. His fourth book, The Rest of Your Life and
Everything That Comes With It, has just been published.
O was an Honorary Fellow of the Iowa International
Alvin Pang
Alvin Pang is a poet, writer, editor, anthologist, translator
and literary entrepreneur who has been featured in major
festivals, anthologies and journals around the world
and translated into over a dozen languages. Named
Singapore’s Young Artist of the Year for Literature in
2005, he received the Singapore Youth Award in 2007 for
Arts and Culture, as well as the 2008 Japanese Chamber
of Commerice and Industry Foundation Education Award.
A Fellow of the University of Iowa’s International Writing
Program in 2002, his many publications include City of
Rain (2003) and Tumasik: Contemporary Writing from
Singapore (2009), which he edited. A former teacher,
journalist and new media director, he is the editor of an
internationally circulated public policy journal, Ethos. He
also directs The Literary Centre - a non-profit initiative
promoting interdisciplinary capacity, multicultural
communication and positive social change.
Writing Program in 2010.
“O’s great gift is presenting universal themes of grief and loss
minutely rendered within very specific environments and very strong
(and sometimes oppressive) families.”
Cha: An Asian Literary Journal
“O’s stock as one of Singapore’s best young writers has risen with
this superb anthology of shorts. Within this, you’ll find the full gamut
of human experiences distilled with a distinct Singaporean flavour .”
I-S Magazine
“… a voice unhurried, confident, and capable of carrying diverse
humors…surprising us with glimpses of contemporary experience
that affirm yet mock, celebrate and unsettle. His poetry adds a rich
and complex presence to the critical mass of urban literature now
fully emergent from Singapore. His poems, at once recognizably
national and international in reach, offer a fresh edgy energy to this
tradition.” Prof Shirley Geok-Lin Lim
City of Rain (2003)]
Fifty-one poems.
Hailed as “direct, funny,
heartbreaking, bossy,
generous, and beautiful,
full of paradoxes, logic,
tantalizing illogic”, this
tour de force spans lyrical
insight and relentless
po-mo wit as it explores
the heartground and
“soulliness” beneath
the poet’s island city
homeland, charting the
true landmarks of 21st
century life and love.
“…direct, funny, heartbreaking, bossy, generous, and beautiful, full
of paradoxes, logic, tantalizing illogic.” Elizabeth McCracken
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
Eric Forbes
Senior Editor
MPH
Lot 1, 1st Floor
Bangunan TH
5 Jalan Bersatu 13/4
46200 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Email: mphpublishing@
mph.com.my
ISBN
978-967-5222-77-1
English
b 1977
b 1972
Poetry
EMAIL
[email protected]
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Longlisted, Frank O’
Connor Short Story
Award (2010)
Eric Forbes
Senior Editor
MPH
Lot 1, 1st Floor
Bangunan TH
5 Jalan Bersatu 13/4
46200 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Email: mphpublishing@
mph.com.my
Ethos Books
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
com.sg
ISBN
981-04-6329-4
ISBN
978-967-5222-46-7
40 |
| 41
David Seow
David Seow is the author of several well-received
books for children, including The Sam, Sebbie and
Di-Di-Di series (12 books; 1998 - 2000) which feature
his niece and nephews as the main characters,
Alexander’s Adventure Machine (2002), The Littlest
There’s Soup on My
Fly (2010)
Jeremy Alexander longs
for a pet, but his parents
refuse to get him one.
When he loses all hope
of ever becoming a
pet owner, he gets an
unexpected offer from a
very unusual fly.
Blow A Kiss (2010)
When you blow a kiss,
where does it go? This
is the premise of this
enchanting book. Blow
a kiss and follow it as it
moves across blazing
desert sands and soft
snow-capped mountains
to children of faraway
places and faraway lands.
Emperor (2004) and Monkey: The Classic Chinese
Adventure Tale (2005). In 2005, he was invited to be a
judge for the Media Development Authority’s First Time
Writers and Illustrators Initiative. Seow has served on
the executive committee of the Society for Reading
and Literacy (SRL) and was an active member of
Wordwrights, SRL’s special interest group for aspiring
children’s book authors. He is a member of the Society
of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. His latest
books, There’s Soup on My Fly (2010) and Blow A Kiss
(2010), are published by Bonnie Books.
“A colourful read.”
Tang Mei Ling; Singapore’s Child, April 2010, p 52
“The creative plot makes this a very funny read.”
Young Parents Magazine; online review
[http://shopping.insing.com/feature/books-to-share/id-614a1900]
Haresh Sharma
Haresh Sharma has been full-time Resident Playwright
of The Necessary Stage since 1990. He has written more
than 70 plays, which have been staged in more than
15 cities. He has a BA from the National University of
Singapore and an MA in Playwriting from the University
of Birmingham, where he studied in 1994 on a Shell-NAC
Scholarship. His play, “Off Centre”, was selected by the
Ministry of Education as a Literature text for “N” and “O”
Levels, and republished by The Necessary Stage in 2006.
Interlogue: Studies in Singapore Literature, Vol. 6 (2008)
is an extensive investigation by David Birch of Sharma’s
work over the past 20 years. He won The Straits Times
Life! Theatre Award for Best Original Script on three
consecutive occasions: for “Fundamentally Happy” in
2007, “Good People” in 2008 and “Gemuk Girls” in 2009.
These plays are published together by The Necessary
Stage in Trilogy (2010). Sharma recently became the first
non-American recipient of the Goldberg Master
Playwright Award given by New York University’s
Tisch School of the Arts.
Trilogy (2010)
Off Centre (2006)
A collection of three
plays – “Fundamentally
Happy”, “Good People”
and “Gemuk Girls” –
Trilogy features simple
but powerful narratives
that question personal,
social, cultural and
political convictions.
These award-winning
plays represent some of
The Necessary Stage’s
most critically acclaimed
works and are set to be
contemporary classics of
Singaporean theatre.
“Off Centre” is The
Necessary Stage’s
landmark play in the
history of Singaporean
theatre. First staged to
great acclaim in 1993, it
brought mental illness
and its patients’ plight to
the attention of the media
and general public.
“Off Centre” is the first
Singaporean play offered
as a text for GCE “O”
Level Literature.
Drama
Drama
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
“’Off Centre’ marks a new maturity in Singapore theatre, addressing
an audience prepared to be challenged.”
Hannah Pandian, The Straits Times, 3 Sep 1993
“... a beautifully crafted play which will engage you on multiple
levels: cognitively, emotionally and possibly even spiritually.”
Kenneth Kwok, reviewing “Good People”,
Flying Inkpot, 7 Nov 2007
b 1967
WEBSITE
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
Bonnie Books
Bonnie Books
32, Saunders Road
Singapore 228271
Tel/Fax: (65) 6836 1767
[email protected]
32, Saunders Road
Singapore 228271
Tel/Fax: (65) 6836 1767
David Seow@bonniebooks.
net
ISBN
978-981-08-3827-0
ISBN
978-981-08-2493-8
http://authordavidseow.blogspot.com
http://www.bonniebooks.net
b 1965
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
www.necessary.org
English
English
AWARDS
Best Original Script,
The Straits Times Life!
Theatre Awards
(2007, 2008, 2009)
The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage
Marine Parade
Community Building
#B1-02, Singapore 449282
Tel: [65] 6440 8115
Fax: [65] 6440 9002
Email: admin@necessary.
org
Marine Parade
Community Building
#B1-02 Singapore 449282
Tel: [65] 6440 8115
Fax: [65] 6440 9002
ISBN
981-05-6039-7
ISBN
978-981-08-4804-0
42 |
| 43
Daren Shiau
Daren Shiau is a fiction-writer, poet and lawyer in private
practice. He has been described by The Arts Magazine as
Competition in 1990. His volume of poetry, Places
writers”. Heartland (1999), which was cited by the Lonely
Where I’ve Been (1994) received the Singapore
Literature Prize Merit Award in 1993. He has also
won several top prizes in the Shell-NUS Playwriting
competitions. “Autumn Tomyum” was Play of the Year
received the Singapore Literature Prize Commendation
Award in 1998. An author of four books including
Peninsular: Archipelagos and Other Islands (2000) and
Velouria (2007), his short stories and poems have been
Velouria is Singapore’s
first collection of
microfiction (in English).
This seminal collection
of microfiction, which
is brief and immediate
in style, is the author’s
reaction to being
defined for many
years by Heartland, a
dense award-winning
novel covering several
histories.
Peninsular:
Archipelagos and
Other Islands (2000)
Peninsular is built
around the inescapable
motif of islands and
archipelagos. The
collection redeems as
it “explores identity
and existence through
notions of fragments,
fragmentation and the
fragility of wholeness.”
[back cover]
Fiction
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
exodus LLP]
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
gmail.com
ISBN
English
Desmond Sim is a short story writer, poet and
playwright. “The Nose” won the National Short Story
“among the most exciting of the post-1965 generation of
Planet travel guide as the “definitive Singapore novel”,
Velouria (2007)
Desmond Sim
translated into several languages and anthologised in
Italy, Germany and Australia. The National Arts Council’s
Young Artist Award Recipient in 2002, Shiau has been
invited to read in New York, Boston, London and Sydney.
He enjoys black coffee and listening to 70s punk rock.
b 1971
in the 2002 The Strait Times Life! Theatre Awards.
Sim’s plays have been produced by TheatreWorks,
Singapore Repertory Theatre, W!ld Rice and ACTION!
Theatre. Abroad, they have been performed by Actors’
Theatre of Louisville and the KL [Kuala Lumpur]
Performing Arts Centre. In “The Swimming Instructor”
(2007), Sim works around a love triangle of friendship
and sexuality with characteristic wit. He collaborated
with Malaysian writer Nandang Abdul Rahman to
produce a series of short plays, “Food, Sex and Death”
(2011) for the Causeway Exchange (between Malaysia
and Singapore) in Kuala Lumpur. He co-wrote the
screenplay for the Thai film, “Beautiful Boxer” (2005),
with its director, Ekachai Uekrongtham. Together
with Dennis Chew, he co-wrote the screenplay for
“The Wedding Game”, a Singapore/Malaysia romantic
comedy (2009). Sim currently works as a lecturer and
consultant by day, and a playwright and painter by
night.
b 1961
Places Where I’ve
Been (1994)
A collection of 46
poems about the
sense of place, real
and figurative journeys
drawn from or
inspired by the writers’
travel and personal
experiences.
Fiction
LANGUAGE
English
Ethos Books
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
com.sg
AWARDS
Educational Publications Bureau
ISBN
9971-0-0603-0
ISBN
981-04-2415-9
981-05-9386-4
44 |
| 45
Kirpal Singh
Kirpal Singh began writing while in school and has
been publishing since 1970, when he brought out
A selection of 20 poems
specially brought out for
the 23rd International
Poetry Festival (2011)
in Austin, Texas, where
Singh was the special
International Featured
Poet. Most of the poems
in this book have been
previously published.
The title reflects the
poet’s major anxiety
about humanity’s
perplexing condition.
Poetry
LANGUAGE
English
exodus LLP]
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
gmail.com
ISBN
Casual, personal and
often irreverent in
style, the book takes
readers on a journey
of exploration and
discusses the sociocultural and linguistic
dimensions which
influence notions of
creativity. Detailed
case narratives of
outstanding individuals
from around the world,
known for their creative
thinking and innovative
actions, are included.
Non-Fiction
LANGUAGE
English
Pearson Education South
Asia Pte Ltd
23/25 First Lok Yang Road
Jurong
Singapore 629733
Tel: (65) 6319 9388
Fax: (65) 6265 1033
Email: longman.enquiry@
pearson.com.sg
ISBN
013-102-533-3
University of East Anglia, where she graduated with
Studies (1500-1660) from the University of Oxford, and
Adelaide and Austin, Texas. Catwalking and the Games
Fellowship (1997 – 2000). She published her first novel,
We Play (1998) is regarded as his best book of poetry to
Thinking Hats and
Coloured Turbans
(2004)
Tan Hwee Hwee read English Literature at the
Singapore Pot-Pourri, a collection of essays, poems,
plays and short stories . His poetry has been described
as honest, direct and cutting-edge. He has read and
performed at arts festivals in Edinburgh, Toronto, York,
date. “Monologue”, a story first published in 2000, has
Shar(e)d Humanity
(2011)
Tan Hwee Hwee
been widely anthologised. The publication of Thinking
Hats and Coloured Turbans: Creativity Across Cultures
(2004) has made him an international “creativity” guru.
He is currently Director of the Wee Kim Wee Centre,
Singapore Management University.
First Class Honours. She has a Master’s in English
an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University
where she went on a New York Times Foundation
Foreign Bodies (1997), at the age of 22. Her second
novel, Mammon Inc (2001), won the 2004 Singapore
Literature Prize. Tan has received awards from the
Mammon Inc (2001)
National Arts Council, the National University of
Chiah Deng wants
to land her dream
job as an Adapter for
Mammon Inc, a job
where she will teach
executives how to adjust
to new cultures. To
pass the test, she has
to teach her Chinese
sister how to be white
and her English friend
how to be Chinese.
Singapore, the New York Times Foundation and the
British Broadcasting Corporation. She received the
Young Artist Award for Literature from the National
Arts Council in 2003.
“A milestone...Foreign Bodies, a fictional exploration of child
abuse, is the first Singaporean novel to win critical acclaim in
Britain and the US.”
The Wall Street Journal, front page
Foreign Bodies
(1997)
Mei receives a phone
call from jail from her
English friend Andy.
Andy has been arrested
for masterminding a
multi-million dollar
international gambling
syndicate. He swears he’s
been framed and this
leaves Mei two weeks to
prove his innocence.
“This remarkable novel transforms itself into a serious
addiction... Her words pepper your brains like a barrage of
bullets, stunning their targets with perceptive precision.”
The List
b 1949
b 1974
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
[email protected]
WEBSITE
http://hweehweetan.yolasite.com/
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
Micheal Joseph (Penguin)
English
Micheal Joseph (Penguin)
Michael Joseph Group
Penguin Ltd
80 Strand
London WCR SRC
Tel: (020) 70103000
Fax: (020) 7010 6709
Email: adultrights
[email protected]
Michael Joseph Group
Penguin Ltd
80 Strand
London WCR SRC
Tel: (020) 70103000
Fax: (020) 7010 6709
Email: adultrights
[email protected]
ISBN
ISBN
0-140-26704-2
0-7181-4255-1
978-981-08-8425-3
46 |
| 47
Tan Mei Ching
Tan Mei Ching has a Master of Fine Arts in English Creative Writing from the University of Washington.
Beyond the Village
Gate (1994; repr.
2012)
Towards the Blue:
Adventures of A
City Wimp ( 2007)
Myths of the mountains
and their spirits
pervade stories of
Shi Ying’s mysterious
origins. Abandoned
to die but saved by a
villager, Shi Ying is
named the “lost child.”
She befriends a village
outcast with whom she
feels a strange bond,
and begins her journey
of growth and selfdiscovery.
Exploring Native
American and Nordic
folklore of the Canadian
Rockies and Maritime
provinces, and the
natural history of the
inhabitants, the author
and her fiancé tread
through millennia-old
soil and kayak with the
very real personalities
of water, wind, sun
and the Atlantic
thunderstorm—all in
search of Adventure.
Fiction
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Commendation,
Singapore Literature
Prize (1992)
Ethos Books
Pte Ltd
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
Email: enquiry@
ethosbooks.com.sg
ISBN
Travelogue
LANGUAGE
English
Ethos Books
Pte Ltd
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
Email: enquiry@
ethosbooks.com.sg
ISBN
981-05-6774-X
Paul Tan
A former journalist who has held positions in
marketing and communications in the Singapore
Her novel, Beyond the Village Gate (1994), received
a Commendation Award in the 1992 Singapore
Literature Prize (SLP). Her short story collection,
Tourism Board, Paul Tan has published three volumes
Crossing Distance (1995), received a Merit Award in
the 1994 SLP and a Commendation in the National
Book Development Council of Singapore Book Awards
(1996). Her short stories won first prizes in the US and
her play, “Water Ghosts”, won First Prize in the NUSShell Short Play Competition (1992). Her plays have
been staged as well as published. Her short stories
Merit Awards at the Singapore Literature Prize in 1993
are included in More Than Half the Sky: Creative
Writings by Thirty Singaporean Women (1998), Asian
of poetry. The first two, Curious Roads (1994) and
Driving into Rain (1998) won the Commendation and
and 1997 respectively. His third volume, First Meeting
of Hands, was published in 2006. His poetry, fiction
and journalistic writing have appeared in various
anthologies, newspapers, magazines and literary
websites such as QLRS.com. He is currently a Director
at the National Arts Council, in charge of the literary
arts and the annual Singapore Writers Festival.
Women’s Writings (2009), Singapore Literature in
English: An Anthology (2008), and Telltale: 11 Stories
(2010). In 1997, she received the National Arts Council
of Singapore’s Young Artist Award for Literature. A
travel narrative, Towards the Blue: Adventures of A City
Wimp, was published in 2007.
b 1970
First Meeting of
Hands (2006)
Driving into Rain
(1998)
Thirty-nine poems,
described as “eminently
readable” by poet and
critic, Aaron Lee. From
whimsical pieces on
animals to poignant
realisation about fellow
human beings and
pointed commentary on
the Singapore psyche, it
is a slender volume to
be slowly savoured one
tender poem at a time.
Fifty-nine poems
which explore the
complex feelings and
ambiguities fraught in
domestic life, family and
the notions of home.
Elsewhere, changing
landscapes and travel
become the focus, with
quiet observations
belying larger questions
of place and identity.
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
AWARDS
exodus LLP]
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
gmail.com
ISBN
981-05-6310-8
exodus LLP]
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
gmail.com
ISBN
9971-0-0854-8
978-981-08-7754-5
48 |
| 49
Tan Tarn How
Tan Tarn How graduated from Peterhouse, Cambridge
in 1982 with a BA Hons., Natural Science Tripos, after
which he took a Diploma in Education in Singapore.
He has worked as a schoolteacher, journalist for The
Straits Times, Head Scriptwriter for the Television
Corporation of Singapore (now MediaCorp) and
mentor to young dramatists in Theatreworks’ Writers’
Lab. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the
Institute of Policty Studies. Tan is an award-winning
Tan Tarn How: Six
Plays (2011)
A collection of six fulllength plays: “Home”,
“The Lady of Soul and her
Ultimate ‘S’ Machine”,
“Undercover”, “Six of
the Best”, “The First
Emperor’s Last Days”
and “Machine”, all
written between 1993
and 2005
playwright, six of whose plays are collected in Six
Plays (2011). His “Undercover” (1994), part farce, part
political thriller, was joint-winner of the National Book
Development Council of Singapore Drama Award in
1996. “The First Emperor’s Last Days” (1998) which
was staged for the Singapore Arts Festival, went on
to win Hong Kong’s Best 10 Productions of the Year
Award. “Six of the Best” (1996) was inspired by the
furore caused by the caning of the American teenager
Michael Fay for vandalism in 1993. “Machine” was
adapted for television in 2005. After a hiatus of ten
years, Tan returned to the stage with “Fear of Writing”
(2011), a play with an all-woman cast that deals
with the political underpinnings of writer’s block in a
Singaporean context.
”…the most important thing about Tan Tarn How’s play [“The
Lady of Soul and her Ultimate ‘S’ Machine”] is its marking of a
watershed in Singapore theatre; it is arguably the first English
play to present the country critically and artistically, without hiding
behind coy allegory.”
Hannah Pandian, The Straits Times
Drama
LANGUAGE
English
Epigram Books
#03-08
Singapore 318996
Tel: (65) 6292 4456
Email: enquiry@
epigrambooks.sg
b 1960
Eddie Tay
Eddie Tay was born and educated in Singapore. He is an
assistant professor at the Chinese University of Hong
Kong, where he teaches courses on creative writing and
poetry. He is also the reviews editor of Cha: An Asian
Literary Journal, an online journal [www.asiancha.com]
based in Hong Kong. He has authored three collections
of poetry: Remnants (2000), A Lover’s Soliloquy (2005)
and The Mental Life of Cities (2010). The first two
collections include free translations of Tang Dynasty
poetry as well as Tay’s original poems. The most recent
volume, consisting of bilingual poems, is a meditation
on writing and city life in Hong Kong, where he has
lived since late 2003, and Singapore. Colony, Nation
and Globalisation: Not at Home in Singaporean and
Malaysian Literature (2011) is a scholarly study of the
literature in the two countries.
“Fenollosa and Pound would have loved what Tay does….The selfconsciousness of many of these poems may be a kind of rebellious
apologia, suggesting that poetry and individualism in Tay’s locality
are radical. The title poem attests a will to actualization.”
Henry W Leung, “Review: Eddie Tay’s The Mental Life of Cities”,
Lantern Review Blog: Asian American Poetry Unbound, 6 Dec 2010
[http://lanternreview.com/blog/2010/12/06/review-eddie-tays-themental-life-of-cities/]
The Mental Life of
Cities (2010)
A Lover’s Soliloquy
(2005)
The 28 poems here are
a meditation on writing
and the modern city.
The title poem consists
of 20 sequences, 11 of
which are bilingual, Of
the other 27 poems,
four are bilingual. The
rest are completely in
English. The poems
have been inspired by
the ways in which the
English and Chinese
languages intertwine and
take root in the Asian
cities of Hong Kong and
Singapore.
The voices are varied
in this collection of
26 poems. In the title
poem comprising
fifteen sequences, the
voice of a dead lover
haunts his beloved.
In another section of
the book, the themes
and imagery of the
love poetry of the Tang
Dynasty poet Li Shangyin are recast in Tay’s
modern voice.
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
“… his poems are economical, full of evocative detail, and both ironic
and impassioned at one and the same time. I read them over and
over again.”
Bradley Winterton, “Eddie Tay Captures Love’s Many Essences”, The
Taipei Times, 27 Nov 2005, p18
[http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat
archives/2005/11/27/2003282013/1]
b 1974
WEBSITE
http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/eng/staff/etay/index.html
English (with some Chinese)
English
Chameleon Press
22/F
Easey Commercial Building
253-261 Hennessy Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3426-5109
Email: publisher@
chameleonpress.com
Sixth Finger Press
ISBN
988-97075-4-3
ISBN
978-988-99565-8-5
ISBN
978-981-08-7977-8
50 |
| 51
Jean Tay
Everything but the
Brain: a Play (2010)
The story of Elaine, a
Physics teacher who
hatches a plan to turn
back time and save her
ailing father from further
deterioration. This
comic, yet poignant, play
brings together family
relationships, fairytale
bears, and the theory of
relativity in hilarious and
unexpected ways.
Boom: a Play (2009)
A quirky, yet humorous
play about an old woman
and her son, who are
struggling over the
potential en-bloc sale of
their home. Their fate is
interwoven with that of
an idealistic civil servant
facing the greatest
challenge of his career
– persuading a reluctant
corpse to relocate.
Jean Tay graduated with a double degree in creative
writing and economics from Brown University, USA.
Her plays have been performed in Singapore, US, UK,
and Italy. They include “Water from the Well” (1998),
“The Knot” (1999), “Plunge” (2000), “Everything but the
Brain” (2005) and “Boom” (2008). She also wrote the
musicals, “The Admiral’s Odyssey” (2005), and “Man
of Letters” (2006). In 2000, “The Knot” was awarded
First Prize in ACTION! Theatre’s 10-minute Play
Competition. Tay has been nominated three times for
Best Original Script for The Straits Times Life! Theatre
Awards; she won for “Everything but the Brain” in 2006.
“Boom” is currently an “O” and “N” Level literature text
for secondary school students. In short fiction, she was
awarded First and Third prizes for the Golden Point
Short Story Award in 1995 and 2001 for “Journey” and
“Woman in Bed” respectively.
Simon Tay
A renowned lawyer, political adviser and environmental
policy expert, Simon Tay teaches international law at
the National University of Singapore, and is Chairman of
the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. He has
published in leading law and academic journals, and
appears regularly in international and regional media.
His latest non-fiction book, Asia Alone: The Dangerous
Post Crisis Divide From America (2010), was reviewed
in The Economist, the Financial Times and Newsweek.
In 1995, he received the Young Artist Award from the
National Arts Council. His book of stories, Stand Alone
(1991), was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize. It
was Highly Commended in 1992 by the National Book
Development Council of Singapore, as was his collection
of poems, 5 (1985) in 1986. His novel, City of Small
Blessings (2009), was awarded the Singapore Literature
Prize in 2010. Alien Asian (1997) is a collection of essays
“Jean’s adroit handling of themes, from the origins of genius to
gene heritage and the tyranny of Time, makes Everything but the
Brain one of the best of things seen on stage here in a while.”
Clara Chow, The Straits Times Life! (Review), 1 Feb 2005
“Chock-full of goodness and a heavy dose of humour.”
Tara Tan, The Straits Times Life! (Review), 23 Sep 2008
about his experiences living and working in America.
Tay’s short stories and poems have been adapted for
television and theatre, and included in the Penguin
Anthology of Literature from Malaysia and Singapore
(2002). His story, “My Cousin Tim”, was translated
into Chinese, Tamil and Malay for the National Library
City of Small
Blessings (2009)
A Singaporean retires,
migrates and then
returns. But, he slowly
finds, there is no simple
return to the place
called home. Once
a well-known public
figure who contributed
to the country, he is
now outside the rush of
workdays, on the fringe
of the city he barely
recognises, distanced
from his wife and son,
even as he loves them.
A layered and nuanced
narrative about the
tragedies and blessings
of Singapore.
Stand Alone (2001)
Fifteen short stories
about the coming of
age of Singapore as
a nation, and which
explore a multitude
of themes concerning
Singaporeans, from
education to family
values to class
divisions.
Board’s READ! Singapore 2009.
“A milestone in Singapore literature.”
Judging Panel, Singapore Literature Prize, 2010
Drama
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Epigram Books
#03-08
Singapore 318996
Tel: (65) 6292 4456
Email: enquiry@
epigrambooks.sg
http://www.
epigrambooks.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-5511-6
52 |
Drama
LANGUAGE
b 1974
b 1961
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
AWARDS
Epigram Books
#03-08
Singapore 318996
Tel: (65) 6292 4456
Email: enquiry@
epigrambooks.sg
http://www.
epigrambooks.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-4017-4
(2010)
Landmark Books
#04-38
Singapore 120106
Tel: (65) 6466 0443
Fax: (65) 6466 7630
net.sg
ISBN
981-4189-19-7
English
AWARDS
Highly Commended,
NBDCS (1992)
Shortlisted,
Commonwealth Prize
Landmark Books
#04-38
Singapore 120106
Tel: (65) 6466 0443
Fax: (65) 6466 7630
net.sg
ISBN
981-3002-41-7
| 53
Verena Tay
In the Company of
Heroes: Selected
Plays (2011)
In the Company of
Women: Selected
Plays (2004)
This second volume of
seven plays includes
the award-winning
“The Car“, the critically
acclaimed”Bumiputra
Cina” and “The Lunar
Interviews.” An in-depth
exploration of familial
ties, men-women
relationships, creativity
and what it means to
be Singaporean, this
collection extends
everyday reality into the
mythic realm.
Nine plays and a film
script that plunge the
reader deep into the
intricate female psyche.
Deftly written from
the perspective of a
distinctively Singaporean
woman, these works
are steeped in the
island’s unique flavour
of modern sophistication
and tradition,
multiculturalism and
ethnicity, past and
present.
Drama
LANGUAGE
English
Drama
LANGUAGE
Verena Tay has spent more than 20 years acting,
directing and writing for English-language theatre in
Singapore. She created various solo and collaborative
performances, often based on original, self-written
material while an Associate Artist with The Substation
(2002 to 2009). Recent plays that have been staged
include “Right & Left” (2010), “Bumiputra Cina”
(2009), “Imperfect Family Recipes” (2008), “The Lunar
Interviews” (2008) and “The Car” (2006), which won
ACTION! Theatre’s Theatre Idols Competition in 2005.
Her published works include In the Company of
Women: Selected Plays (2004) and In the Company of
Heroes: Selected Plays (2011). An Honorary Fellow of
the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program
(2007), Verena is currently working on a collection of
short stories and her first novel. Besides writing and
performing in theatre, Verena is also an engaging
storyteller and an experienced voice and storytelling
coach.
Math Paper Press
9 Yong Siak Street
Singapore 168645
Tel: (65) 6222 9195
Email: kenny@
booksactually.com
ISBN
978-981-08-7782-8
Straits Times Press
Pte Ltd
News Centre
Singapore 318994
Tel: (65) 6319 6319
(65) 6319 8258
Email: shovaloh@sph.
com.sg
ISBN
981 248 078 1
54 |
second prizes in the 1984 National Short Story
Writing Competition for “Homecoming” and “Fascist
Rock.” Her debut collection, Fascist Rock: Stories
of Rebellion (1990), secured the National Book
Development Council of Singapore Commendation
Award (Fiction) in 1992. Saving the Rainforest and
Other Stories (1993) won a Highly Commended Award
(Fiction) from NBDCS in 1995. She collected two
Golden Point Awards, in 1999 and 2001, for her stories,
“The Gunpowder Trail” and “Driving Sideways”.
She has written one novel, Skimming (1999). “Lee”
(from Fascist Rock), was adapted for television on
MediaCorp’s “Alter Asians”, while the title story from
Tham’s third collection, The Gunpowder Trail and
Other Stories (2003), has been adapted for the stage.
The Claire Tham Collection (2010) compiles stories
from the three published collections. Tham read Law
b 1965
b 1967
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
English
At the age of seventeen, Claire Tham won two
at Oxford. She is a partner at a law firm in Singapore.
EMAIL
Claire Tham
http://verenatay.com
[email protected]
The Claire Tham
Collection (2010)
Skimming (1999;
repr. 2010)
Compilation of all 21
stories from Tham’s three
published collections.
The stories articulate
Tham’s signature themes
of rebellion and nonconformity. Innovative
in form and style, the
narratives play with the
progression of time and
space, creating multilayered possibilities.
A novel based on a
ménage à trois. An
uncommon love story
rendered from the
points of view of the
three protagonists.
Polished surfaces are
pitted against painful
depths, comfort zones
against alien spaces
and the surrender
of duty against the
seduction of desire,
distinctions which
progressively become
blurred.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
Marshall Cavendish
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
ISBN
ISBN
978 981 4302 83 8
978 981 4302 84 5
| 55
Edwin Thumboo
Academic and poet, Emeritus Professor and Professorial
Fellow, Department of English Language and Literature,
National University of Singapore, Edwin Thumboo is
regarded as the unofficial Laureate of Singapore. One
of the pioneers of Singaporean Literature in English,
Thumboo edited some of the earliest anthologies
from Singapore and Malaysia in the seventies. He
has published six collections of poetry: Rib of Earth
(1956), Gods Can Die (1977), Ulysses by the Merlion
Still Travelling
(2008)
Forty-eight poems
located in specific places
in Singapore as well as
abroad, and including
secular and Biblical
pieces, intimate ones
addressed to family
and friends, and public
ones on buildings and
institutions. The poet’s
voice is confident and
authoritative.
Bring the Sun (2008)
A selection of poems
from the four earlier
volumes, now out of print,
to show the evolution
of a poetic style and the
broadening of poetic
interest as well as the
enlargement of themes.
(1979), A Third Map: New and Selected Poems (1993),
Friend (2003) and Still Travelling (2008). Bring the Sun
(2008) is a selection from out-of-print volumes. Child’s
Delight 1 & 2 (1972) comprise Thumboo’s nursery
rhymes. &WORDS: Poems Singapore and Beyond (2010)
which he edited, places Singapore’s poems within an
international context. He has won numerous awards
for his poetry and services to literature. They include
The National Book Development Council of Singapore
Award for Poetry in English (1978, 1980 and 1994) for
Gods Can Die, Ulysses by the Merlion and A Third Map
respectively, the Southeast Asia Write Award (1979),
the Cultural Medallion (1980), the ASEAN Cultural and
Communication Award in Literature (1987), the Public
Service Star and Bar (1981, 1991), the Raja Rao Award
(2002), and the Meritorious Service Medal (2006). He has
held visiting professorships at universities in the US, UK,
Australia, Austria, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Poetry
LANGUAGE
English
Ethos Books
Pte Ltd
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
Email: enquiry@
ethosbooks.com.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-1000-9
b 1933
Poetry
EMAIL
LANGUAGE
English
Ethos Books
Pte Ltd
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
Email: enquiry@
ethosbooks.com.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-1644-5
[email protected]
WEBSITE
http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/ellthumb/site/index.html
Toh Hsien Min
Toh Hsien Min has published three collections of
poetry, Iambus (1994), The Enclosure of Love (2001)
and Means To An End (2008), which was shortlisted
for the 2010 Singapore Literature Prize. His work has
been published in periodicals such as Acumen, London
Magazine, the London Review of Books, Poetry Salzburg
Review and Staple, as well as anthologies such as W.W.
Norton’s Language for a New Century: Contemporary
Poetry from the Middle East, Asia, and Beyond (2008),
and Over There: Poems from Singapore and Australia
(2008). He has read at the Edinburgh International
Book Festival (2003), the Ars Interpres Poetry Festival
in Sweden (2007), and the Festival franco-anglais de
poésie in France (2008). Toh is the founding editor of the
Quarterly Literary Review Singapore (www.qlrs.com),
the oldest continuously running online literary journal
in Singapore. He went to Oxford in 1996 on a Shell-NAC
Scholarship for the Arts. He received the Young Artist
Means to an End
(2008)
“Hsien Min Toh’s new
book Means to an End is,
among other things, an
accurate report on the
warm details supplied by
memory and the fuddled,
intoxicated inaccuracy of
the remembering mind
– rendered in a uniquely
memorable way.” Craig
Raine, back cover of
Means to an End.
Award from the National Arts Council in 2010. Toh works
in the financial services sector.
“These thoughtful and intelligent musings on the unreliability
of memory are a pleasure to read. Their conversational tone
belies the complexity of ideas explored by Toh Hsien Min in
this collection; ideas revolving around what can and cannot be
recalled from the past.”
Rebecca Edwards, Stylus Poetry Review (http://www.
styluspoetryjournal.com/main/master.asp?id=937)
b 1975
Poetry
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Landmark Books
#04-38
Singapore 120106
Tel: (65) 6466 0443
Fax: (65) 6466 7630
net.sg
ISBN
981-4189-18-9
56 |
| 57
Jessie Wee
With her very first series, The Adventures of Mooty
(1980), written for her two sons, Jessie Wee came to be
recognized as a “pioneer in Singapore’s creative writing
scene for children.” Her experience as a teacher fuelled
her conviction that “children in Singapore need stories
they can identify with, stories they can call their own.”
She has written 30 books, ranging from picture story
books such as A Home in the Sky (1992), A Friend in Need
(1992) and the Five Little Kittens series, to books for older
The Adventures of
Mooty (1980; repr.
2009)
First published in 1980,
the series depicts the
adventures of a lovable
mouse who endears
himself to a community
of animals, birds and
insects, and becomes
their hero. This new
edition of five books, each
comprising two stories,
will find Mooty warming
again the hearts of the
young.
Supercat (2003)
Yee Liang’s experiments
on a potion to make
himself invisible lead
him into the beginning of
a great adventure. This
lively, humorous and fastmoving story will keep
readers entertained all
the way to the end.
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
AWARDS
Highly Commended, NBDCS
(1982)
Highly Commended, NBDCS
(1984)
Commended, NBDCS (1990)
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
Email: genref@
Supercat (2003). Her books are imbued with warmth and
humour and reflect a sensitive understanding of children.
Three of her books have won awards from the National
Book Development Council of Singapore: The Adventures
of Mooty, (Highly Commended;1982); Boo! (Highly
Commended, 1984) and Grandpa’s Remedy (Commended;
1990). Five of her books were commissioned by British
Publishers and two by American Express International
Incorporated. Treasures of the Heart (2009), a collection
of Christian articles from a personal perspective, is her
first book for adults.
English
children which include Grandpa’s Remedy (1990) and
“[With] a clear agenda of wanting to write a Singapore literature for
children, Wee’s stories are infused with local colour...” Lily Tay Mei
Ling, “Singapore Revisited: A Study of Landscapes through Children’s
Literature”; Hons Thesis (1994/95) for Dept of Geography, National
University of Singapore, p 30
Serene Wee
Serene Wee has a B. Soc. Sc. Hons. from the University
of Singapore and two postgraduate teaching diplomas.
She is Chairman of the National Book Development
Council of Singapore, President of The Society for
Reading & Literacy, and a member of the Steering and
Selection Committees for English book selection for
the National Library Board’s READ! Singapore. She
was a judge for the First Time Writers & Illustrators
Initiative in 2007 and 2008, organized by the Media
Development Authority. Her poem, “Beauty & Music”,
won the Editor’s Choice Award for Outstanding
Achievement in Poetry (The National Library of Poetry,
USA, 1998). She has written for and edited 16 books of
short stories for children and young adults. Her most
recent work is Present (2009).
“This is a heart-warming tale about a boy and his family, with a
sprinkling of real magic.”
Ken Spillman, Present, p 3
“This story successfully weaves traditional culture and the life of
a 12 year old Malay boy.…The novel shows that sharing can lead
to something magical while selfishness leads to something rather
dark and unfortunate.”
Michele Leong, Vancouver, Canada
[http://elict.commontown.net]
Gemma Books
33 Cheviot Hill
Singapore 459638
Tel: (65) 6241 7010
Email: jwee33@hotmail.
com
ISBN
981-04-9698-2
What can a boy do when a
past mistake is torturing
him? Mat wants to make
up at the first opportunity,
but he has to wait a whole
year for the chance. His
big challenge? Finding
the perfect birthday gift
for his mother. Searching
with his heart and soul,
Mat hopes he will find
one beyond his wildest
imagination…
b 1937
b 1954
Harry Straw Hat
(2009)
Harry overhears his
family talking about
throwing him away.
Hurt and sad, he runs
away from home, only
to be blown right back
to where he is from.
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
Present (2009)
Read Plus LLP
120 Pioneer Road
Singapore 639597
Tel: (65) 9798 2320
Fax: (65)6897 7797
[email protected]
ISBN
978-981-08-4425-7
English
Grolier (Malaysia)
Sdn. Bhd.
Plaza First Nationwide
161 Jalan Tun HS Lee
50000 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel/Fax: 60 (3) 2688 1688
ISBN
978-983-9604-09-2
ISBN
978-981-4276-55-9
978-981-4276-56-6
978-981-4276-57-3
978-981-4276-58-0
978-981-4276-59-7
58 |
| 59
Cyril Wong
Cyril Wong is the author of nine published collections
Eleanor Wong made her theatrical debut with “Peter’s
of poetry, beginning with Squatting Quietly (2000). He
won the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award
for Literature in 2005, and the Singapore Literature
Passionate Pursuit” (1986), joint First-Prize winner in
to Treat (2005), which explores lesbianism, female
sexuality and gender politics. Two of the plays, “Mergers
That Night: Strange Tales (2009). Wong’s most recent
Satori Blues is a
response to writings
by teachers of
Buddhism and postBuddhist philosophies.
Composed as a
stream of light - at
times epigrammatic,
philosophical,
fragmented, even
exclamatory - the poem
becomes a concerted
movement within a
space of mediation, as
well as a sustained,
psychological record
of yearning towards
spiritual truth
and clarity.
A ghost steps out
of its body after a
suicide and looks
back at it in wonder.
The poet wonders at
his own existence and
struggles between
actual living and the
desire to die.
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
English
LANGUAGE
English
AWARDS
Softblow Press
Prize (2006)
3 Jalan Anak Bukit
#25-02 S588998
Tel: [65] 67289714
Email: cyrilwong77@yahoo.
com
ISBN
978-981-08-7361-5
volume of poetry is Satori Blues (2011). He is currently
based at The Substation, Singapore’s first independent
arts centre.
“(Cyril’s) is an art that works simply from a personal plane, and
from within such a plane we have some of the most sensitive,
articulate probings into the nature of one’s self that have never
been seen before in all of contemporary Singaporean verse.”
Leonard Jeyam, Southeast Asian Review of English, No 47 (April
2006/07), p 99
“Writing, almost speaking, in riddles and opposites, Wong teases
us out of our complacencies and directs/guides our thinking along
the long, hard route to self-awareness...Hence ‘blues’. Hence the
extraordinary attempt to seduce the reader into somnambulancevia-rhythmic, rhymic language, the language of meditative poetry.”
Kirpal Singh, Kunapipi, Vol XXXII No 1-2 (Dec 2010) pp 109-110
Competition. She is best known for her trilogy, Invitation
Treasure (2004). Wong founded the online poetry
fiction, collected in Let Me Tell You Something About
Unmarked
Treasure (2004)
the National University of Singapore-Shell Short Play
Prize in 2006 for his fourth collection, Unmarked
journal, Softblow in 2004. He has also written short
Satori Blues (2011)
Eleanor Wong
& Accusations” (1993), and “Wills & Secession” (1995)
were reprised with the third, “Jointly & Severably”, when
the entire trilogy was staged in 2003. “Mergers” won
the National Book Development Council of Singapore
Award (Drama) in 1996. Wong’s plays often deal with
controversial subjects. “The Joust” (1991) explores the
transition from totalitarianism to democracy, while “The
Campaign to Confer the Public Service Star on JBJ”
(2006; restaged 2007) is a political satire. Wong has also
written poems: she contributed 12 to y grec (2005), a
collection co-authored with Madeleine Lee, and recently
published Life – Science (2010), 22 poems accompanied
by Chinese translations by Enoch Ng and Caleb Kiu.
Wong is Director of the Legal Writing Programme at the
Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore.
“She is that versatile auteur who partakes of the best features of
Singapore’s young but recognisable dramatic tradition. She excels
with her fine ear for registering pitch and voice and wisely confines
her characters and their liaisons to a milieu with which she is
familiar.” Dr K K Seet, Afterword, The Eleanor Wong Trilogy
b 1977
b 1962
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
www.cyrilwong.org
[email protected]
The Campaign to
Confer the Public
Service Star on JBJ
(2007)
A play which boldly
harnesses the power
of history and allusion
to investigate the
relationships between
the individual, the state,
and society. A pointed,
yet hilarious, satire on
the paranoia surrounding
political and civic
discourse and action,
Campaign illuminates
the challenges and
dilemmas facing a society
on the threshold of a
“supposedly new age.”
Woodlands Central
Branch Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
gmail.com
ISBN
981050408X
Comprising “Mergers
& Accusations”, “Wills
& Secession” and
“Jointly & Severably”,
the trilogy explores
personal identity, love
and friendship, family
and kinship, religious
faith, the inextricable
connection between the
personal and political,
and the dialectics of
centre and margin.
Drama
Drama
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
DISTRIBUTOR / PUBLISHERr
LLP]
exodus LLP]
Invitation To Treat:
The Eleanor Wong
Trilogy (2005)
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
Email: hello@
[email protected]
com
ISBN
981-05-6953-X
English
AWARDS
NBDCS Award (Drama) for
“Mergers and Accusations”
(1996)
LLP]
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
Email: firstfruitsoikos@gmail.
com
com
ISBN
981-05-2540-0
60 |
| 61
Robert Yeo
Routes: A
Singaporean Memoir
1940 – 75 (2011)
A record of growing
up in Singapore in the
period mentioned. Of
Peranakan heritage, Yeo
recalls colonial times in
the immediate post-war
era, school days and
university in Singapore,
studies in London and
work experiences in
Singapore and Bangkok.
His development as a
poet and playwright in
the 60s and 70s when he
witnessed epoch-making
events like the Vietnam
War and Singapore’s
separation from Malaysia,
is part of a narrative that
ripples to embrace self,
community, nation and
the world.
The Singapore
Trilogy (2001)
Pioneering plays that
openly address the
politics of dissent, long
before political dissent
became a theatrical norm
in Singapore. Beginning
with the first play, “Are
You There, Singapore?”
(1974), “One Year Back
Home” (1980) and
“Changi” (1997), follow
returned Singaporean
students as their lives
unravel when friendship
is tested by political
affiliations.
Robert Yeo is a poet, playwright, novelist, essayist
and recently, librettist. He has staged plays, edited
anthologies of Singaporean writing for general reading
and for schools, and written essays on cultural policy.
In 1978, he went to the International Writing Program,
University of Iowa. One of the pioneers of Singaporean
drama in English, Yeo chaired two committees on
theatre from the late 70s to early 90s, and was awarded
the Public Service Medal in 1991 for “services to
drama.” His political plays, “Are You There, Singapore?”
(1974), “One Year Back Home” (1980) and “Changi”
(1997), collected in The Singapore Trilogy (2001), have
been described as “seminal plays” in Singaporean
theatre. “Kannagi”, his short chamber libretto, with
music by John Sharpley, was performed in the Sri
Mariamman Temple (2010). Routes: A Singaporean
Memoir; 1940 - 1975, was published in 2011, and the
libretto/opera entitled “Fences” he
co-wrote with John Sharpley, is scheduled for
production in Singapore in August, 2012.
“This timely trilogy dramatises the politics of nationhood with
intelligence, honesty and courage.”
Leong Liew Geok, The Straits Times, July 14, 2001
“Brilliant play on freedom in fetters.”
Gerald Chuah, New Straits Times, 24 September 2003, on the
staging of “Changi” in Kuala Lumpur and Penang
Autobiography
Drama
b 1940
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
EMAIL
Ethos Books
Landmark Books
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6468 4771
Fax: (65) 6468 7427
com.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-7536-7
#04-38
Singapore 120106
Tel: (65) 6466 0443
Fax: (65) 6466 7630
net.sg
ISBN
981-306-550-8
[email protected]
Yeow Kai Chai
Yeow Kai Chai has two poetry collections, Pretend I’m Not
Here (2006), and Secret Manta (2001), which was adapted
from an entry shortlisted for the 1995 Singapore Literature
Prize. He has a Master’s degree in English Literature from
the National University of Singapore (NUS) where he took
First Prize in Poetry and Third Prize in Creative Prose for
two consecutive years (1990; 1991) in the annual Creative
Writing Competition organised by the NUS Literary Society.
His writing has appeared in international journals including
Ars Interpres and in an anthology like W.W. Norton’s
Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from
the Middle East, Asia, and Beyond (2008). He co-edited with
Edwin Thumboo Reflecting On The Merlion: An Anthology
Of Poems (2009). A music critic and former deputy editor of
Life!, The Straits Times, he is currently the English section
editor of MyPaper, Singapore’s first and only bilingual
freesheet. He also edits the short-story secton of the online
journal, Quarterly Literary Review Singapore
(www.qlrs.com).
Pretend I’m Not
Here (2006)
Secret Manta
(2001)
Thirty-two poems.
The book is a process
of grieving starting
with “Memento Mori”
(“Remember you shall
die” in Latin), the first
of 12 instalments. The
poems also ponder what
we are when we are alive
and take their cue from
popular cultural tropes,
from music to film to
television.
Thirty-two poems which
beseech the reader
not to glimpse, not
necessarily the poet’s
vision, but a vision:
to look at the core of
things and observe the
unspoken tensions that
hold our lives together;
and the image that
lifts them out of the
ordinary.
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
exodus LLP]
Landmark Books
“Inhabited by colourful characters and accompanied by a discordant
soundtrack, the book’s modernist universe is revealed through shifting
identities and points of narration… from ‘a Golden Tamarin’ and ‘a
meerkat standing erect on a tree stump’ to a ‘fly on the house’.”
Debbie Chia, “Identifying Absence” (www.qlrs.com), Vol 6 Issue 1 (Oct
2006)
“Yeow Kai Chai’s poetry is void of any pretension to centricity or
deference to roots made irrelevant in unevenly Westernised Singapore.”
Dr Gwee Li Sui, “The New Poetry of Singapore”; Sharing Borders:
Studies In Contemporary Singaporean-Malaysian Literature II ( 2009),
p 248
b 1968
Woodlands Central
Branch Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
gmail.com
www.
firstfruitspublications.
com
#04-38
Singapore 120106
Tel: (65) 6466 0443
Fax: (65) 6466 7630
net.sg
ISBN
981-3065-52-4
ISBN
981-05-6464-3
62 |
| 63
Chay Yew
Singaporean-born Chay Yew is a playwright and director
Yong Shu Hoong has published four books of poetry:
based in the United States. His plays include “Porcelain”
Isaac (1997), dowhile (2002), Frottage (2005), which
won the Singapore Literature Prize in 2006 together
(1992), “A Language of their Own” (1995), “Red” (1998), “A
Beautiful Country” (1998), “Wonderland” (1999), “Question
27, Question 28” (2003), “Vivien and the Shadows”, “A
Distant Shore” (2005) and “Visible Cities” (2008) which
Porcelain and
A Language of their
Own: Two Plays by
Chay Yew (1997)
Yew deftly investigates
artistic experience
and the immigrant
experience in “Red”,
“Scissors”, “A
Beautiful Country” and
“Wonderland.” The
individual plays were
nominated for the Outer
Critics Circle John
Gassner Playwriting
Award, the PEN/USA
Literary Award, and
the American Theatre
Critics/Steinberg New
Play Award.
Yew first brought his
startling and poetic voice
to stages across America
and abroad with these
two powerful, provocative
and award-winning
plays which explore the
battlegrounds, both
internal and external,
where matters of the
heart conflict with
barriers of race and
sexuality.
Drama
Drama
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
Grove Press
841 Broadway, New York
New York 10003, USA
ISBN
0-8021-3912-4
with Cyril Wong’s Unmarked Treasure, and From
Within the Marrow (2010). Yong’s poems have been
included in literary journals like Asia Literary Review
was commissioned for the Singapore Arts Festival. His
(Hong Kong) and Ars Interpres (Sweden), as well
other work includes “A Winter People” (2002) , adapted
as an anthology like Language for a New Century:
from Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard”, and an adaptation
The Hyphenated
American: Four
Plays by Chay Yew
(2002)
Yong Shu Hoong
of Lorca’s “House of Bernarda Alba” (2000). Yew wrote the
lyrics for the musical, “Long Season” (2005). Yew’s plays
have been produced and staged in the United States,
London and Singapore. “Porcelain” won the London
Fringe Award for Best Playwright and Best Play (1993).
Yew is a multiple award-winner for playwriting as well as
direction, for which he received an Obie award in 2007. He
has received the George and Elisabeth Marton Playwriting
Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia and
Beyond (2008). His freelance journalistic writings
have also appeared in My Paper, The Straits Times
and South China Morning Post. Aside from organising
readings in Singapore, including the monthly subTEXT
readings held from 2001 to 2008, he has been invited
to read at literary festivals and events in Malaysia,
Indonesia, Hong Kong, Australia, England, Ireland,
Denmark, Sweden and the United States.
Award for“A Language of their Own”, the Made in America
Award, the Robert Chesley Award and other honours.
Yew edited the 8-play volume, Version 3.0: Contemporary
From Within The
Marrow (2010)
Frottage (2005)
Thirty-five poems. Yong
laces the notion of time
elapsed and memories
gained with nostalgia,
humour and a renewed
curiosity at things made
strange by distance.
He contemplates time
and personal history
in terms of childhood
remembrances, ripples
upon the waters
he crosses and the
occasional ache in his
bones.
Forty-five poems where
the poet lets the edge
of poetry mark his
personalised impressions
of Australia. Do not
expect a collection that
seeks to challenge a
long-time resident’s
familiarity with the
terrain and local cultures.
His are etchings borne
from an outsider’s clarity
of observation and
oftentimes, reflections
sparked by a traveller’s
remembrance.
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
AWARDS
exodus LLP]
Prize (2006)
Woodlands Central
Branch Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
gmail.com
exodus LLP]
Asian-American Plays (2011). He is currently Artistic
Director of Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago.
English
AWARDS
“Porcelain” - London Fringe
Award for Best Play
“A Language of Their Own” –
George and Elisabeth Marton
Playwriting Award and the
GLAAD Media Award for
Best Play
Grove Press
841 Broadway, New York
New York 10003, USA
ISBN
0-8021-3500-5
b 1965
b 1966
ISBN
978-981-08-6033-2
Woodlands Central
Branch Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
gmail.com
ISBN
981-05-2889-2
64 |
| 65
Ovidia Yu
Ovidia Yu uses humour and storytelling to address
the changing roles and identities of women in
Singapore and the world. She believes that without
entertainment, there can be no engagement. Yu has
written prize-winning short stories, novels and over
30 plays, including “The Woman in a Tree on the Hill”
(1993) the only Singaporean play to win an Edinburgh
Fringe First, and “Hitting (On) Women” (2007) which
won The Straits Times Life! Theatre Award for Best
Ovidia Yu: Eight
Plays (2011)
An anthology of eight
plays written between
1992 and 2007, including
“The Woman In A Tree On
The Hill”, “3 Fat Virgins”,
“Breastissues” and
“Hitting (On) Women.”
Miss Moorthy
Investigates (1989;
rev. & repr. 2012)
Set in 1970s Singapore,
singer-schoolteacher
Miss Moorthy solves all
her students’ problems
with characteristic
aplomb… including
the murder of another
teacher.
Original Script that year. Ovidia Yu: Eight Plays
(2011) is her first collection. In her crime novel, Miss
Moorthy Investigates (1989; rev. 2012), a schoolteacher
becomes detective. Yu, who attended the University
of Iowa’s International Writing Program (1990/1991)
on a Fulbright Scholarship, received the National Arts
Council’s Young Artist Award (Drama and Fiction) and
the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(JCCI) Singapore Foundation Award in 1996, and the
Singapore Youth Award (Arts and Culture) in 1997.
She is currently writing a mystery novel set in 1920s
Singapore, supported by the NAC Arts Creation Fund.
Drama
Mystery
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
AWARDS
Edinburgh Fringe First for
“The Woman in a Tree
on the Hill” (1993)
Best Original Script for
“Hitting [On] Women”,
The Straits Times Life!
Epigram Books
#03-08
Singapore 318996
Tel: (65) 6292 4456
Email: enquiry@
epigrambooks.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-8468-0
66 |
books@jacaranda, llp
Jayapriya Vasudevan
331 River Valley Road
#09-03
Angsana Lobby 1
Yong Ann Park
Singapore 238363
Tel: (65) 9362 4559
Email: jay@jacaranda.
press.com
ISBN
981-3002-31-X
b 1961
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
ovidiahistorymystery.wordpress.com
Chew Kok Chang (周国灿)
(Zhou Can [周粲])
Chew Kok Chang has a Master’s Degree in Chinese
Literature from the National University of Singapore. He
was previously an Inspector of Schools in the Ministry
of Education and a lecturer at the National Institute of
Education. He received the National Book Development
Council of Singapore Award for Children’s Literature in
1976 for 写给孩子们的诗 [Poems for Children; 1974] and
its Poetry Award in 1980 for 捕萤人 [The Firefly Catcher;
1979]. His publications include 16 poetry collections;
19 collections of essays; four travel journals; eight
collections of short fiction; seven theoretical discussions
on Chinese Literature; three selections of mixed
published works; and 11 books for young readers. He
received the Cultural Medallion for Literature from the
National Arts Council in 1990. .
b 1934
WEBISTE
zhoucanshuzhuo.wordpress.com
周粲微型小说 (2004)
捕萤人 (1979)
[Short Stories of
Zhou Can]
[The Firefly
Catcher]
The colours of
contemporary life are
expressed in the fourteen
stories in this debut
collection. They focus on
diverse themes: religion,
Asian cultural values
which have been eroded
by modern globalisation,
love, and the sacrifices
one has to make in life.
Highly imaginative as
well as philosophical,
the 103 poems address
nature and life from
different perspectives—
those of philosophy,
life and death, and the
insights afforded by
travel.
Fiction
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
Lingzi Media Pte Ltd
NBDCS Award
(1980)
Blk 48 Toh Guan Road East
#06-106 Enterprise Hub
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
Educational Publications
Bureau
ISBN
ISBN
981-2157-21-X
06-0166-3
| 69
Chia Hwee Pheng (谢惠平)
(Xi Ni Er [希尼尔])
希尼尔微型小说
(2005)
[The Mini-Fiction of
Xi Ni Er]
The collection consists
of 52 mini-fictions
written over a span of
26 years, to reflect the
changes in the culture
and lifestyles of this
unique island.
轻信莫疑 (2001)
[Credulity Stretched]
Forty-six modern poems
written between 19882000. They address the
loss of traditional Chinese
culture and capture
emotional changes in
one’s daily life.
Chia Hwee Pheng, who writes under his pen name Xi Ni Er
(希尼尔), received the National Book Development Council of
Singapore Book Award in 1990 for his volume of poetry,
绑架岁月 [Kidnapping Times; 1989), and again in 1994 for his
collection of mini-fiction, 生命里难以承受的重 [The Unbearable
Heaviness of Life; 1992]. He was awarded the 2008 Singapore
Literature Prize for 希尼尔小说选 [Xi Ni Er’s Fiction; 2007],
the Cultural Medallion in 2008, and the Southeast Asia Write
Award in 2009. He has published three volumes of poetry,
including 轻信莫疑 [Credulity Stretched; 2001], and four
collections of mini-fiction, including 认真面具 [The Earnest
Mask; 1999]. He is currently the President of the Singapore
Association of Writers, and Chief Editor of the biannual
journal, 新华文学 [Singapore Chinese Literature].
“The author is a master craftsman in the experimentation of mini-fiction
writing. Each work is a further expansion of the threshold of the art
form. Besides being celebrated by readers for his keen observations,
his stories astutely chronicle both the light moments as well as the
difficult times in the forty over years of nation building. His works are
like colourful mosaics that form the fabric of the Singaporean collective
consciousness.” READ! Singapore Programme Committee (2005)
Chia Joo Ming
(谢裕民)
A graduate in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
Engineering of Singapore Technical Institute in 1979,
Chia Joo Ming is the Assistant Editor of the Lianhe
Zaobao Fukan Desk [联合早报副]. An award-winning
writer, his novel 归去来兮 [Return; 1989] was made
into a television drama series in 1999. He received
the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award
(Literature) in 1993. In 1995, he spent two months at
the International Writing Program of the University of
Iowa as an invited participant. 世说新语 [New Words
for Worldly Tales; 1994], a collection of short stories,
won the 2006 National Book Development Council of
Singapore Book Award for Fiction. Another collection,
重构南洋图像 [Reconstructing Nanyang; 2005] won the
2006 Singapore Literature Prize. He has two other
collections, 谢裕民短篇小说选 [Chia Joo Ming’s Short
Stories; 2008] and m40 (2009), which won
the Singapore Literature Prize in 2010.
m40 (2009)
“m40”, an abbreviation
for ”Man in his Forties”,
is a medium-length
novel. The novel strikes
a chord with middleaged men confounded
by the constraints of
life.
谢裕民短篇小说选
(2008)
[Chia Joo Ming’s
Short Stories]
A collection of 7
novelettes written from
1993 to 2004.
“The diversified expression of this collection is reflected in the effective
use of metaphor and symbolism. Dr H K Koh comments that the poet
has expressed ‘the calm inner feeling and thought, objectively and
implicitly through the poetic skill, and integrated with the fiction style of
magical realism…’ It sketches out the romantic spirit and sincere image
of the poet.” Shi Ming, from Literary Section (2001) of Lianhe Zaobao.
Transl by the author
Fiction
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
AWARDS
Selected for READ!
Singapore (2005)
Singapore Association of
Writers
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
ISBN
981-4157-18-X
70 |
13B Smith Street
Singapore 058927
Tel: (65) 9764 0610
Email: contact@
singaporewriters.org.sg
ISBN
981-04-2984-3
b 1957
b 1959
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
Prize (2010)
The Youth Book Company
Blk 231 Bain Street
#02-27 Bras Basah Complex
Singapore 180231
Tel: (65) 6337 9552
Fax: (65) 6336 9130
Email: youthbook@youthbook.
com.sg
Blk 231 Bain Street
Singapore 180231
Tel: (65) 6337 9552
ISBN
Fax: (65) 6336 9130
Email: youthbook@youthbook. 978-962-8958-96-2
com.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-3328-2
| 71
Chow Teck Seng
(周德成)
新加坡的99幅文学风
景: 新华新生代作品选
(2004)
[Singapore
Literature
Landscape 99]
A Chinese literary
landscape of the
Singaporean Y
generation, depicted by
the editors through the
works of 22 young writers
then aged between
20 and 35. Chow’s six
poems and two short
stories employ surrealist
techniques to structure
thoughts and reality in
words.
四书 — 四人札记
(1999)
[The Four Books]
This co-authored
book is one of the first
official publications
by the author. His
prose and short story
explore the themes
of love, existence,
death, separation
and life in the city of
Singapore. In “一场抒
情的邂逅” [“A Lyrical
Encounter”], Chow
uses a metafictional
technique, embedding
a love story in another
love story experienced
by the “author.”
Literary Prose Essays,
Fiction
Poetry, Fiction
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
Writers
13B Smith Street
Singapore 058927
Tel: (65) 9764 0610
Email: contact@
ISBN
981-05-0119-6
LANGUAGE
Li Long/ Singapore Literary
Society (L & C Technology
Trading)
15N Lim Tua Tow Road
Singapore 547751
Fortune Centre
190 Middle Road
#03-17/03-06
Singapore 188979
Tel: (65) 6333 3248
Fax: (65) 6333 3247
Chua Chee Lay
(蔡志礼)
Also known as Zhou Decheng (周德成), Chow Teck Seng
A third-generation Singaporean, Chua Chee Lay is a
specializes in modern Chinese poetry, although he
Chinese linguist, educational technology researcher
writes prose and short stories as well. He has a Master’s
and an award-winning poet. 月是一盏传统的灯
degree in Chinese Studies from the National University of
[Traditional Moon; 1992] won the 1994 National Book
Singapore and currently teaches in the National Institute
Development Council of Singapore Award for Poetry.
of Education, Nanyang Technological University. His
He is currently the Chair of the Writer-in-Residence
poem, “寻找一座组屋的导游“ [“In Search of an HDB Flat
Programme, a national creative writing programme for
Tour Guide“], won the 2005 Tertiary Literary Award for
students; a Mentor for the Creative Arts Programme
Poetry from the National University of Singapore and
(CAP) organised by the Ministry of Education Gifted
Nanyang Technological University. Another poem, “我和你
Education Branch, and the President of the Society for
的故事“ [“The Story of You and Me“], won the 2009 Golden
the Promotion of Young Writers. He chairs the Selection
Point Award for Poetry. He is an Executive Committee
Committee for the Singapore Literature Prize (Chinese
member of the Singapore Association of Writers. His
Section). He is Chief Editor of several books and series,
poems and short stories have appeared in the Chinese
press like Lianhe Zaobao and in various anthologies.
including 花园城市与水的神话：新加坡选 [Garden City
and the Myth of Water: Selected Works of Singaporean
Writers; 2010) and 青春文选：驻校作家计划学生作品集
[Journey of Our Young: Selected Works of the Creative
Writing Programme], published since 2009.
b 1973
EMAIL
[email protected]
b 1958
EMAIL
[email protected]
花园城市与水的神话：
新加坡文选 (2010)
[Garden City and the
Myth of Water:
Selected Works of
Singaporean Writers]
A showcase of the diversity
of multi-lingual writing in
Singapore. The works of
Cultural Medallion winners
- Edwin Thumboo, Wong Yoon
Wah, Xi Ni Er, Dan Ying and
Isa Kamari - and other leading
writers, including Chua Chee
Lay, Kirpal Singh, Quek Yong
Siu, Liew Kwee Lan, Koh Hock
Kiat and Lee Eng Lock, are
represented in 176 pages.
Most works were originally
written in Chinese, and others
are translated into Chinese by
Wong Yoon Wah, Li Ting Hui
and Chua Chee Lay.
Poetry and Fiction
LANGUAGE
Chinese, English and Malay
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
ISBN
978-981-08-6737-9
ISBN
981-04-0801-3
72 |
| 73
Koh Hock Kiat
(许福吉)
推开隔离门 (2001)
[Push the Isolation
Door Open]
绿叶开窗 (2000)
[Push the Green
Window Open]
A collection of essays
divided into four different
sections: Humanities,
Environmental
Protection, Metropolitan
Literature and the
Evolution of Society.
A collection of 75 poems,
divided into five sections
and covering tropical rain
forests, environmental
protection, nature and
man.
An Associate Professor in the School of Humanities
and Social Science, Nanyang Technological University,
Koh Hock Kiat is also the Director of its Confucius
Institute. He is the Vice-President of the Singapore
Association of Writers and Advisor to The International
Journal of Study on Modern Chinese Literature in
East Asia. With over 20 years of teaching experience
in the Chinese language, Koh is actively engaged in
promoting Chinese language, literacy and cultural
appreciation in Singapore and the region. He received
the Golden Lion Award [金狮奖] from Lianhe Zaobao in
1993 for ”绿色的宁静” [”Silent Green”], the Singapore
Federation of Chinese Clan Associations’ Literary Prose
Award [全国散文创作奖] in 1991 for
”茶与人生” [”Tea Life”], and the Singapore Teachers’
Writing Award [新加坡教师写作奖] in 1992.
Lee Guan Poon (李元本)
(Nan Zi [南子])
Lee Guan Poon received his Bachelor’s degree in
Chemistry from Nanyang University in 1969 and his
Master’s degree in Chinese Language and Literature
from Nanjing University in 2004. Nan Zi is one of the
pioneers of modern Singaporean literature. He started
writing modern poetry in the 60s and is an accomplished
poet with a unique style. Besides poetry, Nan Zi also
writes prose, short stories, essays and literary critiques.
He has 14 published works, including 南子文集 [Collected
Works of Nan Zi; 1995]. His poetry collections are as
follows: 夜的断面 [Cross Section of the Night; 1970],
苹果定律 [Law of The Apple; 1981], 生物钟 [The Biological
Clock; 1994], 南子短诗选 [Selected Poems of Nan Zi;
2002] and 打击乐器 [Percussion Instruments; 2010]. His
collections of essays include 南子小品 [Essays by Nan Zi;
打击乐器 (2010)
[Percussion
Instruments]
A collection of 112
modern poems written
between 1987 and 2005.
Themes addressed
include environmental
conservation, faith,
history, technology and
daily events.
南子评论集 (2003)
[Nan Zi’s Critiques]
A collection of Nan Zi’s
literary critiques from
1969 to 1997. These
pieces discuss the merits
of Singaporean authors
and their works.
1980], 八方风雨 [Storms from All Directions; 1985] and
南子杂文 [Nan Zi’s Assorted Works; 1995]. Short story
collections include 年岁的齿痕 [The Indentation of Age;
1987] and 惊鸟记 [Chronicle of A Startled Bird; 1997]. His
works have been published in two anthologies: 五月现代
诗选 [A Collection of Modern Poetry by the May Poetry
Society; 1989] and 佛教新诗选 [A Collection of
New Buddhist Poems; 1990].
Prose
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
Candid Creation Publishing
Writers
524 Kampong Bahru Road
#03-00
Singapore 099455
Tel: (65) 6273 7623
Fax: (65) 6275 6984
ISBN
981-04-9615-X
13B Smith Street
Singapore 058927
Tel: (65) 6783 8808
Fax: (65) 6766 5233
Email: contact@
b 1960
b 1945
EMAIL
WEBSITE
[email protected]
www.nanzi.wordpress.com
Poetry
Criticism
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
Grassroots Book Room
May Poetry Society
420 North Bridge Centre
#03-06
Singapore 188727
Tel: (65) 63774630
Fax: (65) 63774630
66 Bedok South Ave 3
#14-508
Singapore 460066
Tel: (65) 6444 7191
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-5993-0
981-04-8901-3
ISBN
981-04-1110-3
74 |
| 75
Lee Seng Chan (李承璋)
(Huai Ying [怀鹰])
半个月亮爬上来 (2007)
怀鹰小说选 (2007)
Ninety short stories
about various characters
from all walks of life in
Singapore.
Ten stories which give
different perspectives
on the changing society
of Singapore and the
conflicts within human
nature.
[The Crescent Moon
Arises]
[Short Stories of
Huai Ying]
A second-generation Singaporean of Fujian ancestry,
Lee Seng Chan is an established author of 23 books
which include novels, short stories, poetry, prose and
literary criticism. The awards he has received include
a Commendation Award from the National Book
Development Council of Singapore in 1990 for 南国的枫
叶 [The Maple Leaves of the Tropics; 1990], the Golden
Point Award (for short stories) in 1984,1985, 1986, and the
Arts Creation Fund from the National Arts Council in 2009
to write a novel, ”山路弯弯” [”Winding Mountain Path”].
Lee was the chief editor for various Chinese publications
such as 青年文艺 [Youth Literature], 新加坡文艺 [Singapore
Literature], 新城小小说 [Singapore Junior Short Stories]
and 新城小作家 [Singapore Junior Writers], and the online
portal of the Chinese daily, Lianhe Zaobao (www.zaobao.
com.sg). A former television drama scriptwriter, he was
part of the scriptwriting team for well-received television
series such as ”缘尽今生” [”Chronicle of Life”] and
”济公活佛” [”Legend of the Crazy Monk”]. He is a fulltime writer and an active member of both the Singapore
Association of Writers and the Singapore Literature
Society.
“The Crescent Moon Arises is Huai Ying’s fourth collection of short
stories, presenting a total of 90 of his works, alongside seven critical
essays. These short stories vary greatly in their subject matter,
showcasing the writer’s fantastical imagination and multi-faceted
writing techniques.” Fr back cover; transl by Kenny Ong
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
Feng Yun Publications
6001 Beach Road
#02-55 Golden Mile Tower
Singapore 199589
Tel/Fax: (65) 6291 0727
Blk 231 Bain Street
Singapore 180231
Tel: (65) 6337 9552
Fax: (65) 6336 9130
Email: youthbook@
youthbook.com.sg
ISBN
978-981-05-9470-1
ISBN
978-962-8958-97-9
76 |
Lew Poo Chan (刘宝珍)
(Dan Ying [淡莹])
Malaysian-born Lew Poo Chan graduated from National
Taiwan University, and received her M.A. from the University
of Wisconsin. She has taught at the University of California
(Santa Barbara), Nanyang University and the National
University of Singapore. She has published five volumes
of poetry. Her poems have been translated into English
for various anthologies like Twentieth-Century Chinese
Women’s Poetry: An Anthology (2009) and Memories and
Desires: A Poetic History of Singapore (1998). Her poetry
has been recognized by the many awards she has received.
They include two National Book Development Council
of Singapore Poetry Awards for 太极诗谱 [Poems of Taiji]
in 1980, and 发上岁月 [Time Passing through My Hair] in
1994; the Southeast Asia Write Award (1995), the Cultural
Medallion (1996), and the NUS-Montblanc Literary Award
(1998). 淡莹文集 [The Collected Works of Dan Ying] was
published in 1995. Contemporary critics like Julia Lin
and Kenneth Rexroth have placed her alongside 李清照
(Li Qingzhao) of the Sung dynasty, and 冰心 (Bing Xin) of
modern China as a major Chinese woman poet.
b 1943
EMAIL
EMAIL
WEBISTE
www.burmesehub.com/4
[Time Passing
Through My Hair]
Fourth book of poetry,
comprising 68 poems.
They include love
poems, social and
meditative lyrics, and a
variety of intellectually
intense but emotionally
accessible verse.
Distinctively again,
traditional forms and
styles are combined
with the new forms
created by modernist
poetry.
“Dan Ying is noted for her styles of sublimity and gracefulness because
she can write well both heroic verse and express the genuine woman’s
feeling with all its intimacy, delicacy, and immediacy.”
Li Yuanluo, “After Reading ‘The Great Conqueror of Chu’ and ‘Inside,
Outside of an Umbrella’ by Dan Ying, a Singaporean Woman Poet”,
Masterpiece Appreciation Magazine (Shanxi, China): Vol 39 (1995), p31
Transl by Wong Yoon Wah
b 1950
[email protected]
发上岁月 (1993)
[email protected]
太极诗谱 (1979)
[Poems of Taiji]
Third collection of
poems. More artistic
and innovative in form
and technique compared
with earlier work, the
100 poems combine
traditional forms and
styles with new forms
devised by modernist
poetry and applied to a
range of themes. Among
the most memorable
poems are those on Taiji
(the “Supreme Ultimate”),
where 42 short poems
explore philosophical,
metaphysical, religious
and ethical themes
in a less abstract and
personal manner than
earlier ones.
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
AWARDS
NBDCS Award (1994)
NBDCS Award (1980)
Seven Oceans Publication
Educational Publications
Bureau
112 Faber Terrace
Singapore 129066
Tel: (65) 6775 4668
Email: chslewpc@yahoo.
com.tw
ISBN
06-0151-3
ISBN
981-00-4550-6
| 77
Liang Wern Fook
(梁文福)
Liang Wern Fook is a writer, musician, educator and
MediaCorp Singapore for over 20 years, during which
a doctorate in Chinese Studies from Nanyang Technological
time she wrote more than 60 television drama series
University (1999) and graduated with top results in both the
with a team of writers. Many, like “美梦成真“
Chinese Studies, National University of Singapore (1988). He
[My Left Hand’s
Happiness]
A collection of 51 ministories written in a style
and tone with which
the author’s right hand
is unfamiliar. While
letting his right hand
feel surprised and even
shocked at what he has
written, the author is
undoubtedly very happy
with his reclaimed left
hand.
写一首歌给你：
梁文福词曲选集
(2004)
[A Song For You]
Comprising 41 of
Liang’s representative
song compositions, the
book reminisces about
the author’s works
of the past 20 years.
Scholars, musicians,
singers and writers
from Singapore,
Malaysia, China, Hong
Kong and Taiwan
dissect the author’s
works and delve into his
innermost thoughts.
Liew Kwee Lan was a scriptwriter and storyplanner at
researcher in Chinese literature and pedagogy. He obtained
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Department of
左手的快乐 (2006)
Liew Kwee Lan (刘桂岚)
(Ai Yu [艾禺])
[“Dream Come True”] and “福满人间“ [“Wok of Life”],
were nominated for and received Star Awards. The
was voted “Most Popular Writer” by Singapore students in
current Vice-President of the Singapore Association of
a 1990 poll organised by Lianhe Zaobao, the Chinese daily.
Writers, Vice-Secretary of the World Chinese Mini-Fiction
He has written over 200 musical compositions and songs,
Research Association, and member of the Overseas
some of which have been sung by Mandopop stars, and
Chinese Women Writers Association, she has published
published over 15 books. His collections of essays,
five books covering various genres. 婚姻同志 [Comrades
最后的牛车水 [The Last Years of Kreta Ayer; 1988]; poetry,
in Marriage; 1990) is a continuous short story, i.e.,
其实我是在和时光恋爱 [In Fact I am in Love with Time; 1989];
written by four people in continuity. 风云再起 [Revival;
and short stories, 梁文福的21个梦 [The 21 Dreams of Liang
1998) and 艾禺微型小说 [Ai Yu’s Mini-Fiction; 2004) are
Wern Fook; 1992] chronicle the changes in feeling and
expression brought about by peer pressure and the added
complexity of life in a post-modern society. Liang’s work
“bridges music and literature in the Singapore arts scene”
two collections of mini-fiction, while 妈妈的玻璃鞋 [Mum’s
Glass Shoe; 1998) and 镜子里的秘密 [The Secret in the
Mirror; 2006) are stories for children. Ai Yu is currently a
freelance writer.
镜子里的秘密 (2006)
艾禺微型小说 (2004)
A collection of 12
stories written for 12
to 13 year olds. The
magical encounters of
the children in the tales
touch on underlying
values, from the impact
of environmental
pollution to attitudes on
overcoming difficulties
and the need to work
hard to achieve one’s
goals.
A collection of 42
mini-fiction stories
encompassing human
relationships: love,
respect for one’s family,
parents and the elderly,
and the views of the
younger generation on
values in life. “最后一
束康耐馨” [“The Last
Carnation”] has won
considerable recognition
from academics and
web-users.
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
Selected for the National
Library Board’s READ!
Singapore (2006)
[The Secret in the
Mirror]
[Ai Yu’s Mini–Fiction]
(Kuo Pao Kun). He received the National Arts Council’s
inaugural Young Artist Award (Literature) in 1992, and
the Cultural Medallion (Music) in 2010. He is currently an
Associate Professor (Adjunct) in the Division of Chinese,
Nanyang Technological University, and the Language
Director for 学而优语文中心 [Xue Er You Language Centre].
b 1964
b 1956
Fiction
Musical compositions, with
commentaries by others.
EMAIL
WEBSITE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Global Publishing
5 Toh Tuck Link
Singapore 596224
Tel: (65) 6466 5775
Fax: (65) 6467 7667
ISBN
978-981-41-3954-0
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Global Publishing
5 Toh Tuck Link
Singapore 596224
Tel: (65) 6466 5775
Fax: (65) 6467 7667
ISBN
978-981-41-3921-2
[email protected]
www.sgwritings.com/335
www.sdl.sg/zh/b/80000679.html
EMAIL
[email protected]
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
ISBN
978-981-4243-18-6
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
ISBN
981-4157-19-8
78 |
| 79
Denon Lim Denan
(林得楠)
Denon Lim Denan started writing poetry as a teenager.
Subsequently, a submission of eight poems won him
Second Prize in the Golden Point Award in 2001. In
2003, he won First Prize in the Golden Point Award
with seven poems. He has published many collections
of poetry, including 梦见诗 [Poems in Dreams; 2005],
which was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature
世界上最美丽的女人
(2011)
[The Most Beautiful
Woman in the World]
A young boy is separated
from his mother in the
street. Fruitlessly, he
tries to find what in his
eyes is the most beautiful
woman in the world.
梦见诗 (2005)
[Poems in Dreams]
A collection of 60 Chinese
poems which address
not only dreams, but
also the current world
and its disorders, living
in Singapore and several
famous women from
ancient China like Hua
Mu Lan, Diao Chan and
Zhu Ying Tai.
Prize in 2006, 快乐王子 [Prince of Happiness; 2003]
and 玩具王国 [Prince of Toys; 2004]. He wrote 世界上最
美丽的女人 [The Most Beautiful Woman in the World;
2011]. Lim was news editor for Lianhe Zaobao from
1984 to 1994. He is currently the Executive Director and
Chief Editor of Lingzi Media Pte Ltd, a leading Chinese
publishing house in Singapore.
Lim Hung Chang (林汉精)
(Lin Gao [林高])
Lim Hung Chang is both a writer and a junior college
teacher. From 1992 to 1998, he served on the Executive
Committee of the Singapore Association of Writers; and
from 1998 to 2000, was its Vice-President. While holding
office for altogether eight years, Lim not only co-edited a
quarterly publication of short stories with three colleagues,
but also served as Chief Editor of two magazines devoted
to children’s literature: 萤火虫 [Firefly] and 百灵鸟 [Lark].
Together with a group of young writers, he initiated the
publication of two editions of 后来 [Afterwards], a literary
magazine. To date, Lim himself has published a total of nine
fictional and non-fictional works. They include 猫的命运 [The
Fate of the Feline; 1991]; 往山中走去 [Journeying into the
Mountains; 1992]; 被追逐的滋味 [Reflections of One Sought
After; 2000]; and 数字拼合人生 [Life in Numbers; 2003].
“Through lyrical and emotive prose, the author offers brand new
allegories, criticisms and observations about society and the various
dimensions of human nature.”
Prof Yue Hengjun, The Caged Heart, p 3. Transl by Peh Li Qi
林高卷 (2009)
[Lin Gao: A Selection
of Works]
笼子里的心 (1997)
[The Caged Heart]
The thematic flow of the
anthology mirrors that
of a coursing river, while
the form assumes that
of an exploration. The
source of a river is often
hard to find, and so too is
the source of humanity.
The author embarks on a
journey of discovery in 61
creative essays.
A collection of 45 short
stories which depict
the reality produced
by modern civilisation
and culture as always
being one step away
from absurdity. Modern
Man, trapped within
this cage of rampant
confusion, constantly
tries to break free. The
book encompasses the
author’s musings on this
age-old predicament.
Prose
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan
Blk 231 Bain Street
Singapore 180231
Tel: (65) 6337 9552
Fax: (65) 6336 9130
Email: youthbook@
youthbook.com.sg
97 Tank Road
Singapore 238066
Tel: (65) 6738 2691
(65) 6738 5686
Fax: (65) 6738 6937
Email: teochew@pacific.
net.sg
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-4495-0
981-3094-38-9
“... the author presents an attractive mode of living that is defined
primarily by freedom, and in doing so, not only offers the reader a way
of dealing with the fragmentation of modern life, but also showcases
the vibrancy of Chinese culture.”
Prof Lu Yuan, “文化与历史的对话” [“A Dialogue Between Culture and
History”], Reflections of One Sought After. (2000), p 225. Transl by Peh
Li Qi [Selection (2009) incorporates a considerable portion of Reflections
(2000)]
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
ISBN
978-981-08-8942-5
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
b 1963
WEBSITE
www.lingzi.com.sg
EMAIL
[email protected]
b 1949
WEBSITE
www.lingaounveiled.wordpress.com
ISBN
981-4157-58-9
80 |
| 81
Liw Pei Kien (刘碧娟)
(Liu Su [流苏])
Liw Pei Kien has an Honours degree in Chinese Studies
from the National University of Singapore and an MA
from Nanyang Technological University. She taught in
a junior college, worked as a Specialist writer in the
Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore, and
from 1994 to 2000, was a Curriculum Specialist in the
Language at Tampines Junior College. He has
a Master’s degree in Chinese Studies from the
National University of Singapore. His first volume
of poetry, 若是有情 [Love Hypothesis; 1994], was
followed by 用一种回忆拼凑叫神话 [Myths Recollected
from Memoir Fragments; 1996]. In 1999, he
of Education. She was a lecturer in Chinese Language at
received the National Arts Council’s Young Artist
Award (Literature). 众山围绕 [Surrounded by the
旷日情书 (2003)
[Letter of
Desolation]
the National Institute of Education from 2001-June 2011.
This book, comprising
selected prose written
between 1997 and 2009,
is divided into three
categories: creative
writings influenced
by and infused with
literary theories in
content and context;
memories, sentiments
and reflection; the
imagination in reading,
daily life and the
senses.
A series of 16 dialogues
with friends, nature,
loved ones and thinkers
from the past and the
modern era. Some are
written in the form of
letters or as a travelogue,
others are presented as
monologues.
Nanyang Technological University. She has published six
Prose
Prose
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
Blk 231 Bain Street
Singapore 180231
Tel: (65) 6337 9552
Fax: (65) 6336 9132
Email: youthbook@
youthbook.com.sg
#03-00
Singapore 099455
Tel: (65) 6273 7623
Fax: (65) 6275 6984
Email: enquiry@
candidcreation.com
Website: www.
candidcreation.com
978-981-08-4577-3
Henry Low Swee Kim is currently teaching Chinese
Curriculum Planning and Development Division, Ministry
流苏卷 (2009)
[Selected Writings
of Liu Su]
ISBN
Low Swee Kim,
Henry (刘瑞金)
She is presently a doctoral student in literary studies at
collections of essays: 人生是花 [Flowers Are Life; 1991],
真心如我 [As Sincere As Myself; 1994], 解读幸福的地图
[Deciphering the Map of Happiness; 1999], 流苏散文选集
[A Collection of Liu Su’s Prose; 2002], 旷日情书 [Letter of
Mountains], his first collection of essays, was
published in 2001. Low is a committee member of
the Singapore Association of Writers and the editor
of a number of publications, including 新华文学
[Singapore Chinese Literature], a half-yearly
众山围绕 (2001)
[Surrounded by the
Mountains]
A collection of 24 earlier
essays recording the
growth and development
of the author from
student to undergraduate
to the working world.
literary periodical.
Desolation; 2003], 流苏卷 [Selected Writings of Liu Su;
2009]; and 鬼迷心窍 [Love-Obsessed; 1996], a collection of
short fiction and mini-fiction.
b 1964
b 1971
用一种回忆拼凑叫神话
(1996)
[Myths Recollected
from Memoir
Fragments]
poems treating myths as
metaphors and reflecting
on the poet’s years as
an undergraduate, his
thoughts and memories
during his time as an
undergraduate in NUS,
the inner struggle of
men’s souls against
nature as well as man’s
affections for nature.
Prose
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
Writers
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
13B Smith Street
Singapore 058327
Tel: (65) 9764 0610
Email: contact@
ISBN
ISBN
981-00-8237-1
981-04-4478-8
ISBN
981-04-8606-1
82 |
| 83
Neo Choon Hong (梁春芳)
(Liang Yue [梁钺])
Neo Choon Hong was an Assistant Director with the
Ministry of Education and a Senior Lecturer in Chinese
Language at the National Institute of Education. His first
book of poetry, 茶如是说 [So Says Tea; 1984], won the
National Book Development Council of Singapore Book
Award in 1986. He went on to publish three more volumes:
浮生三变 [Three Vicissitudes in Life; 1997]; 梁钺短诗选
浮生三变 (1997)
[Three Vicissitudes
in Life]
A collection of 62
poems, written
over a period of 13
years. The profound
observations on social
life, history and culture
create a world of
poetry filled with rich,
powerful emotions
communicated in a
unique personal style.
茶如是说 (1984)
[So Says Tea]
A collection of 42
poems written before
1984, reflecting the
poet’s views on society,
history, culture and life.
Altogether a remarkable
presentation of the poet’s
sorrows and anxieties.
[Selected Verses By Liang Yue; 2002; a bilingual edition,
with English translations by 许志培等 [Xu Zhipei] et.al.]; and
你的名字 [Thy Name; 2011]. His research publication,
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
May Poetry Society
NBDCS Award (1986)
Blk 66 Bedok South Ave
#14-508
Singapore 460066
Tel: (65) 6444 7191
ISBN
981-00-9136-2
May Poetry Society
#14-508
Singapore 460066
Tel: (65) 6444 7191
ISBN
9971-84-015-4
drama. He collaborated with Alfian Sa’at on the multilingual play ”逃亡” [”Fugitives”; 2003]. His absurdist
play ”禁事不可考” [”Strange Fruit: Forbidden Access”;
2004], was followed by ”欲望岛屿” [”Pulau”], which was
staged twice (2005, 2006) and nominated for The Straits
Times Life! Theatre Awards (Best Original Script). His
book, 如果岛国, 一个离人 [If on an Island, a Wanderer;
2004], an exchange of letters co-authored with Quah Sy
Ren, was adapted into the play, ”A Stranger at Home”,
by Drama Box for the 2006 Singapore Arts Festival. He
war Singapore, and on 子夜 [Midnight], a novel by 茅盾 [Mao
has published a collection of essays, 查无此城 [No Such
Dun]. Neo’s poems are widely anthologised. “鱼尾狮“ [“The
City; 2007] and one of poetry, 冰封赤道 [Glacial Equator;
Merlion“], his most well known poem, is frequently cited in
2009]. Currently, he is doing a doctorate on Mainland
“The poet shows no interest in praising or describing the materialistic
culture of modern society.With his profound insights into life and his
unique feelings, the poet has painted a modern cityscape filled with
colours of sorrow.” Guo Hufen, 新马华文文学的现代与当代[The Modern
and the Contemporary in Singapore’s Chinese Literature; 2002), p 175.
Transl by Liang Xinyi
A graduate in Chinese Language and Literature from
Peking University, Ng How Wee had an early interest in
2009] presents studies on modern Chinese poetry in post-
“...the poet has shown considerable skill in writing in modern style…
This collection about personal friends, loved ones, the circumstances
of life and man’s response to nature is impressively put across in the
new style.” Selection Panel, NBDCS Book Awards (1986)
Poetry
(黄浩威)
文学的方向与脚印 [The Direction and Footprints of Literature;
local and regional research publications.
Ng How Wee
Chinese film and television drama at the School of
Oriental and African Studies, London.
“How Wee writes like a magician— his words are his props, and
his magic is like a theatre performance, full of wonderful and
intriguing surprises.” Quah Sy Ren, NTU Professor and Writer; fr
back cover. Transl by the author
查无此城 (2007)
[No Such City]
and 2009, covering
themes such as love,
friendship, existentialism
and sexuality, and with
forewords by Liang Wern
Fook, Quah Sy Ren and
Chua Chim Kang. The
poem ”我已床边静守一
夜--给Z” [“For Z”] was
made into a short film
(2009) by filmmaker
Loo Zihan.
A collection of 40 essays
on Singaporean society,
student days in Beijing
and travel experiences.
The book has received
critical reviews from
eminent figures like
filmmaker Royston Tan
and media professional
Danny Yeo.
Poetry
Prose
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
LLP]
Global Publishing
“How Wee’s writings are deeply thought-provoking and poetic. He
fills the reader with imagination and nostalgia.” - Royston Tan,
filmmaker; fr back cover
b 1950
b 1977
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
冰封赤道 (2009)
[Glacial Equator]
[email protected]
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: [65] 9873 0874
gmail.com
5 Toh Tuck Link
Singapore 596224
Tel: (65) 6466 5775
Fax: (65) 6467 7667
ISBN
978-981-41-3964-9
ISBN
978-981-08-3637-5
84 |
| 85
Pan Cheng Lui
(潘正镭)
Quah Sy Ren is a playwright and essayist. Plays
currently Editor of Shin Min Daily News. To date, he
written by him include “适度的梦“ [“Ample Blues“;
of essays, a collection of interviews and several literary
anthologies which he edited. 告诉阳光 [Tell It to the
Sun; 1982] won the 1984 National Book Development
(2006)
[I, A Poet at the
Crack of Dawn]
Fifty-five poems written
between 1998 to 2005.
A collection that delves
deep into the psyche
and beyond the exterior
manifestations of the
poet’s world.
交替时刻 (2006)
[The Hour of
Exchange]
A collection of 70 essays
and writings from 2001 to
2004 by a veteran editor
of the Chinese press.
The keen eyes of a media
veteran and the flair of
a poet have resulted in
a meditative collection
of writings about
Singaporean society and
its culture.
(柯思仁)
A graduate of Nanyang University, Pan Cheng Lui is
has published five volumes of poetry, two collections
天微明时我是诗人
Quah Sy Ren
1989; co-written with Tan Ing How]; “刺客、乩童、按摩
女郎“ [“The Assassin, the Medium and the Masseuse“;
1991; co-written with Tan Ing How]; “市中隐者“
[“Invisibility“; 1996); “骨骨“ [“Boner“; 2002]; “独在家乡
Council of Singapore Award for Poetry. His short story,
为异客“ [“A Stranger at Home“; 2006]; and “舞国女皇“
“沉船记“ [“Shipwreck“], garnered the Golden Lion
[“I Am Queen“; 2008; co-written with Liu Xiaoyi]. As a
Award [金狮奖] in 1979. Pan has moved across linguistic
published essayist, he has five collections under his
boundaries many times, to collaborate with composers,
name, including 梦树观星 [Dreaming and Gazing; 1996);
dancers and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, testing
and pushing the boundaries of various art forms.
如果岛国，一个离人 [If on an Island, a Wanderer ; 2004;
co-written with Ng How Wee]; and 思维边界 [At the Edge
of Thoughts; 2008]. His plays and essays have been
translated into English. He is currently an Associate
Professor in the Division of Chinese at the School of
Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological
市中隐者 (1996)
[Invisibility]
A poignant play about
alienation and the search
for meaning in modern
urban society—various
people on the margins
of society seek to
connect with others, in
juxtaposition with the
tale of a man searching
for the secret to make
himself invisible.
University. Quah received the Singapore Youth Award in
刺客、乩童、
按摩女郎 (1991)
[The Assassin, the
Medium and the
Masseuse]
A collection of four
plays: “The Assassin,
the Medium and the
Masseuse” (1991),
“Invisibility” (1996),
“Dragon Bone” (2002)
and “A Stranger at
Home” (2006).
1995 for his contributions to the arts and culture.
Poetry
Prose
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
All Publishing House
All Publishing House
Chew Wee Kai
Publisher
Chew Wee Kai
Publisher
United Square#03-25
101 Thomson Road
Singapore 307591
Tel: (65) 6255 5060
Fax: (65) 6255 5503
United Square#03-25
101 Thomson Road
Singapore 307591
Tel: (65) 6255 5060
Fax: (65) 6255 5503
ISBN
ISBN
981-05-5075-8
981-05-6202-0
86 |
b 1955
b 1964
WEBSITE
solidair23.blogspot.com
EMAIL
[email protected]
Drama
Drama
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
Ethos Books
65 Ubi Crescent
#06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: [65] 6468 4771
Fax: [65] 6468 7427
com.sg
Blk 231 Bain St
Singapore 180231
Tel: (65) 6337 9552
Fax: (65) 6336 9130
Email : youthbook@youthbook.
com.sg
ISBN
ISBN
981-04-3016-7
981-05-1023-3
| 87
Quek Yong Siu
(郭永秀)
Soon Ai Ling graduated from Nanyang University in
is the President of the Association of Composers (Singapore),
1971 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chinese Language
the May Poetry Society, the Bukit Timah Literary Club and
a member of the National Arts Council Advisory Panel.
[Moonlight
Serenade]
Forty-four poems
reflecting on the daily life
of Singaporeans in this
modern world. Plants,
flowers, and Housing
Development Board
(HDB) living are some of
the subjects featured.
筷子的故事 (1989)
[The Story of
Chopsticks]
Fifty-one poems
reflecting on the life of
the older generation of
Chinese who came to
Singapore from China.
They describe how these
immigrants merged into
the society and lived
harmoniously with other
races without losing their
own identity and tradition.
子的故事 [The Story of Chopsticks; 1989] which was Highly
Languages and Culture, National Institute of Education,
Commended in the 1990 National Book Development Council
of Singapore Awards, 月光小月曲[Moonlight Serenade; 1992]
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
May Poetry Society
Highly Commended,
NBDCS Book Awards (1990)
#14-508
Singapore 460066
Tel: (65) 6444 7191
ISBN
981-003511-X
May Poetry Society
#14-508
Singapore 460066
Tel: (65) 6444 7191
ISBN
981-00-0861-9
Nanyang Technological University. Her many books
include a short story collection, 绿绿杨柳风 [The Green
and 郭永秀短诗选 [Selected Short Poems of Quek Yong Siu;
Willow; 1988; 4th printing, 1997] an essay collection,
2002], 郭永秀短自选集—掌纹、筷子及月光 [Selected Poems of
水晶集 [Crystal Compilation; 1990] and a collection of
Quek Yong Siu; 2010], and 郭永秀创作歌曲集1—杨桃结果满山
岗 [Collection of Songs 1: Harvest Time; 2011]. His essays
are collected in 壁虎之恋 [The Romance of Gecko; 1989]
and music commentaries in 乐韵 [Remnant Rhyme; 2002].
In 2003, he received the Artistic Excellence Award from
COMPASS (Composers and Authors Society of Singapore) for
“Quek Yong Siu’s work has the most contemporary feel... From the
language to the theme, from the skills to the thought and content, all are
in Singapore style.” Dr Wong Yoon Wah
Chinese Literature from the University of Hong Kong.
She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Asian
“He has the power of observation, deep conscience, and also the third
eye - poetic eye. The presentation of images often gives people a sudden
surprise.” Xie Qing
Poetry
and Literature. She has a Diploma in Education from
the National University of Singapore and a Doctorate in
His volumes of poetry include 掌纹 [Palm Lines; 1983), 筷
his contributions to music.
(孙爱玲)
Writer, poet, music composer and conductor, Quek Yong Siu
a committee member of the Singapore Writers Association,
月光小乐曲 (1992)
Soon Ai Ling
b 1951
EMAIL
[email protected]
stories, [Allegorical Tales; 1990]. 碧螺十里香
[The Fragrance of Green Tea; 1985], won both the Golden
Lion Award [金狮奖] and the National Book Development
Council of Singapore Book Award in 1988 and 1989
respectively. 斑布曲 [Song of Ban Bu] took second prize in
the first Taiwan Overseas Chinese Magazine Literature
人也女也 (2007)
[Men and Women: A
Collection Of Short
Stories]
碧螺十里香 (1988)
[The Fragrance of
Green Tea]
The book is divided into
two parts; one for stories
of men and the other of
women. The stories are a
reflection on mankind’s
humanity and are set
in places the author is
familiar with: Beijing,
Guangzhou, Hong Kong
and Singapore.
short stories dealing
with facets of Chinese
culture. The awardwinning title story
traces its protagonist’s
life from a popular
opera performer to
mistress of the Tang
family and mother of six
stepchildren.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
Global Publishing Co Pte Ltd
Title story won the
Singapore Golden Lion
Award (1988)
NBDCS Book Award (1989)
for collection
Awards (1989). Soon’s novel 玲珑 [Exquisite; 1994],
won the award for the Best Overseas Chinese Fiction
organized by Shanghai 萌芽杂志 [Meng Ya magazine] in the
same year. Soon received the Southeast Asia Write Award
in 2004.
b 1949
5 Toh Tuck Link
Singapore 596224
Tel: (65) 6466 5775
Email: globalpublishing.
com.sg
Seng Yew Book Store
ISBN
978-981-4139-69-4
Blk 231 Bain Street
#01-15-17
Bras Basah Complex
Singapore 180231
Tel: (65) 6336 2447
ISBN
9971-52-095-8
88 |
| 89
Tan Chee Lay
(陈志锐)
An Assistant Professor of Chinese at Nanyang
Technological University and the Deputy Executive
Director of the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language,
Tan Chee Lay has a doctorate in Oriental Studies from
Cambridge. He has authored and edited almost 20
Tan Kee Yun is currently a journalist for The New Paper.
She was a commissioned columnist for Friday Weekly
from 1998 to 2000. Her published works include the
books. They include 彳亍成行 [Walking Slowly in Line;
狂想曲 [7-Eleven Fantasy; 2005].The latter was one of the
poetry, 1997]; 四书 [The Four Books; a collection of
剑桥诗学 (2010)
[Cambridge Poetics]
A collection of 47 poems
written in, at, about,
and for Singapore and
Cambridge, UK, the
university town that has
become significantly
associated with modern
Chinese poetry owing to
徐志摩 [Xu Zhimo], the
renowned Chinese poet
who studied in King’s
College in the 1920s.
黄色雨衣 (2006)
[The Yellow
Raincoat]
The 17 essays in this
collection, including
many award-winning
pieces, encapsulate
the important spatial
landmarks in the writer’s
life. Presented as a
timeline, such landmarks
include rich childhood
experiences in postindependence Singapore,
undergraduate days in
Taipei, as well as his
backpacking tours and
official trips to different
parts of the world.
Poetry
Essays
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
exodus LLP]
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: [65] 9873 0874
gmail.com
Post Office
P O Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: [65] 9873 0874
gmail.com
90 |
Tan Kee Yun (陈其昀)
(Han Han [函函])
collection of essays, 彩虹的另一端 [The Other Side of the
Rainbow; 2002], and a short story collection, 7-Eleven
books selected for the National Library Board’s READ!
essays, 2000]; 陈志锐诗选 [A Poetry Collection by Tan
Singapore in 2005. Her second collection, 抢救偶像 [Saving
Chee Lay; 1999]; 隔岸观我 [Looking at Myself from
the Icon], was published in 2006. A rock music buff, she
blogs occasionally about her favourite genre, heavy metal,
Across the Banks; 2000]; 造剑地 [Where Swords are
Forged; 2000]; 老师的作业本 [Sir’s Homework; 2004) 黄色
and composes her own songs.
雨衣 [The Yellow Raincoat; 2006); 散文：陈志锐卷 [Essays
of Tan Chee Lay; 2009]; and 剑桥诗学 [Cambridge
Poetics; poetry, 2010). He received the Young Artist
Award from the National Arts Council in 2004 and the
Singapore Youth Award (Arts and Culture) from the
National Youth Council in 2006.
“... his memory is more geographic than biographic: there is
a sharp eye for details of shops, houses, food, games, and the
minutiae of life…Although he travels widely, he always returns
home. Indeed, many of the essays written in other cities can be
understood as an attempt to experience the local all over the
world …” James St André, “After reading ‘The Yellow Raincoat’”,
The Yellow Raincoat, p 8
Seven stories,
addressing themes of
family, rebelliousness,
first loves and
loneliness. In this
collection, the author
delves into the lives of
teenage groupies who
spare no effort just
to get up close and
personal with their
singer idol, a tomboyish
female footballer who
harbours a secret crush
on her male teammate,
as well as a quiet,
anti-social girl who
seeks solace among
strangers in Internet
chat rooms.
7-Eleven狂想曲
(2005)
[7-Eleven Fantasy]
Six stories, revolving
around the lives of
teenagers struggling to
fit into cliques and to find
their place in society.
Inspired by the author’s
personal observations
as a student in junior
college, the different
scenarios presented, for
example, dealing with
weight issues, crumbling
under the demands and
expectations of one’s
parents, will no doubt
resonate deeply with the
young in Singapore.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
exodus LLP]
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
ISBN
ISBN
981-4200-33-6
981-4257-64-3
ISBN
ISBN
981-05-1818-8
EMAIL
[email protected]
b 1982
[Saving The Icon]
978-981-08-6034-9
b 1973
抢救偶像 (2006)
EMAIL
[email protected]
| 91
Tan Swie Hian
(陈瑞献)
陈瑞献寓言 (1996)
[Tan Swie Hian
Fables]
The book is about the
realities of beings and
their respective worlds.
A few fables show the
influence of an ancient
lineage, the rest opening
a splendid new vista of
the genre to the reader.
The 100 fables are visions
captured during the
fabulist’s long walks in
his secret garden (Ist
ed. illustrated with the
poet’s photographs; other
editions with the poet’s
drawings).
巨人 (1968)
[The Giant]
The first volume of
modernist Chinese
poetry in the history
of Singaporean and
Malaysian Chinese
literature. In 1967, 梁明
广 [Leang Meng Kwang],
editor of the literary
supplement of 南洋商
报 [Nanyang Siang Pau]
launched the Modernist
literary movement and
featured Tan Swie Hian
as its first contributing
poet. The poet’s preface
to The Giant serves
as the manifesto of
the movement. The
38 poems, drawn
mostly from Leang’s
supplement, address
the inner and outer
realities characteristic of
Modernism.
Fable
Poetry
LANGUAGE
English and Chinese;
Transl.into French,
Romanian, Indonesian and
Malayalam.
AWARDS
The Marin Sorescu
International Poetry Prize
(1999)
524 Kampong Bahru Rd.
#03-00
Singapore 099455
Tel: (65) 6273 7623
Fax: (65) 6275 6984
Email: guixiang@
candidcreation.com
LANGUAGE
Chinese
May Publishers
ISBN
Nil
Teoh Hee La
(张曦娜)
A quadrilingual [Chinese, English, French, Malay] graduate
of Nanyang University who majored in English Language
and Literature, Tan Swie Hian was the driving force behind
Teoh Hee La is a senior correspondent with the Chinese
the Chinese Modernist literary movement launched by
Leang Meng Kwang in 1967 on the Singapore / Malaysian
Chinese literary scene. An author of 55 published titles
in poetry, fiction, essays, and criticism, Tan has also
translated literary works from the Western canon into
Chinese. The numerous national and international awards
conferred on him include the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts
et des Lettres (1978); the Cultural Medallion (1987); the
Marin Sorescu International Poetry Prize (Romania; 1999);
1990 and 1994, her novels 变调 [Change] and 大姑速写
the Meritorious Service Medal (2003); an Honorary Doctor
of Letters from Nanyang Technological University (2003);
the World Economic Forum Crystal Award (Davos; 2003)
and the Officier de l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur
(2006). Besides being an author, Tan is also a celebrated
multi-disciplinary artist involved in painting, sculpture,
calligraphy, photography, songwriting, printmaking,
costume and set design, environmental and performance
art, and seal engraving.
newspaper 联合早报 [Lianhe Zaobao]. She has won
12 prizes in short story competitions in the region. In
[Sketches of Singapore Women] won the National Book
Development Council of Singapore Book Awards. She
was also awarded the Golden Lion Award [金狮奖] by
Lianhe Zaobao in 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1991 for her short
stories. She received the Southeast Asia Write Award in
2000. Teoh has nine published works of both fiction and
non-fiction, including 镜花 [Flowers in the Mirror; 1994];
客答问 [Q&A with Outstanding Authors; 1994]; 掠过的
风 [The Wind Blows; 1987] and 张曦娜卷 [Zhang Xi Na’s
Prose: A Collection; 2009].
张曦娜小说选 (2007)
[The Short Stories
of Zhang Xi Na: A
Collection]
A collection of nine
stories which trace
the changes and
evolving structures of
traditional Chinese
culture and psychology
in contemporary
society. The stories
also delve into the
declining standard of
the Chinese language in
the education system in
1980s and 1990s.
“Tan Swie Hian gives us a collection of crystals and mica sheets
engraved with words. And these words and sentences are a summary
of his condensed lyrical and philosophical insights.” Romanian poet
Marin Sorescu, Tan Swie Hian Fables; English/French Ed, 1996; p III
b 1943
WEBSITE
www.tanswiehian.sg
EMAIL
[email protected]
EMAIL
[email protected]
Fiction
LANGUAGE
Chinese
and
Blk 231 Bain Street
Singapore 180231
Tel: (65) 6337 9552
Fax: (65) 6336 9130
Email: youthbook@
youthbook.com.sg
ISBN
962-8958-92-5
Mingpao Publishers
[明报出版社]
Block A 15/F
Ming Pao Industrial Centre
18 Ka Yip Street
Chai Wan
Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 25953111
Fax: (852) 28982696
Website: www.mingpao.com
ISBN
978-981-05-9088-8
92 |
| 93
Tham Yew Chin (谭幼今)
(You Jin [尤今])
You Jin has no fewer than 155 titles under her name:
novels, essays, travelogues, collections of short stories,
essays and articles published in Singapore, China and
Taiwan. Such is her following in China that the You
Jin Research Centre was set up in 2000 by Chongqing
University. Funded by the University, the Centre carries
out research on her works as well as on Chinese writers
from Southeast Asia. In Singapore, her books are used
走路的云 (2011)
[Walking Clouds]
This book consists of
66 short essays which
previously appeared
in Lianhe Zaobao, the
Singapore Chinese
daily. They are grouped
into four sections: love
and friendship; stories
on food; students and
education, and stories on
travel.
螃蟹爬上树 (2009)
[The Crab that
Climbed the Tree]
Twenty-two articles
previously published
in Lianhe Zaobao, the
Chinese daily. Through
food, You Jin shares her
philosophy of life with her
readers. They are written
in a very warm style.
Twenty-two matching and
easy-to-follow recipes,
all her own, are included
for readers interested in
cooking.
as school texts. 伤心的水 [The Sad Water; 2002], her
collection of short stories, was translated into Bahasa
Indonesia in 2007. 尤今小说选 [A Collection of You Jin’s
Novels; 2008], comprising six of her novels, was a
featured book for READ! Singapore (2009). She was the
first recipient of the inaugural Singapore Chinese Literary
Award (1991) from the Singapore Literature Society, as
well as the Mont Blanc – NUS Centre for the Arts Literary
Award (1996). She received the Cultural Medallion in 2009.
“You Jin shares lots of life experiences and philosophy with readers
through the book. The recipes provided enhance the practical value
of the book.” Teoh Hee La, “Merging Literature with Good Food”,
Lianhe Zaobao, 17 Feb 2009. Transl by the author
Ting Kheng Siong
(郑景祥)
Ting Kheng Siong graduated from the National University
of Singapore with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chinese Studies.
His poems have been selected by the Ministry of Education
as teaching materials. Ting has won several international
writing awards, such as the 2001 World Chinese Literary
Reports Writing Competition for “探访一座城市的酒量“
[“Investigation into the Alcohol Contents of a City“], the
2001 Lycos Asia Chinese Creative Writing Competition for
his short story, “父亲的距离“ [“Father’s Distance“], and
the 2003 ASEAN Youth Short Story Writing Competition
for “2288”. Ting is currently the Vice-President of the
Singapore Association of Writers. His published works
include a volume of poetry, 三十三间 [Room for Thirty-
three; 2004]; a book of traditional riddles, 谜岛众生 [Beings
from the Riddle Island; 2006], and a collection of essays,
忘了下山 [The Mountain Forgets; 2010], which was one of
忘了下山 (2010)
[The Mountain
Forgets]
三十三间 (2004)
[Room for
Thirty-three]
This book consolidates
some of the author’s
finest award-winning
essays and those
published in newspapers
or literary journals.
These articles chronicle
the author’s childhood,
friendships, loves and
dreams.
This is a poetry
collection with a total of
33 poems selected from
various works written
between 1999 and 2003.
The poems are divided
into four sections
according to themes:
the forgotten past;
the heart in pain; the
backlane of civilisation;
and history awakened.
Prose
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
Selected for READ!
Singapore (2010)
Global Publishing
the texts selected for the National Library Board’s READ!
Singapore (2010). He received the National Arts Council’s
Young Artist Award for Literature in 2007.
“This book consists of 66 very touching short stories that reflect You
Jin’s colourful life in travelling and teaching.“ Chua Chee Lay, “Listen
to the Clouds”, Lianhe Wanbao, 20 Nov 2010. Transl by the author
Prose
Prose
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
Global Publishing
48 Toh Guan Road East
#06–106,
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
Email: [email protected].
sg
5 Toh Tuck Link
Singapore 596224
Tel: (65) 6466 5775
Fax: (65) 6467 7667
ISBN
978-981-08-7133-8
ISBN
978-981-283-989-3
b 1950
EMAIL
[email protected]
b 1971
EMAIL
[email protected]
Global Publishing
Sophia Tan Waln Ching
Marketing Executive
5 Toh Tuck Link
Singapore 596224
Tel: (65) 6466 5775 ext 413
Fax: (65) 6467 7667
Sophia Tan Waln Ching
Marketing Executive
5 Toh Tuck Link
Singapore 596224
Tel: (65) 6466 5775 ext 413
Fax: (65) 6467 7667
ISBN
981-4139-23-8
ISBN
978-981-4261-97-5
94 |
| 95
Wang Wenxian
(王文献)
Wang Wenxian is a graduate of Nanjing University.
She moved to Singapore in 1997. A secondary school
Chinese teacher, she is the Secretary of the Singapore
Writers Association, an appointed writer for the Ministry
爱城故事 (2009)
A book about how a group
of students, together with
their teacher, experience
some 600 days in a
beautiful secondary
school. It is mainly
focused on the interesting
stories that take place
over that period of time,
and the need to “dare to
dream, dare to try.”
Twenty-nine short stories
covering a Singapore
secondary school
student’s life, including
his studies, friendships,
overseas volunteer stint,
and other activities. The
stories also illustrate
moral and traditional
values. Readers will
appreciate the beauty of
the Chinese language
and learn new words
which will help them to
improve their mother
tongue.
Young Adult Fiction
Young Adult Fiction
[Story of Iowa]
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
AWARDS
Selected for READ!
Singapore (2009)
Literature Prize, 2010
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-4243-77-3
978-981-4243-78-0
(黄展鸣)
Wee Tian Beng is the writer/ self-taught artist of the
The Celestial Zone Series (4 Series). He is the Founder
of TCZ Studio and The Comics Society of Singapore. In
1993, with his manga, Astronautics, Wee became the
of Education Author-in-Residence Programme [驻校作
first full-time Singaporean manga artist to break into
家计划] and an Associate Writer of the Beijing College
the Taiwan and Hong Kong manga market. He is the
of Liberal Arts. Her articles have appeared in Chinese
追梦的翅膀 (2009)
[Dreams on Wings]
Wee Tian Beng
newspapers as well as in 新华文学 [Singapore Chinese
Literature], and various literary publications in China.
She writes mostly young adult fiction, cultural criticism,
and self-help articles. Her essays and articles are read
and taught in schools. Her published work includes the
short story collections, 丁香初恋 [First Love Clove; 2005],
追梦的翅膀 [Dreams on Wings; 2009], 爱城故事 [Story of
Iowa; 2009], 能说的秘密 [The Spreadable Secret; 2010],
and a collection of essays, 温柔的慈悲 [Gentle Mercy;
2009].
b 1968
WEBSITE
Wenxianwx.blog.sohu.com
EMAIL
[email protected]
first manga artist in Singapore to have his full manga
series distributed worldwide. Such is the popularity of
his manga that it has been translated into Simplified
Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, French, Spanish,
Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, Japanese and Korean.
He has created more than 160 volumes of manga (and
almost 100 merchandising products from them). Wee
received the Asia Manga Prestigious Award at the Asian
Manga Summit held in Seoul in 1997.
b 1966
WEBSITE
Celestialzone.com
EMAIL
[email protected]
天界无限 X (2010)
[The Celestial
Zone X ]
天界无限 21 (2006)
[The Celestial Zone
21 ]
In the ancient East, a
group of people devote
themselves to The Way
of Nature. Through strict
spiritual and physical
training, they are able
to draw and manipulate
unlimited power
from the surrounding
environment.They dwell
in a realm that differs
from the norm, and they
name their domain
the Celestial Zone.
In the 21st Century,
people who possess
extraordinary powers
arrive in the Lion City
Singapore.They are
the people of Infinite
potential. A new
emergence of Super
Power capabilities in
a cool All-New Super
Powers Action Comics.
Manga
Manga
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English, Chinese
English, Chinese
AWARDS
Asia Manga Prestigious
Award, 1997
TCZ Studio Pte Ltd
TCZ Studio Pte Ltd
623 Aljunied Rd
#03-04B
Aljunied Ind Complex
Singapore 389835
Tel: (65) 6748 6778
Fax: (65) 6748 0086
Email: tczstudio@pacific.
net.sg
623 Aljunied Rd
#03-04B
Aljunied Ind Complex
Singapore 389835
Tel: (65) 6748 6778
Fax: (65) 6748 0086
Email: tczstudio@pacific.
net.sg
ISBN
981-4169-72-2
ISBN
981-4213-82-9
96 |
| 97
Wong Meng Voon (黄孟文)
(Meng Yi [孟毅])
Wong Meng Voon was an academic and is a writer of fiction,
with over 11 collections of short stories and mini-stories
黄孟文微型小说自选集
(2008)
[Wong Meng Voon’s
Mini-Stories]
This book contains the
gems of Wong Meng
Voon’s mini-stories (also
known as micro-novels)
& 2008. There are 51
mini-stories - realistic,
romantic, fabulistdevoted to Singaporean
and international
topics like “永远的均势”
[“Eternal Balance”] and
“立万病毒” [“The Virus of
Li-wan”].
新加坡华文文学史初稿
(2002)
[The History of
Singapore Chinese
Literature]
(co-edited with Xu
Nai Xiang)
The book depicts
the literary movements,
accomplishments &
literary activities of
Singapore’s Chinese
writers from 1919 to
1997.
Fiction
Literary History
(王润华)
Malaysian-born Wong Yoon Wah was Professor and
Head of the Department of Chinese Studies at the
to his name. His books include 再见惠兰的时候 [When I Met
National University of Singapore before he retired in
Hui Lan Again; 1969), Glimpses of the Past (translated into
English by the author himself, 1981; and into Tagalog by
2003. He joined Yuan Ze University (Taiwan) in 2003,
Rustii Caspio, 1989), and 黄孟文微型小说 [Wong Meng Voon’s
Social Sciences, and Head of Chinese Linguistics and
Mini-Stories; 2004]. He has published thousands of essays
and academic research papers, and compiled or edited
Literature from 2003 to 2006, when he became Faculty
several anthologies. His co-edited 新加坡华文文学史初稿
[The History of Singapore Chinese Literature; 2002] was
the first, and still is, the only “literary history” of its kind
in Singapore. Wong received the Translation Prize (1978)
for the manuscript of Glimpses from the National Book
Development Council of Singapore; the Cultural Medallion for
Literature (1981); the Southeast Asia Write Award (1981) ; and
the Lifetime Achievement Award for Mini-stories from China
(2008). He was recently given another Lifetime Achievement
Award [小小说创作终身成就奖; 2011] in Zhengzhou, China.
“He has made outstanding contributions to the development and
achievement of Chinese literature in Singapore.”
Yong Mei Mei, “On Wong Meng Voon’s Mini-Stories” [BA Dissertation for
Singapore Inst of Management Univ], fr abstract. Transl by the author
Wong Yoon Wah
b 1937
serving as Dean of the College of Humanities and
Professor and Director of International Language and
Culture. A veteran writer who has won many literary
awards including the Southeast Asia Write Award (1984),
the Cultural Medallion (1986), and the ASEAN Cultural
Award for Literature (1993), Wong’s creative works
are in prose and poetry. They include Beyond Symbols
(1984), 榴梿滋味 [Taste of Durian; 2003], 热带雨林与殖民地
[Tropical Rainforest and British Colony; 1999; an English
version, The New Village, is in press] and 人文山水诗集
[Cultural Landscape; 2005]. Wong is a scholar of Chinese
literatures and comparative literature.
“This verse collection offers stark, startling insights into the human
situation through the poet’s identification with non-human objects….
In general, Beyond Symbols succeeds in representing Wong at his
best - as a poet who merges into the plants he tries to capture,
but eventually who is captured by them.” Isagani Cruz, “Poetry of
Plants”, Asiaweek (17 May1986), p 57
b 1941
WEBSITE
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement
Award for Mini-Fictions
(2008), jointly from the
World Chinese Mini-fiction
Research Association, China’s
Mini-fiction Association,
and the Shanghai Literature
Publishing Co.
Shanghai Literature
Publishing Co
Jia Zong
74 Shaoxing Road
Shanghai 200020
China
Tel: (021) 6433 2659
Fax: (021) 6474 0676
National University of
Singapore & Global
Publishing
Prof Phua Kok Khoo
Chairman
5 Toh Tuck Link
Singapore 596224
Tel: (65) 6466 5775
Fax: (65) 6467 7667
Email: kkphua@wspc.
com.sg
cl.hs.yzu.edu.tw/wyw
EMAIL
[email protected]
热带雨林与殖民地
Beyond Symbols:
Selected Poetry
of Wong Yoon Wah
(1984)
As the title indicates,
this is a collection
of 53 poems on the
rainforest and British
colonies during the
1950-1960 period in
Southeast Asia. The
fascinating, lyrical and
symbolic images vividly
bring historical events
and landscapes to life,
revealing the suffering
of colonised people
and the secret life of
tropical plants.
A selection of 87 poems
dealing with the nature
of plants, trees and other
objects commonly found
in ASEAN countries.
Written with startling
imagery, in a language
rich in meaning and
cadences, and with a
powerful lyricism, the
poems are considered
indigenous works
of Southeast Asia.
The poem “ Shadow
Show” is considered by
Kirpal Singh to be “a
multicultural product of a
multi-racial society.”
(1999)
[Tropical Rainforest
and British Colony]
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
English
Writers
Writers
13B Smith Street
Singapore 058927
Tel: (65) 9764 0610
(65) 9654 0417
Email: contact@
13B Smith Street
Singapore 058927
Tel: (65) 9764 0610
(65) 9654 0417
Email: contact@
ISBN
ISBN
981-04-0833-1
9971-84-034-5
ISBN
1-879771-67-5 (pbk)
ISBN
978-7-5321-3427-4
98 |
| 99
Wu Yeow Chong,
Gabriel (吴耀宗)
Gabriel Wu Yeow Chong is an academic, poet and fiction
writer. He has a Doctorate in Chinese Literature from
the University of Washington in Seattle. Wu taught for a
few years in the National University of Singapore before
joining the City University of Hong Kong in 2006 as an
assistant professor. He has published three collections of
poems: –心軟 [Tender Heart; 1988],
半存在 (2008)
火般冷 (2002)
[A Half-Existence]
[Cold As Fire]
A collection of poems
written between 1995 and
2007 that are intensely
lyrical, yet simultaneously
calm in contemplating
the shape and meaning
of being. The poet
questions what have been
considered inevitable or
contingent in daily life
and human relations, and
unveils the reality of logic
and the absurdity of life
as one inseparable unity.
A collection of 27 stories
that challenge the
hackneyed expression of
micro-fiction within the
Chinese literary circle.
It breathes new life into
the sub-genre with its
themes and a unique,
forceful style.
孤獨自成風暴 [When Loneliness Becomes A Storm; 1995]
and 半存在 [A Half-Existence; 2008], which won the 2010
Singapore Literature Prize. He also has two collections
of short stories and micro-fiction, 人間秀氣 [Delicacy;
1990] and 火般冷 [Cold As Fire; 2002]. Wu has received
various awards, including First Prize in the 1994 ASEAN
Youth Literary Awards and the Young Artist Award (1998)
from the National Arts Council.
Yap Koon Chan (叶昆灿)
(Luo Ming [骆明])
.
Better known by his pen name of Luo Ming, Yap Koon Chan
was the Principal of Catholic High School for 10 years. For
the past 28 years, he has been President of the Singapore
Literature Society. He founded the ASEAN Literature Camp
in 1988 to promote ASEAN Literature, and set up intercultural exchange programmes with China to promote
Chinese Singaporean Literature. In recognition of his
contributions. Yap has received awards from Thailand and
the Philippines, and an Intercultural Literature Relations
Award from the Beijing TV and Broadcasting station. He
has published altogether 23 works, primarily essays,
travelogues and critiques. They include 东南亚—另一片华文文
学天空 [Southeast Asia Critiques; 1999], 文化传承－教育杂谭
[Cultural Heritage; 2001], essays on education;
骆明散文选 [Selected Essays by Luo Ming; 2003],
乱想及其他 [Runaway Thoughts; 2005], and 过去的日子
骆明散文选 (2003)
[Selected Essays by
Luo Ming; 2003]
A collection of over
120 essays. They include
essays on his travels
in the United States,
Europe, China and
Australia, recollections
of early authors, his
teacher, friends and
family.
[Bygone Days; 2010].
东南亚—另一片华文文
学天空 (1999)
[The Heart of ASEAN
Chinese Literature –
Our Own]
This book represents
Luo Ming’s critiques
on ASEAN Chinese
Literature with reference
to Singapore, Malaysia,
Thailand, the Philippines,
Indonesia and Brunei,
and in the region as
a whole.
“The deepest impression of Luo Ming’s ‘My Journey’ is that his writing
style is very compact, which is unlike other authors who are very
long-winded in writing travelogues.” Xiao Ziyun, Luo Ming’s Thesis of
Findings (2007), p 221. Transl by Yap Lee Yee
“In the past few years, we have a writer-cum-researcher, Mr. Luo Ming,
who has done a lot of research work on Southeast Asia. His works are
also very worth reading and must not be missed.” Zhuang Zhongqing,
Thesis of Findings (2007), p 185. Transl by Yap Lee Yee
Poetry
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
Prize (2010)
Youth Literary Book Store,
Hong Kong
2B, 214-216 Johnson Rd
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel/Fax: (852) 2891 6932
万卷楼图书股份有限公司
Wan Juan Books Pte Ltd
41 Roosevelt Road
Section 2, 6F-3, Taipei City
Tel: (886) 02 23216565
Fax: (886) 02 23944113
ISBN
968-8158-39-2
b 1965
WEBSITE
www2.ctl.cityu.edu.hk/sjs/wu.html
b 1935
Essays, Prose, Travelogues
Criticism
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
Singapore Literature Society
Society
Singapore 547751
Tel: (65) 6280 4630
Fax: (65) 6280 4630
ISBN
981-04-8965-X
Singapore 547751
Tel: (65) 6280 4630
Fax: (65) 6280 4630
ISBN
Nil
ISBN
978-957-739-623-5
100 |
| 101
Yeng Pway Ngon
(英培安)
Yeng Pway Ngon is a poet, novelist, playwright and critic
who has published 25 books: five novels, two collections
of short stories, three volumes of poetry, two collections
of stage plays, 11 volumes of essays and a collection
each of social critiques and literary critiques. He received
the Cultural Medallion for Literature in 2003. His novels,
一個像我這樣的男人 [A Man Like Me; 1987] and 騷動
我與我自己的二三事
(2006)
[Trivialities About
Me and Myself]
Written in the
styles of stream of
consciousness and
magical realism, the
novel charts the inner
struggles of a man
and his other self
throughout his life.
騷動 (2002)
[Tumult]
A meta-fictional work
about members of a
student movement in
the 50s, the changes
in their personal lives,
their frustrations and
struggles in the 60s,
70s and 80s.
[Tumult; 2002], won the National Book Development
Council of Singapore Book Award in 1988, and the
Singapore Literature Prize in 2004 respectively.
我與我自己的二三事, [Trivialities about Me and Myself;
2006] won the Singapore Literature Prize in 2008. It
was named one of the Ten Best Chinese Novels in the
World for 2006 by 亞洲周刊 [Asia Weekly]. Yeng’s recently
published novel, 畫室 [Artist’s Studio; 2011], was also
included in the List of Ten Best Chinese Novels for 2011
by the Hong-Kong based weekly. An Italian translation
of the novel will be published in 2013. Yeng owns the
Zou Lu
(邹璐)
Of Manchurian descent, Zou Lu was born and grew up in
Liaoning Province in Yunnan, China, and presently lives
in Singapore. In 2006, she published 时间, 一条美丽的河
[Time, A Beautiful River], her first collection of poems.
Zou has since written nearly 300 articles, amounting to
close to 30 million words, and been published in Hong
Kong, China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia. These
articles range from poetry to essays and travel diaries.
One of the founding members of Singapore’s only
Chinese literary website, 随笔南洋网 (www.sgwritings.
com), Zou is currently Assistant Curator of the Pioneers’
Memorial Hall set up by the Tan Kah Kee Foundation.
She is a member of the Singapore Association of
Writers, as well as an endorsed writer of the Ministry
of Education. She also writes on a freelance basis and
works on many literary and historical projects.
bookshop, 草根書室 [Grassroots Book Room].
爱在他乡 (2009)
[Love in A Foreign
Land]
A compilation of
articles and interviews
published from 2007 to
2008, with a particular
focus on issues
surrounding society,
history, literature,
life and living. The
articles incorporate
the perspectives of
a new immigrant on
life in contemporary
Singapore.
时间, 一条美丽的河
(2006)
[Time, A Beautiful
River]
A collection of
80 poems and
50 photographs,
comprising anecdotes
of love and nostalgia,
revelations in life as
well as memories.
“For a very long time, the Chinese writing circle has produced
writings that focus on man’s conscience. Yeng’s writing fills the
gap and comes as a joy to scholars and readers.” 章海陵 [Zhang Hai
Ling], 亞洲周刊 [Asia Weekly], 28 Jan 2007
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
AWARDS
AWARDS
Prize (2008)
Prize (2004)
Tonsan Publications INC
Elite Publishing Company
BF #9 Lane 333
A Sec 3 Roosevelt Road
Taipei
Taiwan
Tel: (886) 2363 3072
Fax: (886) 2363 9735
Email: tonsan@ms37.
hinet.net
F1 #33-1 Lane 113
Hsia-men Street
Taipei
Taiwan
Tel: (886) 2365 2555
Fax: (886) 2365 7047
Email: [email protected].
net
102 |
ISBN
ISBN
986-7021-02-9
957-639-338-8
b 1947
b 1970
EMAIL
WEBSITE
[email protected]
www.sgwritings.com/?uid/50
www.sgwritings.com/?uid/358
Essays, reports, reviews
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Chinese
Chinese
Blk 231 Bain Street
Singapore 180231
Tel: (65) 6337 9552
Fax: (65) 6336 9130
Email: youthbook@
youthbook.com.sg
#03-00
Singapore 099455
Tel: (65) 6273 7623
Fax: (65) 6275 6984
Email: enquiry@
candidcreation.com
Website: www.candidcreation
EMAIL
[email protected]
ISBN
978-981-08-2180-7
ISBN
981-05-6074-5
| 103
Abdul Ghani Bin Abdul Hamid
107
Abdul Manaf Bin Abdul Kadir (Manaf Hamzah)
108
Abdul Wahab Bin Hamzah
109
Ahmad Ja’affar Bin Munasip
110
Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit
111
Almahdi Al Haj Ibrahim (Nadiputra)
112
Anuar Othman
113
Basiran Haji Hamzah
114
Djamal Tukimin
115
Goh Mey Teck (Peter Augustine Goh)
116
Hadijah Bte Rahmat
117
Isa Kamari
118
Ishak Bin Abdul Latiff
119
Ismail Bin Wardi (Iswardy)
120
Johar Bin Buang
121
Mohamed Latiff Bin Mohamed
122
Muhammad Ariff Bin Ahmad (Mas)
123
Muhammad Salihin Bin Sulaiman Jeem
124
Noor Hasnah Adam
125
Rasiah Halil
126
Rohani Bte Din
127
Rohman Munasip
128
Sabri Buang
129
Suratman Markasan
130
MALAY
105
Abdul Ghani Bin
Abdul Hamid
Versatile and prolific, Abdul Ghani bin Abdul Hamid is a
poet, painter, playwright, short-story writer, biographer,
essayist, reviewer and art critic. He wrote the 25 episode
radio drama, “Sejambak Ragam Hayat” [“A Bouquet of
Ways of Life”; 1992] and has published two novelettes—
Delima Merah di Jari Manis [Ruby on Ring Finger;
1977] and Desa Ini Hatiku [The Village is in my Heart;
1985]; four volumes of poetry—Jalinan Rasa [A Weave of
Feelings; 1964]; Mata dan Hati [Eyes and Heart; 1972],
Malay and English poems; Breezes (1978), English
poems; Nota [Notes; 1988]; and three volumes of new
and selected poems—Fragmen 40 [40 Fragments; 1995];
Tawajuh [Focussing Oneself on God; 1997]; and Ombak
Terbang Tinggi [The Waves Fly High; 2003]. He held five
solo exhibitions of his works between 1972 and 1980
and has exhibited in Singapore and abroad. Among his
awards are the Anugerah Tun Seri Lanang (1997) from
the Malay Language Council; the Southeast Asia Write
Award (1998); the Cultural Medallion (1999), and the Gold
Medal from the Federation of Art Societies (2003).
Aku Bukan Penyair
(2008)
[I am not a Poet]
A collection of 57
poems written between
2003 and 2007, and
addressing various
themes and issues,
a major one being
Malay and Singaporean
identity. The poet also
shows his concern for
the erosion of Malay
values and culture
today.
Petikan Rasa:
Extracts of
Feelings; A
Collection of
Poems and
Paintings (2005)
Fifty Malay poems with
English translations by
Isa Kamari, Mohamed
Pitchay Ghani bin
Abdul Aziz,Mohd Agos
Atan, Rasiah Halil
and the poet himself.
Fifty paintings and
photographs by the poet
accompany the poetry.
“Abdul Ghani Hamid is Singapore’s most outstanding Malay
poet-artist to date… This book is evidence of his ability in bringing
together as one, the two genres of art and poetry that has never
been previously produced by a Malay artist in Singapore.”
Dr Masuri Bin Salikun, Singapore’s Laureate & President, Asas’ 50
(Transl fr Malay; back cover, Petikan Rasa)
b 1933
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay & English
Angkatan Sasterawan ‘50
90 Goodman Road
Blk B #05-12
Goodman Arts Centre
Singapore 439053
Tel : (65) 6344 8589
Email: asas50@singapore.
com
90 Goodman Road
Blk B, #05-12
Goodman Arts Centre
Singapore 439053
Tel: (65) 6344 8589
com
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-1483-0
981-05-2833-7
| 107
Abdul Manaf Bin
Abdul Kadir
(Manaf Hamzah)
Abdul Manaf works in a private company dealing in
health products. He wrote his first novel, Dedaun
Hijau di Angin Lalu [Leaves in the Passing Wind;
1987; repr. 2002; 2007] at 22. It has been translated
into Indonesian (2009). Anggerik Di Tangkai Mawar
[An Orchid in the Stalk of a Rose; 2004] was followed
Aylana (2005)
A story involving
two stongwilled
characters—a convict and
a wealthy woman—who
try to deny their feelings
for each other. They are
challenged by a series
of tribulations, betrayals
and deceptions which
they must overcome if
they wish to be united
in an otherwise elusive
happiness.
Dedaun Hijau di
Angin Lalu (1987)
[Leaves in the
Passing Wind]
A complex story about
a woman who struggles
for acceptance and love
from her hot-tempered
husband, who treats her
more as a servant than
a wife. Her endurance
is tested by betrayals,
deceptions and mysteries
which undermine
her marriage.
Abdul Wahab
Bin Hamzah
Abdul Wahab Bin Hamzah was born in Pulau Damar Laut.
He graduated from the National University of Jakarta in
1985 with a Degree in Language and Malay Literature,
and earned an Advanced Diploma in Education from
Nanyang Technological University in 1992. He has been
writing short fiction and poetry since 1979. “Hidup Satu
Persinggahan” [“Life is a Transition”] won the Hadiah
by Aylana (2005), which won the 2007 Majlis Bahasa
Melayu Singapura [Singapore Malay Language
Council] Literature Prize [2007]. It will be translated
Penghargaan (Appreciation Award) in the 1982 Short Story
into English. Sekeras Waja, Selembut Sutera [Hard
the following year. His other works have been published in
as Steel, Soft as Silk; 2007] was shortlisted for the
Malay category of the 2008 Singapore Literature Prize.
Competition organised by the then Ministry of Culture.
“Ajal” [“Time to Die”] won Second Prize in the competition
the daily, Berita Minggu, and in anthologies like Temasik
and Pertemuan Kedua [Second Meeting; 1995]. He won the
Dalam Kehangatan Dakapan Senja [In the Embrace
Malay Language Council’s Hadiah Penghargaan Anugerah
of Twilight; 2009] was also shortlisted for the Malay
Category of the 2010 Singapore Literature Prize. He
has published five children’s books in the Fantasy
and 2003 for the collections of short fiction, Igau [Ravings;
Adventures series: Pelangi Biru [Blue Rainbow; 2002],
Taman Rasidah Utama [The First Rasidah Garden;
2002], Si Mata Kencana [A Golden Eye; 2002], Seruling
Perak [Silver Flute; 2008] and Dewi Air Mata [The Tears
of a Goddess; 2008].
Persuratan [Commendation Award for Literature] in 2001
1999] and Tuhan Masih Sayang [God Still Loves; 2002],
which was nominated for the 2004 Singapore Literature
Tuhan Masih
Sayang (2002)
[God Still Loves]
The writer’s second
collection, with
thirteen short stories,
including several
in Berita Minggu. In
his Foreword, the
late Masuri Salikun
described the anthology
as a review of the
development of Malay
community life
since 1993.
Igau (1999)
[Ravings]
The colours of
contemporary life are
expressed in the fourteen
short stories in this debut
collection. They focus on
diverse themes: religion,
Asian cultural values
which have been eroded
by modern globalisation,
love, and the sacrifices
one has to make in life.
Prize. A third collection of short fiction, Berlalu Sudah
Dukanya [The Sadness is Gone] was published in 2005.
A new collection, Detik-Detik Perjalanan [Ticking of Life]
is forthcoming. Several of his short stories have been
translated into Chinese.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
Majlis Bahasa Melayu
Singapura, Best Novel
Award (2007)
Pustaka Nasional Pte Ltd
Syed Ali Semait
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419931
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
Email: enquiry@pustaka.
com.sg
[email protected]
ISBN
9971-77-555-7
Syed Ali Semait
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419931
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
com.sg
[email protected]
ISBN
978-9971-77-470-7
b 1965
EMAIL
[email protected]
b 1947
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
AWARDS
Hadiah Penghargaan
Anugerah Persuratan
(Malay Language Council
Commendation Award; 2003)
Hadiah Penghargaan
Anugerah Persuratan
(Malay Language Council
Commendation Award; 2001)
Shortlisted for Singapore
Jl. Rasamala No. 11
Kunciran Mas Permai
Cipondoh – Tangerang 15144
Indonesia
90 Goodman Road
Blk B #05-12
Goodman Arts Centre
Singapore 439053
Tel: (65) 6344 8589
Email:
Persama Indonesia
ISBN
979-95523-1-1
ISBN
981-04-6754-0
108 |
| 109
Ahmad Ja’affar
Bin Munasip
Ahmad Ja’affar Bin Munasip began his literary journey
in 1985 with the poem, “Kisah Ombak” (“Wave”).
However, he is better known for his short fiction. His
debut collection, Dari Kepingan-Kepingan Mimpi [From
Pieces of Dreams; 2006], was shortlisted for the 2007
Singapore Malay Literary Awards. A recent short story,
“Jago, yang Terlupa dan di Lupakan” [“Jago, who Forgot
Jago, yang Terlupa
dan di Lupakan
(2011)
[Jago, who Forgot
and is Forgotten]
Dari KepinganKepingan Mimpi
(2006)
[From Pieces of
Dreams]
Thirteen short
stories, characterised
by experimental
techniques and
an interest in the
psychology of the
subconscious. The
eponymous hero is a
militant who is caught
and executed. This
collection has two
other award-winning
stories: “12.30 a.m.”
and “Menam Kwa Noi”
which is set in Thailand
during the Pacific War
in the forties.
A collection of 15
short stories, mostly
experimental in
technique. These
unconventional
narratives explore
the subconscious,
the love of man for
God, the relations
between men and a
materialistic society,
and an individual’s
interpretation of
the dreams of his
forefathers.
Fiction
Fiction
Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit
Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit graduated with a degree in Drama from
Queensland University of Technology in 1998. An actor,
director and playwright, she won Commendation Prizes
from the Malay Language Council of Singapore for her
plays “Kosovo” (1993) and “… Dan Tiga Dara Terbang Ke
Bulan” [“ … And Three Virgins Fly to the Moon”; 1996]
in 1995 and 1997 respectively. She received the Young
and is Forgotten”], won the Singapore Malay Literary
Artist Award for Theatre from the National Arts Council
Award (2009). His works use experimental techniques
in 2008 and the Anugerah Tokoh Muda–Kesusasteraan
as a means of satire. They have appeared in anthologies
(Teater) from PENAMAS (the Mohammad Ariff Ahmad
like Salam Dari Amira [Greetings from Amira; 1993], Kita
Foundation) for her contributions to Malay Literature in
Musafir dalam Daerah Ini [We are Travellers in the Area;
Singapore. In 2003, with Noor Effendy Ibrahim and Alfian
2000], and Anak Bumi [Child of the Earth; 2003].
Sa’at, Aidli published two of her plays, “ … Dan Tiga Dara
A second collection of short stories, Jago, yang Terlupa
Terbang Ke Bulan” and “Ikan Cantik” [“Beautiful Fishes”]
dan di Lupakan [Jago, who Forgot and is Forgotten;
2011], has just been published.
in Bisik [Whisper; 2003] an anthology of plays. She is
currently working on Cantik [Beautiful ], a collection
of eight of her plays, for publication. Aidli was Editor
of Manja, a Malay monthly magazine published by
MediaCorp Pte Ltd. Since July 2010, she has been the
Section Head of the Performing Arts Department in the
School of Design and Media at the Institute of
Technical Education.
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
b 1967
b 1973
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
[email protected]
Bisik: Antologi
Drama Melayu
Singapura (2003)
[Whisper: An
Anthology of Malay
Drama in Singapore]
Bisik is a collection of
seven plays, that serves
as a testament to the
kind of plays produced
in Singapore by Malay
theatre practitioners in
the 1990s. This period
is of interest not only
because of greater
access to archival and
documentary materials,
but also because it
represents a certain
maturity, as well as the
fruits of cross-pollination
with the other kinds of
theatre produced within
Singapore’s multicultural
context.
GENRE/ CATEGORY OF BOOK
Drama
LANGUAGE
Malay
AWARDS
A Jaaffar Munasip
Shortlisted, Malay Literary
Award (2007).
Pustak Cipta Sendirian
Berhad & Teater Ekamatra
Teater Ekamatra
Telok Ayer Performing
Arts Centre
182 Cecil St. #02 – 06
Singapore 069547
Tel: (65) 6323 5443
Fax: (65) 6323 6528
Email: general@ekamatra.
org.sg
Blk 891B Woodlands Drive 50
#11-181
Singapore 731891
Tel: (65) 9062 4007
Email: ahmadjaaffar@gmail.
com
ISBN
978-981-08-9222-7
Tareem Publications
ISBN
981-05-3196-6
ISBN
Pustaka Cipta Sendirian
Berhad
59–2 Jalan 5 / 76B
Desa Pandan 55100
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 9287 2060
Fax: (60) 3 9287 2062
Email: info@pustakacipta.
com
983-101-047-1
110 |
| 111
Almahdi Al Haj Ibrahim
(Nadiputra)
More popularly known by his pen name, Nadiputra has
more than 300 stage, radio and television plays and
poems to his name. He was a Customs Officer from 1966
until 1982, and a producer, director and scriptwriter
for the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (now
MediaCorp) from 1983 until 2000. In 1985, he founded
Theatre Nadi for children. He received the Cultural
Antologi Drama
Asean: Indonesia,
Singapura, Thailand
Ed. Solehah Ishak
(2009)
[Anthology of ASEAN
Drama: Indonesia,
Singapore, Thailand]
“2000” ( pp. 597- 645)
is about the future of
society in Singapore. It
is a contemporary and
abstract portrayal of
man’s desire to adapt
himself to living at the
edge of the 21st century.
The journey he embarks
upon confronts him with
uncertainty, especially
the likelihood of his
having to compromise
or strike a balance with
tradition and religion.
Encong (1988)
Encong, the eponymous
hero, is a man
disappointed and
dejected when his son,
recently graduated from
London, refuses to ride
his father’s rickshaw
home from the airport.
Moreover, his son wants
him to discard his
family’s heritage, and will
no longer compromise
with his father’s ways. He
demands freedom and
independence instead,
and wants his father
to learn from him, and
his desire and ambition
for the future of Malay
society in Singapore.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
University of Brunei
Darussalam
P O Box 10803.
50926 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 2148 1011
Fax: (60) 3 2144 7248
University Brunei
Bandar Seri Bengawan
Negara Brunei Darussalam
ISBN
ISBN
978-983-62-9821-8
Nil
Anuar Othman writes short stories, novels, poems,
plays for radio and television, literary essays and song
lyrics. He is the author of eleven books. He was a fellow
of the Iowa International Writing Program in 2000 and
is a member of the Singapore Writers Centre of the
National Book Development Council of Singapore.
Anuar won the Anugerah Persuratan Award in 2007
Medallion for Drama in 1986. “Puncak” [“The Peak”] won
for his essay, “Mampukah Kita Lahirkan Sasterawan
the Anugerah Persuratan for Best Theatre Script in 1988.
seperti Naquib Mahfouz?” [“Can We Produce a Man of
Recently, he wrote and directed “Culik” [“Kidnapped”]
Letters Like Naquib Mahfouz?”], and again in 2011 for
and “Satu [“One”], a double bill staged by Theatre 2000
“Penulisan bukan Kerja Cuba-cuba” [“Writing is not for
(which he founded in 1996) in May 2011. Nadiputra is
the Uncommitted”]. He won the Golden Point Award for
Managing Director of Nadivision, a private production
his short story “Hashimoto-san” in 1997; and for Poetry
house. His many activities include conducting children’s
drama workshops, being instructor and leader of Theatre
2000 in MAEC (Malay Activities Executive Committee),
Tampines West Community Club, and Drama Instructor
for PACT, the Performing Arts Centre run by the
Singapore Prison Services for inmates. He is currently
(five poems) in 2001. Among his works are Kisah di Bukit
Cermin [Tales at Bukit Cermin; 2005; repr. 2006, 2007;
English translation forthcoming], and Mencari Shangri-
La [In Search of Shangri-La; 2009]. Tenggelamnya Kapal
Prince of Wales [The Sinking of the Prince of Wales] is
due for release at the end of 2011. He teaches creative
writing, producing and directing “Lorong Buangkok”
writing in secondary schools and writes children’s stories
[“Buangkok Lane”], a semi-musical drama inspired by
for magazines. Several of his works have been translated
the standing kampong (village) in Singapore.
Anuar Othman
Twelve short stories,
again mostly with a
historical dimension.
They include “Atas
Nama Cinta” [“In
the Name of Love”],
“Bendera” [“Flag”],
”Melaka O Melaka”
[“Malacca, O Malacca”],
“Mencari Shangri-La”
[“In Search of ShangriLa”] and “Toosey, Saito
& Tamarkand”.
Kisah Di Bukit
Cermin (2005; repr.
2006; 2007)
[Tales of Bukit
Cermin]
Twelve short stories,
mostly coloured by
history and written
as fiction. Includes
“13 Mei, 3 Warga dan
Seekor Ayam” [“13
May, 3 Citizens and
a Rooster”], “Sang
Nila Utama” and
“Mimpi Shakespeare”
(“Shakespearean
Dream”) which won
Third Prize in the 1999
Golden Point Award
Competition.
into English and Chinese.
b 1946
b 1957
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
Mencari ShangriLa (2009)
[In Search of
Shangri-La]
[email protected]
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
Anuar Othman & Associates
Media Enterprise
C P Seet, Director
Ubi Techpark 10
Ubi Crescent #02-04
Singapore 408564
Tel: (65) 6749 3563
Fax: (65) 6749 3567
Email: cp.seet@
dragoneducation.com.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-3197-4
Media Enterprise
C P Seet, Director
Ubi Techpark 10
Ubi Crescent #02-04
Singapore 408564
Tel: (65) 6749 3563
Fax: (65) 6749 3567
Email: cp.seet@
ISBN
981-05-2259-2
112 |
| 113
Basiran Haji Hamzah
Hsiao Fey – Aisyah
(2002)
Mentari Petang
(2002)
[Evening Sun]
Hsiao Fey is a paralysed
girl who lights up the
life of Muhammad
Burhan like a candle
in a gloomy room.
But their relationship
encounters numerous
obstacles because of
differences in race,
religion and customs.
A modern-day tragedy
brought about by the
generation gap between
parents and children,
where both parties
refuse to compromise
so as to negotiate some
sort of understanding
between them.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419931
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
Email: sales@pustaka.
com.sg
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419931
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
Email: sales@pustaka.
com.sg
ISBN
ISBN
9971-77-430-5
9971-77-462-3
Djamal Tukimin
Basiran Haji Hamzah was born in Selangor, Malaysia,
and received his early education there. He continued his
education in Singapore where he has lived since 1960.
He began writing short stories in the mid 60s before
trying his hand at poetry in the late 70s. He also wrote
10 plays for television in the late 80s. Basiran’s poems
have appeared in Berita Minggu, and his short stories
Poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic, activist and
archivist, Djamal Tukimin was one of the founders of Grup
Gelorasa , which promoted experimentation with, and
appreciation of, modern Malay poetry in the late 60s and
early 70s. His plays include “O” (1975); “Di Persimpangan”
[“At the Junction”; 1977) and “Saekor Kerbau Legam Di
Dalam Mimpi Sang Pengeran Tomtom” [“A Pitch Black
in anthologies like Kehilangan [Loss; 1985], Temasik
(1987) and Cerpen-cerpen Nusantara Mutakhir [Stories
from a Modern Archipelago;1991]. He has published
three novels: Hsiao Fey – Aisyah (2002); Mentari Petang
[Evening Sun; 2002] and Diari Seorang Perempuan [Diary
of a Girl; 2010].
Buffalo in the Dream of Prince Tomtom”; 1994]. He has
published two novels; three volumes of poetry are in press.
Mencari Hang Tuah Yang Hilang di Kota New York [Looking
for Hang Tuah, Lost in New York City; 2011] comprises
three short stories. Among his published theatre and
literary criticism are Arus Teater Singapura [The Survival
of Theatre in Singapore; 2007]; Sejarah Tidak Pernah Luka
Kita Yang Berduka [History Has Never Wounded Us Who
Are Sad; 2008), essays on Malay literature; Menjembatani
Kata Hayat dan Makna [The Relationship between the Life
of Words and Meaning; 2011] and Pantun Melayu: Sejarah
Perkembangan Pemikiran Dalam Menjana Tamadun
Melayu di Singapura Modern [The Malay Pantun: A History
of its Intellectual Development in Malay Civilization in
Modern Singapore; 2011]. Djamal is compiling an archive
of Malay writers in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. In
2007, he was conferred the Anugerah Tun Seri Lanang by
Majlis Bahasa Melayu Singapura. He is a Visiting Fellow
at the Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation (ATMA),
National University of Malaysia.
b 1941
Sejarah Tidak
Pernah Luka Kita
Yang Berduka
(2008)
[History Has Never
Wounded Us Who
Are Sad]
Imam; Buku 1 (2008)
[The Leader;
Book 1]
A collection of critical
essays on the state
of Malay literature
after the separation
of Singapore from
Malaysia in 1965. The
history and landscape
of Malay literature from
the early 1970s are
discussed. Critiques
of Malay poetry,
philosophy and Islamic
literature are included.
Pak Kasman the
protagonist, is a
former soldier who
unsuccessfully fought
the Dutch colonists.
In the 1930s, after
his wife becomes a
casualty of war, he and
his daughter decide to
leave Yogyakarta for
Singapore in search of
happiness and peace
of mind. However, his
quest is thwarted in
Kampung Tempe where
he settles, because
another kind of war
awaits him, the result
of a radical difference
in psychological and
religious mindset
between him and the
villagers.
b 1946
EMAIL
Literary history and
criticism
Fiction
[email protected]
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419931
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
Email: pustakanasional@
me.com
ISBN
978-9971-77-568-1
Pustaka Dini
30B Tingkat 2 Blok 4
Pusat Perniagaan Worldwide
Jalan Karate 13/47 Seksyen 13
40675 Shah Alam
Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 5511 4340
Fax: (60) 3 5511 4339
ISBN
978-983-3707-47-08
114 |
| 115
Goh Mey Teck
(Peter Augustine Goh)
Kerana Setitik Madu
(2010)
[Because of a Drop
of Honey]
Twenty short stories
which revolve round
the greatness of The
Almighty, love and family
relations like those
between children and
parents, and husband
and wife. Some of the
works have never been
published previously
in either Singapore or
Malaysia.
Cetusan Kalbu
Seorang Penyair
(2007)
[Impulses from the
Heart of a Poet]
One hundred and
one poems on varied
subjects, including
remorse, gratitude and
faith in God; filial piety
and mankind.
Fiction
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka
Anugerah Persuratan
(Malay Literary Award; 2009)
Peti Surat 10803
50926 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 2148 1011
Fax: (60) 3 2144 7248
Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka
Born in Malacca, Peter Augustine Goh (the pen name of
Goh Mey Teck) came to Singapore in 1972. Of Chinese
ancestry, he has written poetry, short stories, TV and
radio plays, and novels in Malay for children as well as
adults. A retired police officer, he is now a translator/
interpreter in the Singapore Civil Service. He contributes
poems, short stories and literary essays to the daily,
Berita Harian, and its Sunday edition, Berita Minggu.
With many books to his credit, he has also won many
literary awards, among them the Golden Point Award
several times: (Third Prize, 1995) for his short story,
“Teruskan Ceritamu, Pak Dalang” [“Carry On with Your
Story, Pak Dalang”]; (Second Prize, 1999) for another
short story, “Rahsia Sebuah Kasih Sayang” [“The
Secret of Love”]; (First Prize, 2003) for “Ikrar” [“Vow”],
a submission of eight poems. His novel, Warna Sebuah
Penghijrahan [Colour of Migration; 2005), and a volume
of poetry, Cetusan Kalbu Seorang Penyair [Impulses
from the Heart of a Poet; 2007], were shortlisted for the
2006 and 2008 Singapore Literature Prize respectively.
b 1953
Hadijah Bte Rahmat
Hadijah Bte Rahmat is an Associate Professor and the
Deputy Head of the Asian Languages and Cultures
Academic Group, Nanyang Technological University.
A bilingual author, she writes poetry, short stories,
plays, literary essays, academic papers and children’s
books. Her diverse publications include Sastera dan
Manusia Melayu Baru – Kumpulan Esei dan Wawancara
[Literature and the New Malays: Collected Essays and
Interviews; 1998], “Munsyi”, a play based on Munsyi
Abdullah (1998); Di Tengah Alam [In the Midst of the
Universe; 1998], poems; Antara Dua Kota: Mengesan
Jejak-jejak Peninggalan Munsyi Abdullah di Melaka dan
Singapura [Between Two Cities: The Legacies of Munsyi
Abdullah in Malacca and Singapore; 1999]; In Search
of Modernity: A Study of the Concepts of Literature,
Authorship and Notions of Self in “Traditional” Malay
Literature (2001); Mengukir Air Di Pesisir [Carving the
Coastal Waters; 2005]; Kilat Senja: Sejarah Sosial dan
Budaya Kampung di Singapura [Glimmering Sunset:
A Socio-Cultural History of Kampongs in Singapore;
2005]; and Peranan dan Perkembangan Sastera Kanakkanak Melayu [The Role and Development of Children’s
Literature in Malay; 2006]. She has authored two
bilingual children’s books: Burung Kenek-kenek [The
Little Bird: Poetry, Art and a Song For Children; 2010];
and Bunga Kasih Ibu [Mom’s Bouquet of Love and Poetry
for Children; 2010].
b 1958
Bunga Kasih Ibu
(2010)
[Mum’s Bouquet of
Love; and Poetry
for Children]
An artistic fusion of
various genres of Malay
classical art forms – the
art of the Jawi script,
the traditional pantun
(poem), and the art of
water-colour painting.
These art forms are
synthesised to produce
a special tribute to
all mothers for their
unselfish love, devotion
and sacrifices in caring
for their children. This
is played out against
the traditional kampong
life of the Malays and
their philosophy and
values.
Burung KenekKenek (2010)
[The Little Bird]
An artistic fusion of
various genres of Malay
classical arts - the
Jawi script, traditional
pantun (poetry), batik
painting, architecture
and folk song. This
bilingual package is
specially prepared to
enable children from
other languages and
cultures to learn and
appreciate the unique
heritage of Malay
culture and its universal
values.
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Bilingual (Malay-English)
HS Yang Pte Ltd.
HS Yang Pte Ltd.
Hajis Salim
Blk 119 Marsiling Rise
#13-122
Singapore 730119
Tel: (65) 9651 5381
Hajis Salim
Blk 119 Marsiling Rise
#13-122
Singapore 730119
Tel: (65) 9651 5381
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-6470-5
978-981-08-5297-9
ISBN
978-983-46-0393-9
Peti Surat 10803
50926 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 2148 1011
Fax: (60) 3 2144 7248
ISBN
978-983-62-9793-8
116 |
| 117
Isa Kamari
Duka Tuan Bertakhta
(2011)
[Throne of Sorrow]
The story of the founding
of Singapore in 1819,
seen through the eyes of
the native inhabitants of
the island. The narrative
reveals the intrigue and
saga unfolding between
the British colonizers
as represented by
Raffles, Farquhar and
Crawfurd, and indigenous
characters like Sultan
Hussein, Temenggung
Abdul Rahman, Munshi
Abdullah, Habib Nuh and
Wak Cantuk.
Intercession (2010)
English translation
of Tawassul (2002).
The journey of a young
botanist in search of her
grandfather who was
shunned by his family
for being an apostate.
Unknown to her, she
would be meeting a
people led and guided by
a clone of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Isa Kamari has written eight novels in Malay: Satu Bumi,
[One Earth ;1998] Kiswah [The Drape of Kaabah; 2002],
Tawassul [Intercession; 2002], Menara [The Tower; 2002],
Atas Nama Cinta [In the Name of Love; English version
is entitled Nadra; 2006), Memeluk Gerhana [Embrace
The Eclipse; 2007], Rawa [Swamp; 2009] and Duka Tuan
Bertakhta [Throne of Sorrow; 2011]. Three of his novels
have been translated into English: One Earth (Satu
Bumi) in 2008, Intercession (Tawassul) in 2010 and Nadra
(Atas Nama Cinta) in 2009. He has also published two
collections of poems, Sumur Usia [Well of Time; 1993]
and Munajat Sukma [Soul Devotion; 2003]; a collection
of short stories, Celupan [Dye; 1994], and a collection
of theatre scripts, Pintu [Door; 2009]. Isa also writes
song lyrics and scripts for television drama serials and
documentaries. Isa was conferred the Southeast Asia
Write Award (2006), the Cultural Medallion (2007) and the
Anugerah Tun Seri Lanang (2009).
“Incredible impact! Intercession describes our anxiety and concern
over our reliance on Islamic history without thinking about and
assessing it deeply. While reading it, it becomes clearer, more
profound, more captivating, more disturbing.” A Samad Said (fr back
cover; transl by the author)
“Isa Kamari weaves the history of the founding of Singapore in the
19th century in a narrative that is bold, imaginative and provocative.
This novel offers a new feel and insight into the plight of Malays
today.” (fr back cover)
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Translated into English by
Sukmawati Sirat
Al-Ameen Serve Holdings
2-1, 1st Storey
Jalan 9
23A Medan Makmur
(off Jalan Usahawan)
Setapak
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 4143 4343
Fax: (60) 3 4149 1414
Marshall Cavendish
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6285 4871
Email: genrefsales@
ISBN
ISBN
978-967-362-078-4
978-981-4302-34-0
Ishak Bin
Abdul Latiff
Ishak Bin Abdul Latiff was a secondary school Malay
Language teacher for 20 years before joining the Faculty
of Mother Tongue Languages, SOTA (School of the Arts) in
2008. In 2007, he received the inaugural Guru Ariff Budiman
Teacher Award which recognises the contributions of
Malay language teachers in the teaching and learning
of Malay. Ishak has published short stories and written
plays and radio and television scripts. His first script,
“Aku” [“Me”], was judged best script in Festival Teater
Remaja [Youth Theatre Festival] in 1983. He was one of
the writers for “Anak Metropolitan”, awarded Best Drama
in Malay television in Pesta Perdana 2001. His stories,
“[email protected]” and “Nirmala”, clinched first and
third prizes respectively in the 2001 and 2005 Golden Point
Award competition. In 2003, “Romie & Julie” and “Nadi Ke
Nadi” [“Nadi to Nadi”] won first and third prizes in another
writing competition, Sayembara Penulisan Novel Watan
dan Cerpen. Ishak has published three collections of short
fiction: Saga – Antologi Cerpen Ishak Latiff [Saga – Short
Stories of Ishak Latiff; 2006), winner of the 2007 Anugerah
Persuratan [Malay Literary Award], Rona-Antologi Cerpen
Ishak Latiff [Colours – Short Stories of Ishak Latiff; 2008),
and HP (2011).
b 1963
WEBSITE
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
Saga – Antologi
Cerpen Ishak Latiff
(2006)
[Saga – Short
Stories of Ishak
Latiff]
Twelve stories selected
from unpublished
stories written from
the 1990s till 2007. The
stories touch on issues
like late marriages, the
supernatural, poverty,
unrequited love, the
environment and social
status.
award-winning
stories. They vary
from the negative
effects of modern
technology like the
Internet, to paranormal
phenomena.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
EDN Media
Anugerah Persuratan [Malay
Literary Award; 2007]
“Nicole Arletha, a Secondary One student, … read ‘Six Hours’ four times
because it was so mesmerising and full of mystery.”
Berita Harian, 12 Oct 2009; written by Norini Mohd Nizan of Yio Chu
Kang Secondary School. Transl by the author
b 1960
www.isakamari.com
Rona – Antologi
Cerpen Ishak Latiff
(2008)
[Colours – Short
Stories of Ishak
Latiff]
[email protected]
Azmi Bin Nawi
EDN Enrichment Centre
Blk 633, Bukit Batok
Central, #02-130B
Singapore 650633
Tel: (65) 6566 9969
Fax: (65) 6560 6639
Email: sales@cybermelayu.
com
ISBN
978-981-08-2320-7
EDN Media
Azmi Bin Nawi
EDN Enrichment Centre
Blk 633, Bukit Batok Central
#02-130B
Singapore 650633
Tel: (65) 6566 9969
Fax: (65) 6560 6639
com
ISBN
981-05-6355-8
118 |
| 119
Ismail Bin Wardi
(Iswardy)
Ismail Bin Wardi started writing in 1971. He began his
literary career with poetry before moving to fiction,
and has written poems, novels, short stories, essays
and book reviews. To date, he has published four
collections of short fiction, Otak [Brain; 1992]; Warna
Seraut Wajah [Colour of the Face; 1996]; Senandung
Orang Lama [The Rhythm of the Old; 2000] and
Ombak
Kosmopolitan
(2005)
[Cosmopolitan
Wave]
Senandung Orang
Lama (2000)
[The Rhythm of
the Old]
The 14 short stories
explore the dramatic
aspects of life and
the impact of the
environment on
individual characters.
This readable collection
provides perspectives
on various subjects
such as history,
religion, love
and humanism.
The 19 short stories are
characterised by fresh,
new perspectives,
humour, mystery, and
impressive narrative
techniques. Subjects
covered by the wideranging collection
include problems
in homosexual
relationships and the
social consequences of
the internet revolution.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
AWARDS
The collection includes
“Lembu”, winner of the
Anugerah Persuratan in
1999, conferred by Majlis
Bahasa Melayu Singapura
Anugerah Persuratan
(Malay Literary Award; 2001)
Sasterawan Abad 2000
EDN Media Pte Ltd.
Blk 633 Bukit Batok Central
#02-130B
Singapore 650633
Tel: (65) 6566 9969
Fax: (65) 6560 6639
com
Ombak Kosmopolitan [Cosmopolitan Wave; 2005]. He
has written two novels, Menjejak Arus [Going with
the Flow;1992], and Malam Merah [Red Night;1995].
His short story “Lembu” [“Cow”] was awarded the
Anugerah Persuratan in 1999 by Majlis Bahasa Melayu
Singapura; in 2001 the short story “Senandung Orang
Lama”, won the same award. “Lembu” was one of the
texts selected for READ! Singapore 2010. Another short
story, “Otak”, was adapted for the stage by Theatre
Artistic in 2006. In 2009, Ismail received the Riang Ria
Writer’s Award, conferred by EDN Media Pte Ltd.
b 1949
EMAIL
[email protected]
Johar Bin Buang
Johar Bin Buang has published in several genres since
the early 1980s, but is most well known as a poet.
His works have been translated into English, Chinese
and Russian. His awards include the National Book
Development Council of Singapore Book Award for Kisah
Seorang Zahid [The Story of a Pious Person; 1994]; the
1997 Islamic Poetry Prize (from Brunei Darussalam) for
“Program Timur” [“Programme of the East”]; the Darul
Iman III Literature Award in 1999 (from the Government
of Terengganu, Malaysia) for the manuscript, “Perahu”
[“Sailboat”]; the Golden Point Award (1999) for his short
story, “Anak Bumi [“Son of the Earth”]; the Literature
Prize (from the Malay Language Council of Singapore in
2007) for Perahu Melayu Di Lautan Khulzum [The Malay
Sailboat in the Khulzum Sea; 2006]; the 2010 Singapore
Literature Prize for Sampai Di Singgahsana Cinta [Arriving
at the Throne of Love; 2009]. He received the Southeast
Asia Write Award in 2010. Other collections of poetry are
Dinding-Dinding Kaca [Glass Wall; 1997]; Tujuhpuluhribu
Hijab [Seventy Thousand Veils; 2000]; Sahara (2003); Cinta
Pohon Tamar [Love of the Date Palm; 2004]; Cahaya Di
Negeri Ini [Light in This Country; 2005]. His poems have
been anthologised in TUMASIK: Contemporary Writing
from Singapore (2009), Fifty On 50 (2009) and &WORDS:
Poems Singapore And Beyond (2010).
b 1958
Sampai Di
Singgahsana Cinta
(2009)
[Arriving at the
Throne of Love]
Fifty profoundly
meaningful poems
written over a period
of more than three
decades by a sufic poet.
This collection takes
readers on a journey
into the very heart of
man, and presents
a uniquely different
approach to the theme
of a great and universal
love.
981-05-3263-6
A selection of the best
spiritual poems (171)
and 2005. The volume
provides a significant
exploration of the mind
of the Malays in their
quest for an unwavering
belief in Islam, and the
true self in the journey
of life.
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
AWARDS
Prize (2010)
Hadiah Sastera Anugerah
Persuratan (Malay Literary
Award by Malay Language
Council; 2007)
EMAIL
[email protected]
Pustaka Islamiyah Sdn. Bhd
@ Pustaka National Ptd Ltd
(Singapore)
ISBN
981-04-2886-3
71 Jalan SG 3/10
Taman Sri Gombak
Batu Caves
68100 Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 6188 9605
Fax: (60) 3 6187 2572
ISBN
ISBN
Perahu Melayu Di
Lautan Khulzum
(2006)
[The Malay Sailboat
in the Khulzum
Sea]
978-983-9068-12-2
Perniagaan Jahabersa
15 Jalan Dataran 3/3
Taman Kempas
81200 Johor Bahru
Johor
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 7 6235 1602
Fax: (60) 7 6235 1603
ISBN
983-170-981-0
120 |
| 121
Mohamed Latiff
Bin Mohamed
Mohamed Latiff Bin Mohamed is one of the most
prolific writers who came after the first generation of
A collection of 67
poems written between
2002 and 2006. They
revolve around Malay
life and history, and
are informed by an
understanding of the
peasant’s toil, “the wit
of an intellectual and
the soul of a poet.”
There are poems on
historical figures like
Sang Nila Utama and
Stamford Raffles,
as well as the social
problems challenging
the Malays.
Batas Langit
(1997; repr. 2002)
[The Sky’s the Limit]
The protagonist Adi
lives in a village where
the majority of his
neighbours are Chinese.
His family is beset by
problems: his father is
addicted to gambling,
and his sister is thrown
out of the house when
she becomes pregnant
out of wedlock. The novel
portrays the poverty and
political conflicts that
coloured the lives of the
Malay community in the
mid-fifties in Singapore.
Muhammad Ariff Bin Ahmad is a former teacher
and lecturer. With more than 50 books to his name,
writers in the Singapore Malay literary scene. His many
including two written in Jawi, he is a prolific writer with
accolades include the Montblanc-NUS Centre for the
an enviably wide range: poetry, short stories, books for
Arts Literary Award (1998); the Southeast Asia Write
children, essays on Malay culture and literature, school
Award (2002); the Singapore Malay Language Council’s
Bila Rama-Rama
Patah Sayapnya
(2007)
[When the Butterfly
Injures its Wings]
Muhammad Ariff
Bin Ahmad (Mas)
textbooks on learning Malay, articles for newspapers
Tun Seri Lanang Award (2003); and the Singapore
and magazines in Malaysia and Singapore, drama and
Literature Prize which he has won three times: in 2004,
documentary scripts for radio and television. He is one
for his collection of poems, Bagiku Sepilah Sudah [For
Me There’s Only Loneliness; 2002]; in 2006, for the
of the founders and leaders of Angkatan Sasterawan
’50 (Asas ’50), a Malay literary organisation that has
twenty-one short stories in Nostalgia Yang Hilang [The
played a significant role in developing Malay literature in
Lost Nostalgia; 2004]; and in 2008, again for poetry,
Singapore and the region. His creative works include the
Bila Rama-Rama Patah Sayapnya [When the Butterfly
novel, Siapa Sangka [No One Can Guess; 1958]; Sembilan
Injures its Wings; 2007]. To date, he has published five
[Nine; 1963], a collection of 12 short stories; and Jangan
volumes of poetry, five novels and two collections of
short stories. His works revolve around the life and
struggles of the Malay community in post-independent
Singapore. They also address the fundamental
Tak Ada [You Must Have Something; 1980], a volume of
80 poems. Published in 2004, Nilam (acronym for “nilai”
[“value”], “Islam”, “lunas” [“payment”], “adat” [“custom”]
and “Melayu” [“Malays”]) is a book on Malay customs or
problems facing humanity, life and the meaning of life,
practices in accordance with Muslim values. His many
and assess critically the historical aspects of humanity.
awards include three prestigious ones: the Cultural
Some of his works have been translated into Chinese,
Medallion (1987), the Southeast Asia Write Award (1993)
English, German and Korean. He is the Vice-President
and the Anugerah Tun Seri Lanang (1993).
Mail Mau Kawin
(1974; 6th
repr.2008)
[Mail Wants
to Marry ]
Sarah Pengarang
Kecil (1957; repr.
1960)
[Sarah the Junior
Writer ]
The novel chronicles
Mail’s rite of passage
from a teenager who
is a school dropout to
a young man in quest
of marriage. Mail
claims he has fallen
in love some four
times over a period of
eight years. Among
the novel’s themes
is the importance
of lifelong learning.
The novel’s futuristic
elements challenge
conventional norms and
expectations.
One of the earliest
supplementary reading
materials for students,
the novelette is the
story of Sarah, a young,
budding writer with
high aspirations. The
narrative teaches
that ambition,
determination, hard
work and a never-saydie attitude are key
ingredients for success.
It reflects the author’s
beliefs and aspiration to
encourage and inspire
the young.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
Selected for the NLB’s
READ! Singapore (2008)
Pustaka Melayu
of Angkatan Sasterawan ’50.
Poetry
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
AWARDS
Prize (2008)
Hadiah Sastera
Penghargaan Anugerah
Persuratan (Malay Language
Council Commendation
Award; 1999)
Angkatan Sasterawan’ 50
90 Goodman Road
Blk B #05-12
Goodman Arts Centre
Singapore 439053
Tel: (65) 6344 8589
com
ISBN
978-981-05-9078-9
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419913
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 4321
Email: pustakanasional@
me.com
ISBN
9971-77-467-4
122 |
b 1950
EMAIL
[email protected]
b 1924
EMAIL
[email protected]
Angkatan Sasterawan’ 50
90 Goodman Road
Blk B #05-12
Goodman Arts Centre
Singapore 439053
[1st ed publ by
Pustaka Nasional]
Tel: (65) 6344 8589
Email: asas50@singapore
.com
Blk 147 Simei Street 2
#01-54
Singapore 520147
Tel: (65) 6299 1342
Fax: (65) 6299 1343
Email: abdulazi@starhub.
net.sg
ISBN
Nil
ISBN
978-981-08-0587-6
| 123
Muhammad Salihin
Bin Sulaiman Jeem
Anugerah Bulan
Buat Bonda (2007)
[A Moon Gift for
Mother]
Collection of 22
and unpublished short
stories which are nonconventional in the
telling. A new dimension
in writing and exploration
of the unknown is
presented.
Penghuni Senja
(2002)
[The Dusk Dweller]
When several “oldies”
are placed in a home,
chronicles of their past
lives are related and
emerge. The past not only
haunts their lives, but
also those of the other
inhabitants. To love the
elderly as one’s own is
not impossible, but it is
their life-stories which
lead one to reflect upon
one’s own existence.
Muhammad Salihin writes fiction, poetry, articles, lyrics,
radio and television scripts, art and book reviews. In his
short fiction, he loves the unconventional in treatment of
subject and narrative technique. His poems have appeared
in Berita Minggu and Majalah Perkahwinan [Wedding
Magazine]. He was part of the writing team behind the
award-winning Malay television drama, “1988 … Segaris
Sinar” [“1988 …Constellation”] in 2008, when he also
received the Anugerah PENAMAS for Young Writers from
the Muhammad Ariff Ahmad Foundation. His short story
collection, Anugerah Bulan Buat Bonda [A Moon Gift for
Mother; 2007), was shortlisted for the 2009 National Book
Development Council of Singapore Book Awards. “Yang
Mana Lama, Yang Mana Baru” [“Which is Old, Which is
New”], received an Honourable Mention in the 1999 Golden
Point Awards; another short story, “Fosil” [“Fossil”],
placed third in the 2003 Golden Point Awards. Salihin has
two novels in progress: Pejuang Kertas [Paper Warrior;
forthcoming, 2011] and Menentang Arus [Against the Tide;
forthcoming, 2012]. He is Editor of Majalah Perkahwinan.
“The stories collected here bring us to a world of largely fresh and
relative beauty…Salihin is a writer who will not be happy with an
average and conventional approach, but who will unearth a new and
effective dimension.” Isa Kamari (Recipient of the Southeast Asia
Write Award, and the NAC Cultural Medallion); fr back cover;
transl by the author
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
Penerbitan Wisma
12 Lorong 36 Geylang
Singapore 398147
Tel: (65) 6294 3877
Fax: (65) 6294 3677
Email: pwisma@yahoo.
com.sg
ISBN
981-05-7185-2
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419913
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
com.sg
b 1966
WEBSITE
www.imankreativ.blogspot.com
EMAIL
[email protected]
Noor Hasnah Adam
Noor Hasnah is a poet and short-story writer who also
writes documentary and drama scripts for television,
and draws for magazines and newspapers. She has
co-authored two comic books, Gelak Khas [Special
Laughter; 2002] and Gelak Khas II [Special Laughter II;
2004]. In fiction, Noor Hasnah received the Anugerah
Sastera Cerpen – Remaja in 2001 for “Naluri” [“Instinct”];
the Anugerah Sastera Penghargaan (Cerpen) in 2003
for “Ini Cengkerang Kita” [“This is Our Shell”], and the
2009 Anugerah Sastera Buku Cerpen for Kelarai [Knots;
2008]. “Cengkerang” was selected for the National Library
Board’s READ! Singapore (2006). In 2001, she won Second
Prize in the Golden Point Awards for her story, “Anak
Harimau” [“Tiger Cub”] and in 2007, Second Prize in the
same competition for a poetry submission. She received
the Goh Chok Tong Youth Promise Award (Distinction)
in 2008 for contributions in literature, education and
her academic performance in the University of Malaya
where she secured First Class Honours (Malay Studies).
In 2009, she received the Penulis Harapan Award from
Majlis Bahasa Melayu Singapura. She recently completed
“Satu Perjalanan”[“The Journey”], a novel on Moliano
Lovehunter, a well-known Singaporean musician.
“The short stories of Noor Hasnah are satirical and full of wit and
drama.” Dewani Abbas, Senior Journalist, Berita Harian (fr back
cover; transl by the author)
Kelarai: Cerpencerpen Noor Hasnah
Adam (2008)
[Knots: Short Stories
of Noor Hasnah
Adam]
Mis3 Rasa : Puisipuisi Noor Hasnah
Adam (2008)
[Mystery of Feelings:
Poems by Noor
Hasnah Adam]
Eight often satirical
stories, including awardwinning ones, about
suffering and pain in life.
There are stories about
treacherous leadership
(“Anak Harimau” [“Tiger
Cub”]); the struggle that
fails to achieve its end
(“Ini Cengkerang Kita”
[“This is our Shell”]) and
“Superman”; education,
or adolescence that
does not lead to maturity
(“Naluri” [“Instinct”]);
and the wastage of public
funds (“Superman”).
Fifty-six poems on a
variety of subjects:
human rights; women’s
rights (“Yang Kau Panggil
Wanita” [“Those You Call
Women”]); disasters
like earthquakes
and tsunamis (“Erti”
[“Meanings”]);
prostitution and the
children of prostitutes
(“Anak Anak Lorong Itu”
[“Children of the Lane”]);
women and children
(“Putih” [“White”]), and
mothers and daughters
(“Sentuhan Ibu”
[“Mother’s Touch”]).
Fiction
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
Hadiah Sastera Buku
Cerpen 2009 (from the
Malay Language Council of
Singapore)
Tuntun Props
“The main elements in Mis3 Rasa are the courage and honesty of a
woman’s voice.” Khalid Salleh (transl by the author)
b 1974
WEBSITE
http://noorhasnahadam.multiply.com
EMAIL
[email protected]
Blk 817 #03-339
Woodlands St 82
Singapore 730817
Tel: (65) 8437 0395
(65) 8399 6685
ISBN
9971-77-455-0
Tuntun Props
Blk 817 #03-339
Woodlands St 82
Singapore 730817
Tel: (65) 8437 0395
(65) 8399 6685
ISBN
978-981-08-0923-2
ISBN
978-981-08-0922-5
124 |
| 125
Rasiah Halil
Ayah Tidak Sayang
Padaku Lagi (2007)
[Father No Longer
Loves Me]
Hikayat Sri Anggerik
(2007)
[The Chronicles of
Sri Anggerik]
Twelve short stories
and two radio plays.
The stories and plays,
intended for teenagers
and young adults, deal
with themes like the
importance of family
support and love,
puppy love, the search
for identity, idealism,
education and modernity
versus westernization.
A substantial anthology
of selected poems, short
stories and essays which
capture, reflect and
chronicle a span of 34
years (1972-2006), which
period covers the era and
life journey of the author
and her contemporaries.
Mostly written in Malay,
with a few works in
English.
Fiction; Radio Drama
Poetry; Fiction; Prose.
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419913
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
com.sg
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419913
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
com.sg
ISBN
ISBN
978-9971-77-525-4
978-9971-77-524-7
126 |
Rasiah Halil is a poet, writer, translator, educator and
trainer. Her first work, a poem, was published in 1972.
Her works dwell largely on social and humanitarian
issues, and include Perbualan Buku Catatan Seorang
Gipsi [Conversations: Notebook of a Gypsy; 1988], Orang
Luar [The Outsider; 1991], Sungei & Lautan [River &
Ocean; 1995], Ayah Tidak Sayang Padaku Lagi [Father No
Longer Loves Me; 2007] and Hikayat Sri Anggerik [The
Chronicles of Sri Anggerik; 2007]. Since 1983, her works
have received many Commendation and three Malay
Literature Awards: for the poem, “Peristiwa” [“Incident”]
in 1999; for the poem “Dalang: Episod Tiga” [“Puppeteer:
The Third Episode”] in 2001; and for her literary essay,
“Nilai Penulis Berdasarkan Karya Bukan Kerjaya”
[“Evaluate a Writer Based on His/Her Writings, Not His/
Her Profession”] in 2009, from the Malay Language
Council of Singapore. Under the pseudonym of “Sri
Anggerik”, she wrote a fortnightly column (1998-2006)
for the Malay newspaper, Berita Minggu, and a weekly
literary column (2004-2009) for Berita Minggu with “Tun
Fatimah” for pen name. She has taught in a few schools
and three institutions of higher learning in Singapore
and Brunei. Rasiah attended the University of Iowa’s
International Writing Programme in 1995 on a Fulbright
scholarship.
b 1956
EMAIL
[email protected]
Rohani Bte Din
Born in Kampung Ara Kuda on the border of Kedah
and Seberang Perai, Malaysia, Rohani Bte Din was
educated at Sungei Dua Primary School and Dato
Onn Secondary School in Butterworth. She started
writing after she became a grandmother in 1997. Her
first novel, Diari Bonda [A Mother’s Diary; 1999], was
followed by Diari Bonda II [A Mother’s Diary II; 2000].
Both books, drawing from her life, are envisaged as
part of a continuing series. “Anugerah Buat Syamsiah”
[“Award for Syamsiah”] won the 2001 Sayembara Novel
Watan Competition (for unpublished novels) and was
published in 2002, with a reprint in the same year.
In 2003, Rohani entered the same competition and
came in second with “Sanggar Anugerah Istana Kami
I & II ” [“Villa of Blessings, Our Palace I & II ”; 2004].
Her teenage novel Masih Ada Yang Sayang [There is
Still Love; 2004], was inspired by a meeting with the
students of Balestier Hill Secondary School which she
visited in 2003. She was similarly inspired to write Ku
Tunai Janji [I Fulfill the Promise; 2006] after meeting
students from Balestier Hill and Mayflower secondary
schools in 2004. She has also published a volume of
poetry, Membilang Langkah [Counting the Steps; 2011].
b 1953
Lara Di Pinggir Sepi
(2009)
[Sorrow at the Edge
of Silence]
The fifth book in the
confessional Diari Bonda
series. The narrator
searches for happiness,
but receives pain and
suffering instead. She
feels continually tested
by the Almighty, but
endures despite her
age. She believes in
His promise that pain
will be replaced by the
happiness of marriage,
the blessings of children,
and in time to come,
their spouses and
grandchildren. She seeks
peace and happiness so
that her soul will be at
peace to do His bidding
as a responsible follower
of Islam.
Sanggar Anugerah
Istana Kami I & II
(2004)
[Villa of Blessings,
Our Palace I & II]
A village girl’s miserable
life further deteriorates
after she accompanies
her stepfather to another
kampong in Lombok,
Indonesia. On her way
to Singapore where she
is sent for domestic
work, she is raped in
Batam. Then too, her
first employer is a pork
butcher, but life improves
with her second, a
wealthy man who brings
her on pilgrimage to
Mecca. Subsequently,
with the blessing of his
first wife, she becomes
his second wife and is
given a house in Bintan.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
Sarjana Media
G-51 Hentian Pudu Raya
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (60) 3 4149 7624
Fax: (60) 3 2070 4015
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419913
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
com.sg
ISBN
983-3786-15-2
ISBN
9971-77-530-1
9971-77-531-X
| 127
Rohman Munasip
Rohman Munasip is a poet, short-story writer and
essayist. His interest in Malay literature started as a
hobby in 1975, which year also saw his first poem, “Jihad
Secangkir Ceritera
(2010)
[A Cup of Stories]
Twenty-two short stories
which were published in
Berita Minggu between
1993 and 2008.This
collection includes
stories which won the
Anugerah Persuratan
from Majlis Bahasa
Melayu Singapura.
Bicara Karya (2005)
[Reviews of Works]
A collection of book
reviews and several
critical essays expressing
the author’s views on
books written by Malay
Singaporean writers in
various genres: poetry,
fiction, short fiction and
the essay.
Kami” [“Our Struggle”] published in Berita Minggu. His
engagement with literary activities came about through
his involvement in the Toa Payoh Library’s Writers’
Corner. He reads his poetry at many literary events, and
on radio and television shows. His short story “Suatu
Ketika” [“Once Upon a Time”] and radio drama script
“Titik Pertemuan” [“Meeting Point”] won respectively
the 2001 and 2011 Anugerah Persuratan (Literary Prize)
awarded by the Malay Language Council of Singapore.
“Dari Stesen Ke Stesen” [“From Station to Station”]
was runner-up in the 1993 Sayembara Sastera (Literary
Competition). Three short stories were given the Hadiah
Penghargaan (Appreciation Award) in the Anugerah
Persuratan awards: “Masjid Sempurna” [“Ideal Mosque”;
1995], “Potret Diri Seorang Penyair” [“Self-Portrait of a
Poet”; 1999] and “Kalau Cuaca Malam Panas Membara”
[“The Very Warm Weather of the Night”; 2003]. He
has published a volume of poetry, two collections of
short-stories and a collection of book reviews. They
are Keroncong Penyair [Songs of a Poet; 2003]; Sebuah
Madrasah dan Suatu Percakapan [A Madrasah and A
Sabri Buang
Sabri Buang is an artistic director, writer and director
of theatre and television. He has won many awards,
first in inter-school drama and youth theatre festivals,
then in international theatre festivals including the 5th
Fiesta Internacional Del Teatro San Martin De Caracas in
Venezuela (2002), for his artistic and scenographic works.
He was invited by the UNESCO International Theatre
Institute to showcase his works in festivals in Romania
(2000-2001) and Athens (2002). In 2000, he created
“Medea”, a collaborative project between Mosaic Youth
Theatre in Detroit and Singapore’s LASALLE College of
the Arts School of Drama.“Medea” was staged in both
Detroit and Singapore. Sabri was the first Asian to Head
the School of Drama at LASALLE College of the Arts,
from 1999-2003. As Director (Scenography) from 20032005 in Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur’s National Theatre,
he helmed many productions as Artistic Director, and
worked with multicultural artistes. Sabri’s creative
flair makes him sought after by various artistes and
organisations. He has published one novel, Jeda (Pause;
2001) and is working on a collection of his theatrical and
creative writings, scheduled for publication in 2012. He
is currently the Artistic Director, Animal Presentations,
Wildlife Reserves Singapore.
Dialogue; 2005]; Secangkir Ceritera [A Cup of Stories;
2010]; and Bicara Karya [Reviews of Works; 2005).
Fiction
Book reviews of 20th century
Malay literature; history and
criticism
LANGUAGE
Malay
b 1954
b 1964
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
[email protected]
Jeda (2001; repr. 2006)
[Pause]
“The novel relates the
struggles of a boy who, in
trying to build a better life,
leaves his village and aging
mother in order to chase
his own dreams. Originating
from Solo in Java, he
leaves his homeland with
a friend. The story is full
of complexities, suspense,
struggles, sacrifices,
melancholy, yet is witty as it
narrates the life-journey of
a fisherman’s son, trying to
make a living in Singapore.
Despite the trials that he has
to go through, with strong
will and determination, he
overcomes them all for the
sake of his dreams.”
(With permission, fr. website
of Pustaka Nasional; transl.
by the Publisher)
Fiction
LANGUAGE
Malay
LANGUAGE
Rohman Munasip
Malay
Blk 31 Teban Gardens Rd
#03-219
Singapore 600031
Tel: (65) 9698 3042
Email: rohman@singnet.
com.sg
ISBN
978-981-08-6480-4
Media Enterprise
C P Seet, Director
10 Ubi Crescent
#02-04 Ubi Techpark
Singapore 408564
Tel: (65) 6749 3563
Fax: (65) 6749 3567
Email: cp.seet@
AWARDS
Appreciation Award
Sayembara Novel Watan (2001)
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419913
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
com.sg
ISBN
ISBN
98-105-4202-X
128 |
9971-77-436-4
| 129
Puisi Luka & Puisi
Duka (2004)
[Poems of Hurt &
Poems of Sorrow]
Forty-two poems,
comprising those
selected from the
Jalan Permulaan [The
Beginning; 1982], and
Portret Isteri Yang Hilang
[The Lost Portrait of a
Wife; 1993] as well as
then unpublished poems.
The volume is divided into
two parts. “Puisi-Puisi
Luka” [“Poems of Hurt”]
comprises 17 poems
characterised by their
depiction of injustice
committed by children
on their fathers. “PuisiPuisi Duka” [“Poems of
Sorrow”] has 25 poems
dealing with cruelties in
the world today.
Penghulu Yang
Hilang Segalagalanya (1998)
[The Headman who
Lost Everything]
A novel of dispossession,
anger and regret. The
protagonist Pak Suleh
recalls his island, Pulau
Sebidang, as it was, ruled
by his forefathers more
than a hundred years ago,
but now fallen into the
hands of foreigners who
claim ownership of it. He
and those who were born
and bred for decades on
this island-home are now
driven into dwelling in
pigeon-holes.
Poetry
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Malay
Malay
AWARDS
Poetry Award by Malay
Language & Literary
Council (2005)
Fajar Bakti Sendirian Berhad
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419913
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
com.sg
ISBN
9971-77-507-7
130 |
4 Jalan Pemaju
U1/15 Seksyen U1
Hicom Glenmarie
Industrial Park
40150 Shah Alam
Selangor
Malaysia
ISBN NO.
967-65-5587-8
An educator, poet, fictionist and essayist, Suratman
Markasan trained as a teacher at Sultan Idris Training
College in Perak, (then) Malaya, from 1948-50. He was
a primary schoolteacher in Singapore before going back
to school and graduating from Nanyang University in
1971 with a degree in Malay and Indonesian Literature.
He became a Specialist Inspector with the Ministry
of Education in 1976 and was appointed its Assistant
Director for Malay and Tamil Studies in 1980. In 1981, he
became a lecturer at the Institute of Education, retiring
as an Adjunct Lecturer in 1995. Suratman started writing
poetry in 1954 and a few years later, ventured into fiction
as well. His works include Perempuan Kerudung Hitam
[The Woman with the Black Veil; short fiction, 1991];
Potret Isteri Yang Hilang [The Lost Portrait of a Wife;
poetry, 1993]; Penghulu Yang Hilang Segala-galanya [The
Headman who Lost Everything; fiction, 1998]; Kembali
Kepada Al-Quran [Return to the Koran; short fiction,
2000]; Bangsa Melayu Singapura Dalam Transformasi
Budayanya [Singaporean Malays in a Time of Cultural
Change; essays, 2005]; Puisi Luka & Puisi Duka [Poems
of Hurt and Poems of Sorrow; 2004]; and Puisi-puisi
Perjalanan [Poems of Life; 2010]. He received the
Southeast Asia Write Award (1989), the Mont Blanc-NUS
Centre for the Arts Award (1997), the Tun Seri Lanang
Literary Award (1999), Nusantara Literary Award (1999),
and the Cultural Medallion (2011).
b 1930
EMAIL
[email protected]
Aandeappan Narayanan 133
Amallathasan 134
M Balakrishnan (Ma Elankannan) 135
Visvanatha Iyer Ikkuvanam (Ikkuvanam) 136
Paatheral Illamaran 137
Indrajit Perumal Pillay 138
K T M Iqbal 139
Jayanthi Sankar 140
K Kanagalatha (Latha) 141
Rama Kannabiran 142
P Krishnan (Puthumaithasan) 143
Murugathasan 144
M K Narayanan 145
S P Paneerselvam 146
Parvathy Poobalan 147
J M Sali 148
S S Sarma 149
Pon Sundararaju 150
Thangaraju s/o Muthu Veerasamy 151
S Varathan 152
131
TAMIL
Suratman Markasan
Aandeappan
Narayanan
Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Naa Aandeappan has written
three books.
(Bharathi’s View
of Paanchali; 1985) is a play based on the Mahabaratha;
(Rama the Victor; 1993) is a
dramatisation of the Ramayana, while
(Across the Ocean; 2007) is an autobiography. He was
Honorary Secretary of the Assocation of Singapore Tamil
Writers in 1995, and has been Chairman of the Association
since 2005.
b 1947
EMAIL
[email protected]
(2007)
[Across the Ocean]
(1993)
[Rama the Victor]
An autobiography of
the writer who has
lived and worked
in India, Malaysia
and Singapore. He
recounts his untiring
efforts to better his
life and his attempts
through dedicated
service to improve the
organisations of which
he took charge.
A dramatisation of
the great epic, the
Ramayana, rendered in
Tamil by the
poet Kambar.
Autobiography
Drama
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
Malarmaamani
Pathippakam
Mera Pathippakam
Pulavar Kudil
Periyar Nagar
Madippakkam
Chennai 600091
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: (91) 44 22582065
ISBN
981-00-4487-9
ISBN
978-981-08-1391-8
| 133
Amallathasan
(2004)
[The Flute]
Sixty poems on various
subjects, including
nature, society, love,
the Tamil language
and Singapore as a
nation. The nature
poems employ both an
economy of style and a
rich suggestiveness.
(2004)
[Thamizhavel:
Leader of the
Tamils]
Comprising 10 chapters
in verse, the book begins
with the immigrant
history of the Tamils and
covers the Japanese
Occupation of Singapore.
It describes the living
conditions of pre- and
post-independent
Singapore, and
concludes with the great
deeds of Thamizhavel
G Sarangapany (1903 –
1974), the founder of the
daily, Tamil Murasu, and
the annual Tamil Festival.
Malaysian-born Kavignareru Amallathasan is a
poet eager to propagate patriotism and humanism
among Singaporeans. An Advisor to the Association
of Singapore Tamil Writers, he was its President from
1987 to 2005, and initiated the annual Thamizhavel
Award for Tamil writers. In 2005, his lyric,“
” [“While saying Singapore”],
won First Prize in the Tamil section of a songwriting
competition for the four official languages and was
sung at the 2006 National Day Parade. Amallathasan’s
“
” [“Dead Tree”] was one of the poems
selected for display on the MRT. He has published two
volumes of poetry,
and
[The Flute; 2004],
[Thamizhavel, Leader
[The Flute] was
of theTamils; 2004].
shortlisted for the 2006 Singapore Literature Prize.
He has received awards like Kavignareru (1989),
Inamana Pavalar (2005), Thamizhavel Kondan (2005),
Community Service Awards (2001; 2003; 2005; 2006),
the Thamizhavel Award (2006) and the BarathiBarathithasan Award (2007) from various organisations
in Singapore, Malaysia and India.
M Balakrishnan
(Ma Elangkannan)
Ma Elangkannan is the pen name of M Balakrishnan, who
has published five collections of short stories and three
novels. His fiction has appeared in Tamil newspapers
and magazines in Singapore, Malaysia and India. His
works have been translated into English and Malay and
broadcast on Radio Singapore. A short story has also
been dramatised for television. Several of his books are
used as school texts. Balakrishnan has won short story
competitions at home and abroad. He was the first Tamil
writer to receive the Southeast Asia Write Award in 1982.
He received the Thamizhavel Award in 1999 from the
Association of Singapore Tamil Writers in recognition of
his literary contributions.
[Fish on Hook;
2001; repr. 2006] won the Singapore Literature Prize for
Tamil Fiction in 2004. He received the Cultural Medallion
from the National Arts Council in 2005. Balakrishnan
depicts the Indian experience in cosmopolitan, multicultural Singapore through the lives of local Tamils from
various social strata and historical periods, from the
British colonial period to the Japanese Occupation and
more recent times. He has, through stories which seek to
highlight the plight of the working class, become a voice
Poetry
Poetry
for the silent and disenfranchised.
b 1939
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Transcreation in English
by Kaviyogi
Tamil
Transcreation in English
by Kaviyogi
AWARDS
Shortlisted, Singpore
Kavignareru Amallathasan
Kavignareru Amallathasan
308 Jurong East Street 32
#06-268
Singapore 600308
Tel: (65) 6563 4253
(65) 8330 7371
Email:
kavignareruamallathasan@
yahoo.com.sg
308 Jurong East Street 32
#06-268
Singapore 600308
Tel: (65) 6563 4253
(65) 8330 7371
Email:
kavignareruamallathasan@
yahoo.com.sg
EMAIL
[email protected]
(1999; repr. 2006)
[Patterns of
Reflection]
and
(1976;
repr. 2006)
[Waves]
(1990; repr. 2006)
[Flowers of Dawn]
A post-independence
novel about man in
search of meaning and
purpose in life and lifetruths. The novel also
champions the cause of
women.
[Patterns of Reflection]
is the story of a girl
born and brought up
in Singapore, and the
problems she faces
through a forced
marriage which
transplants her to Tamil
Nadu.
[Waves] is the story about
two individuals from
different races who fall
in love and overcome the
racial conflicts which
ensue.
Fiction
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
Ma Elangkannan
Ma Elangkannan
Blk 109 Bishan St 12
#08-172
Singapore 570109
Tel: (65) 6353 3905
(65) 9449 0315
(65) 9178 7404 (Mrs Arul)
Email:elangkannan@yahoo.
com.sg
Blk 109 Bishan St 12
#08-172
Singapore 570109
Tel: (65) 6353 3905
(65) 9449 0315
(65) 9178 7404 (Mrs Arul)
Email:elangkannan@yahoo.
com.sg
ISBN
ISBN
981-05-6840-1
981-05-6839-8
b 1938
EMAIL
[email protected]
ISBN
981-05-0882-4
ISBN
981-05-0881-6
134 |
| 135
Visvanatha Iyer
Ikkuvanam (Ikkuvanam)
Paatheral Illamaran
Born in Madras, India, Illamaran came to Singapore in
1956. He started writing in 1964, studying and reading
Born in India, V Ikkuvanam came to Singapore in
1952 and has been one of the most significant poets
in Singapore’s Tamil literary scene over the past 40
years. He was a librarian at the University of Malaya
(Singapore) for several years. He was Editor of
(2000)
[Picturesque Poetry]
(1994)
[Land of Happiness]
A technically challenging
volume showing metrical
mastery of the different
forms of poetry. This
kind of poetry is akin to
completing a complicated
crossword puzzle and
conveying a meaningful
poem through the image.
It requires the precise
positioning of words and
great linguistic discipline.
Two hundred and
seventy-five Tamil poems
which delineate the
historic contributions
made by Lee Kuan
Yew to the evolution
of modern Singapore.
The poems cover the
history of the city state,
specific changes in the
last 25 years and the
contributions of Mr Lee
to the well-being of
Singapore.
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
V. Ikkuvanam
V. Ikkuvanam
Blk 201 Clementi Avenue 6
#02-37
Singapore 120201
Tel: (65) 6872 6415
Blk 201 Clementi Avenue 6
#02-37
Singapore 120201
Tel: (65) 6872 6415
136 |
ISBN
ISBN
981-00-4660-X
981-00-4659-6
Tamil Murasu and Tamil Malar, two Tamil dailies in
Singapore. For more than 20 years, he was a translator
and Tamil newsreader for Radio Malaysia and Radio
Singapore. He has received numerous awards from
organisations like the Singapore Tamil Literary Circle
(Venba Chirpi; 1993), the London Tamil Society (Venba
Venthan; 1994), the Sithbavaanandha Asraman Theni of
India (Arutkavi Chelva; 2002), the Singapore Indian Fine
Arts Society (Kala Ratna; 2008) and the Association of
Singapore Tamil Writers. (Thamizhavel Award; 2009).
b 1923
Tamil and Tamil literature on his own. His poems
have been published in newspapers in Singapore and
Malaysia. He has contributed numerous poems to
radio and television and has released two compact
discs of devotional songs. To date, he has written more
than five hundred poems. Many of these have been
collected in
[Honey Poems; 1981; 2002);
[Moon; 1988], a volume intended for primary and
secondary schools;
[Ice Cream; 1988; 2009,
with CD and book];
[Thinking and
Testing; 1990; 1997), a volume commemorating the
twenty-fifth anniversary of Singapore’s independence;
[Quake; 2002] and
[Smashed Mirror;
2009].
“In 1981, it was said that Singapore poets aren’t giving
importance to the growth of their nation in their poems. But in
this book… Paatheral Illamaran has proven all wrong. He has
shown that Singapore poets aren’t as ignorant as others think.”
Transl extract fr article by Prof M. Sithambaram; Tamil Murasu
(1982)
b 1945
(1992; 1998, with
CD & Book; 2nd ed.
2009, with CD &
Book)
[Ice-cream]
The first book of nursery
rhymes intended for
toddlers and children in
playgroups. There are
songs on ducks, murukku
[a popular Indian snack],
sandals, intelligence,
lamp-posts, a crow, dolls,
stars, an aeroplane,
flowers, and a policeman.
Specially written for
children, all songs can be
sung by them.
(1981; repr. 2002)
[Honey Poems]
Seventy poems selected
from poems written
between 1964 and 1980,
and grouped under six
sections: “Language”,
which elucidates the
grace and patriotism
of Tamil; “Country”,
with poems about
Singapore, and its
leaders; “Community”,
with poems about
the changing social
environment; “Feelings”,
which addresses love and
female beauty; “Lyrics”
on love; and “General”
poems.
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
Paatheral Illamaran
Paatheral Illamaran
Blk 351
Tampines St 33
#06-458
Singapore 520351
Tel: (65) 6781 8714
Blk 351
Tampines St. 33
#06-458
Singapore 520351
Tel: (65) 6781 8714
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-3000-8
981-04-5547
| 137
Indrajit
Perumal Pillay
A television producer for the Tamil section of MediaCorp,
Indrajit Perumal Pillay has been writing for the past 25
years. He has published two collections of poetry,
[Breath of Spring; 1998), and
[People Waiting for the Train; 2010];
two collections of short fiction, Veetukku Vanthaar [He
Came Home; 2001] and
(2010)
[People Waiting For
the Train]
Thirty-two poems
which address the
relationships between
lonely city dwellers Singaporeans who
are used to being
alone - and how the
loneliness comes back
subsequently to haunt
them.
(2008)
[Two New Faces]
Fifteen stories which
revolve around lonely
individuals. In
[“The
Moment”], a young
student from India
who is married to her
Singaporean uncle,
meets a young local
student. But whether
their friendship
develops into a fullblown relationship
is left to the reader’s
imagination.
[Two New Faces; 2008]; and a collection of essays,
[Place, Word, Time; 2009], where
he shares his thoughts on various social topics like Tamil
culture, literature and the need for Tamil intellectuals
to modernize their thinking. He writes for Uyirosai
(Uyirmmai.com) a Tamil internet weekly magazine
from Chennai, and Thangameen (Thangameen.com)
an internet monthly magazine from Singapore. He also
writes short stories for various literary magazines.
“Indrajit undertakes the Herculean task of revealing the inner self of
the modern man…This visceral study of today’s man is told from a
refreshingly new satirical perspective.”
Manushya Puthiran, contemporary Indian poet
K T M Iqbal
Iqbal has authored seven collections of poetry and written
over two hundred children’s songs for Radio Singapore’s
programme in the seventies to eighties,
“
“ [“Let us sing”]. He has contributed
poems, essays and short stories to the region’s leading
newspapers and magazines. His poems “
”
[“Morning”], “
” [“Blue Mirror”] and
“
[“Breath of Poetry”] are included in Tamil
texts for Singapore schools. Another poem, “
”
[“Water”], was selected by the National Arts Council for
display in MRT trains and for exhibition at EXPO 2000 in
Hanover, Germany. English translations of his poems,
by R Balachandran, appear in The Evening Number and
Other Poems (2008). He was an associate editor of the
anthologies, Rhythms (2000) and Fifty on 50 (2009). His
awards include the Montblanc – NUS Centre for the Arts
Literary Award (Tamil Category; 1996); the Thamizhavel
Award (1999) from the Association of Singapore Tamil
Writers; the Southeast Asia Write Award (2001) and the
Kala Ratna [Gem of the Arts] Award from the Singapore
Indian Fine Arts Society.
(2003)
[The Smell of Paper]
many of which first
appeared in the Tamil
daily, Tamil Murasu.
The poems address
a variety of topics:
society, superstition,
the common man.
(2000)
[In Need of Dreams]
A collection of 52 Tamil
poems on various
subjects. Included are
“
” [“Evening
Number”], “
”
[“Autumn Tree”], “
”
[“From my Tomb”],
“
”
[“The Critic’s Hunt”] and
“
” [“Water”].
“Indrajit is capable of writing world class stories.”
Prapanchan, India’s Sahithya Academy award winner
Poetry
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
AWARDS
Uyirmmai
Best Collection of Short
Fiction from Association
of Singapore Tamil Writers
(2010)
11/29 Subramaniam Street
Abiramapuram
India
Tel: (91) 44 24993448
ISBN
978-93-80072-31-7
Uyirmmai
11/29 Subramaniam Street
Abiramapuram
India
Tel: (91) 44 24993448
Email: uyirmmai@gmail.
com
b 1963
b 1940
EMAIL
EMAIL
[email protected]
[email protected]
Poetry
Poetry
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
Win Pathippagam
Ezhil Publication
Tanjavur
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: 4362 232351
Email: winwingv@yahoo.
com.in
73 Habibullah Road
Thiyagaragar Nagar
Chennai 600017
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: 044-8218463
ISBN
ISBN
Nil
Nil
ISBN
978-81-908140-0-3
138 |
| 139
Jayanthi Sankar
Born in Madurai, the temple city of South India, Jayanthi
Sankar has lived in Singapore since 1990. She has written
articles for Singapore’s daily, Tamil Murasu, as well as
Tamil magazines in India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland
K Kanagalatha (Latha)
Kanagalatha (Latha) has published two collections of
[Firespace; 2003), and
poetry in Tamil:
[A Screwpine in the
Snakeforest; 2004). Her collection of short stories,
and the United States. A prolific writer known for simple
(2010)
[The Horizon Afar]
The reader is offered
a fabulous taste of
Singapore’s past and
present from these
compassionate short
stories: from the boy
and his rickshaw
puller, set during the
Japanese Occupation in
“
”
[“Tea House”], to the
secondary schoolboy
stressed out by his
life in “
”
[“School Bag”], or the
prevaricating modern
teenager in “
” [“Melissa’s
Choices”].
(2008)
[Dispersion
of the Mind]
The novel uses a
modern format and
narration to address,
perhaps for the
first time in Tamil
literature in Singapore,
the complex issues
pertaining to the love
between the hero
and heroine, such
as readiness for the
lifelong commitment
which marriage
apparently requires, the
yardstick for love, if one
is possible, and the role
of the unexpected.
2007], won the Singapore Literature Prize for Fiction
which uses Singapore as a backdrop and which deals
in 2008. Her poems and short stories have appeared
with local issues. She has a genuine interest in other
in Words, Home and Nation (1995), a multilingual
cultures, particularly Chinese language and culture. She
has authored more than 20 books, including six collections
of short fiction, four novels and a novelette collection. Her
short story collection,
many prizes and awards include the Thisai Ettum Literary
Award (2009), Ilakkiya Sindanai (2008) and Thiruppoor
Arima Sakthi Award (2007). Another short story collection,
(Migration; 2008), was shortlisted for the
2010 Singapore Literature Prize.
“Jayanthi has brought out very well together the unique theme and the
psychology of modern Indian Singaporeans. For the same reason, her
Manappirigai is a novel worthy of attention.”
R Venkatesh, in Thenral- [a North American Tamil magazine;
April, 2009]
Fiction
b 1962
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
EMAIL
Tamil
Tamil
Sandhya Publications
New No 77, 53rd Street
9th Ave Ashok Nagar
Chennai 600083
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: (91) 44 24896979
Email: sandhyapublications@
gmail.com
New No 77, 53rd Street
9th Ave Ashok Nagar
Chennai 600083
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: (91) 44 24896979
Email:
sandhyapublications@
gmail.com
ISBN
Nil
140 |
ISBN
Nil
anthology by the Centre for the Arts, National University
of Singapore; the National Arts Council’s Rhythms
(2000), Fifty on 50 and Tumasik (2009), and various
Tamil literary journals in India, Malaysia, France and
Sri Lanka. Her bilingual poem, “Still Human”, was
featured in the National Arts Council’s “MRT: Poems
on the Move” series (1996); “
” [“Rag and
[email protected]
WEBSITE
http://kafafa.com/jeyanthisankar/?ref=1
http://jeyanthisankar.wordpress.com/
http://jeyanthisankar.blogspot.com/
http://sankari01sg.blogspot.com/
(2007)
[Women I Murder]
(2003)
[A Screwpine in the
Snakeforest]
The 10 stories in this
collection depict the
female struggle for peace
and identity within the
male-dominated Indian
community in Singapore.
A collection of 60 poems
exploring themes of race,
gender, history and myth.
The poems are pointed
musings on personal and
social issues.
Bone Man”] was part of “Moving Words 2011”, The
Literary Centre’s showcase of Singaporean literature
on the MRT. She is currently the Sunday editor of Tamil
Murasu, Singapore’s Tamil daily.
“What is special about Jayanthi Sankar’s short stories is that they are
written without presumption, but from natural inspiration. That is very
clear when we read her fiction.” Fr the Foreword by R Muttulingam
Fiction
Sandhya Publications
(2006; Back Seat), was
shortlisted for the 2008 Singapore Literature Prize. Her
[Women I Murder;
and realistic narration, she is known worldwide for fiction
b 1968
Fiction
Poetry
EMAIL
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
AWARDS
AWARDS
(2008)
Kanagalatha
Kalachuvadu Publication
Blk 26
#09-38 Jalan Klinik
Singapore 260016
Tel: (65) 9856 6323
Email: kanagalatha@
hotmail.com
669 KP Road
Nagercoil 629001
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: (91) 4652 278525
Email: kalachuvardu@
sancharnet.in
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-05-9382-7
81-87477-95-4
[email protected]
| 141
P Krishnan
(Puthumaithasan)
Rama Kannabiran
Rama Kannabiran is an essayist, short-story writer,
novelist and schoolteacher. He has published four
collections of short stories, including
(Twenty-Five Years and Other Stories;
1980), which won the 1982 National Book Development
Council of Singapore Award for Tamil Fiction; and the
parable-novel
(1992)
[Pedestal of Power]
(Pedestal of Power)
was written as a
residential project at
the University of Iowa
during Kannabiran’s
participation in the Iowa
International Writing
Programme in 1988. It
is a modern parable,
supporting the free
will and freedom of
sculptor-artists who are
oppressed physically
and spiritually by a
megalomaniac of a tyrant
in an island of a distant
archipelago. This novella
also addresses the
position of the mother
tongue in relation to the
dominance of the English
language and argues
that the mother tongue
must be preserved.
short stories have been featured in 18 anthologies in
(1980)
[Twenty-Five Years
and Other Stories]
Twelve short stories
which analyse the
psyche and behaviour
of the English and
Tamil-educated Indians
against the local
backdrop of a multiracial and
multi-religious society.
fiction-writing workshops for young writers, judged
Krishnan has published six books:
[Literary Scenes; 1990];
writing competitions and has been on the Advisory
Panel of the National Arts Council since 2000. He
represented Singapore at the Iowa International
[Puthumaithasan Stories; 1993], a short story collection
which won the 1994 National Book Development Council
Writing Programme in 1998 and was an honorary
of Singapore Commendation Award;
Writing Fellow there. Kannabiran has received the
(1996),
Southeast Asian Write Award (1990), the Montblanc
– NUS Centre for the Arts Literary Award (1997),
Arts Council, the Thamizhavel Award (2004) from
the Association of Singapore Tamil Writers, and the
Bharathiyar and Bharathidasan Literary Award (2007)
from the Tamil Language and Cultural Society.
[Macbeth]
[Annasamy, the HDB
Flat Dweller; 2000],
(2008)
[Animal Farm]
A transcreative
dramatisation of George
Orwell’s political satire on
communism in Stalinist
Russia. The play is
written in 52 scenes with
elegant dialogue.
[Dried Leaf; 2006] and
[Animal Farm,2008]. Among
the many awards he has received are the prestigious
Thamizhavel Award (1998), the Southeast Asia Write
Award (2005) and the Cultural Medallion (2008)
(2006)
[Dried Leaf]
A collection of 26 plays
transcreated and
dramatised from the
world’s great short
stories and novelettes
such as “The Living Relic”
(Ivan Turgenev), “The Bet”
(Anton Chekhov), “The
Useless Beauty” (Guy
de Mauppassant), “The
Toilers of the Sea” (Victor
Hugo), “The Tell-Tale
Heart” (Edgar Allan Poe),
”The Last Leaf” (O Henry)
and “A Madman’s Diary”
(Lu Xun).
“Sarugu reveals the vibrancy of a language that has kept itself
functionally alive and creatively exuberant.” Prema Nandakumar, The
Hindu, May 12 2009, Chennai
“ … the writer has written in elegant Tamil...The depiction of
each scene, the structure, and clarity of feeling all make for the
outstanding qualities of the book.” Latha, “To read good Tamil:
Vilanggupanai”, Tamil Murasu, Sep 12 2010
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
Tamil Puthakalayam
Tamil Puthakalayam
58 T P Koil St
Triplicane
Chennai 600005
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: (65) 24345904
(91) 44 24345904
58 T P Koil St
Triplicane
Chennai 600005
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: (65) 24345904
(91) 44 24345904
ISBN
ISBN
142 |
Tamil, English, Chinese and Malay. He has conducted
the Cultural Medallion (1998) from the National
Fiction
Nil
(Pedestal of Power; 1992). His
Krishnan is a short-story writer, playwright, poet and
radio broadcaster. He has written some 40 short stories,
100 essays and poems, 360 plays for radio, television, the
stage and for journals. He has translated Shakespeare,
Byron and Keats, among others. Krishnan was the first
writer to translate Shakespeare’s Macbeth into Tamil,
which play was subsequently staged. One of the writers
featured in the National Library’s Pioneer Gallery,
Nil
b 1943
b 1932
Drama
Drama
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
DDISTRIBUTOR / PUBLISHER
M Poongundran
M Poongundran
Thamil Nilam
115 Canal Bank Rd
T Nagar, Chennai 600035
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: (91) 94 44440449
Thamil Nilam
115 Canal Bank Rd
T Nagar, Chennai 600035
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: (91) 94 44440449
ISBN
ISBN
Nil
Nil
| 143
M K Narayanan
Murugathasan
Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Murugathasan started
writing at the age of 13. To date, he has published 14
volumes of poetry. His first book,
[Tribute to Lord Muruga; 1975]
comprises songs in praise of Lord Muruga. His latest
book is
(2008)
[Union]
One short story set in the
early days of Singapore,
is about a character
who moves from India
to Singapore, and the
impact of events on
his life and the lives of
others. Interspersed
within the short story are
seventy poems, many of
which draw on the prose
narrative for their theme
and subject.
(2008)
[Water and Fire]
Sixty-five poems drawn
around the contrasting
states of fire (denoting
harshness, unhappiness,
agony) and water
(coolness, gentleness,
accommodation) as
applied to individuals
and gender. The volume
includes poems in praise
of famous Tamil writers
who have passed on.
M K Narayanan joined the then Radio Television
Singapore as a broadcaster in 1964, and rose through
the ranks to head Olikalanjiyam 96.8, the Tamil Section,
from 1981 to 1994. He has written and produced over a
thousand radio, TV and stage plays, the most famous of
[Water and Fire; 2008], a
which were the plays for the long-running series,
selection of his poems. He received the Mont Blanc-
“
NUS Centre for the Arts Literature Prize (1998),
radio version of the Hindu epic The Mahabaratham,
the Kavigar Sozhan Award in India (2009), and the
Singapore Literature Prize (2010).
” (“Mystery Theatre”). His serialized
in 64 episodes, was extremely popular with the Tamil
community. As a result, he was bestowed the Kalai
Maamani (Supreme in the Arts) by 14 Indian cultural
“
[The Union] is a work to feed the love and passion
for the Tamil language to Tamiliani.” Dr S Thinnappan, National
University of Singapore
organizations in 1988. In the same year, the late Senior
Minister, S. Rajaratnam, conferred on him the Kala
Ratna (Gem of the Arts) for his contributions to the
development of the Tamil language in Singapore. In
(2009)
[A Handbook for
Writers ]
A handbook for writers
interested in the literary
arts, encompassing
radio, TV and stage
plays, poetry, short
stories and novels.
1990, he received the Golden Medallion Award from the
Singapore Kerala Association, Singapore Ceylon Tamils
Association and Singapore Malayalee Hindu Samajam.
He was honoured by Global Arts and Talent with a LifeTime Achievement Award in 2010.
Poetry / Fiction
Poetry
b 1944
EMAIL
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
AWARDS
(2010)
Santhan Murugan
Thendral Pathippagam
Blk 250 Jurong East Street 24
#03-148
Singapore 600250
Tel: (65) 6899 6319
Sweethai Pathippaggam
6/16 Phoappu
Bengadasalam Theru
Thiruvallikkaeni
Chennai 600005
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: 044-28443791 / 9790
706 548 / 9444 835 757
[email protected]
b 1937
EMAIL
[email protected]
(1999)
[Prodigal Son: Lee
Kuan Yew; A History
of Singapore, 1819 –
1990 ]
A history of Singapore’s
growth from 1819-1990,
with particular attention
to its development under
the leadership of Lee
Kuan Yew and the role
of Indians in nationbuilding. This is the only
Tamil book that deals
comprehensively with the
topic.
Non-Fiction
Non-Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
SNP Editions
Goodman Arts Centre
90 Goodman Road
Blk A #01-01
Singapore 439053
Tel/Fax: (65) 6346 9400
ISBN
981-4032-2-98
ISBN
978-981-08-2762-5
ISBN
ISBN
981-05-6251-9
144 |
978-981-05-7974-6
| 145
S P Panneerselvam
Parvathy Poobalan
S P Panneerselvam is a Senior Broadcast Journalist,
A retired Tamil teacher, Parvathy Poobalan writes short
researcher, playwright, poet and writer of fiction. He
stories, poetry and essays. Her works have appeared in
has played a major role in writing and producing Tamil
plays and short stories which document the lives
of Singaporeans from different levels of society for
radio. He has represented Singapore at a number of
international seminars, most recently the International
Tamil Murasu, Tamil Malar and Tamil Nesan. She has
published a collection of poems
[Summer Flowers; 1997). She received the Thamizhavel
Award in 2010 from the Association of Singapore Tamil
Writers.
Tamil Meet in Coimbatore, India. Panneerselvam has
(2010)
[Tamil Literature
of Singapore and
Malaysia]
A collection of 11
research papers by
Singaporeans and
Malaysians, including
the author’s on the
development of Tamil
essay writing in
Singapore since the
fifties. The papers were
originally delivered at
Thanjavur University,
India.
Non-Fiction
LANGUAGE
(2010)
[Our Achievers]
The author is one of
four editors of the book
which comprises seven
articles on prominent
Tamils. His essay is on
Lt Col. Arumugam, one
of the pioneers of the
National Service system
in Singapore.
(1997)
[Summer Flowers]
Culture. He has received awards like Tamil Selvam (The
Forty-eight poems on
subjects like the value
of the Tamil language;
nature (the sun, moon,
sea, the garden, and
conflicts between
nature and man); Tamil
poets (Barathiyar,
Varathithasan); scholars
(Thiruvalwar, Elango,
who wrote the first epic
in Tamil); and social
reformers (Amadurai and
Thiru V Kalyanasundram).
Wealth of Tamils; 1995) from the Jurong Community
Centre and an award (2007) by Boon Lay Community
Centre in recognition of his contribution to the
development of Tamil literature among the young; the
the Tiruvalluvar Award (2008) by the Tamil Language
and Literature Society and the Kala Ratna (Gem of the
Arts) by the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society [2010].
Panneerselvam is a member of the National Library
Board’s READ! Singapore Steering Committee and is
Vice-President of the Tamil Book Selection Committee.
Non-Fiction
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
Tamil Univ., Thanjavur
Media Pte Ltd.
Thanjavur
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: (91) 98 94931241
59, Jalan Pemimpin
#02-07
L & Y Building
Singapore 577218
ISBN
978-81-7090-418-2
given lectures in English and Tamil on Singapore
ISBN
978-981-08-5053-1
b 1948
EMAIL
[email protected]
b 1944
Poetry
LANGUAGE
WEBSITE
Tamil
Thangameen.com
Keetru.com
Tamiloviyam.com
Tamilavel Nadaga
Mandram
Blk 733 #03-368
Yishun Avenue 5
Singapore 760733
Tel: (65) 6282 0636
Email:
parvathyappalasamy@
yahoo.com.sg
ISBN
981-00-8475-9
146 |
| 147
J M Sali
J M Sali is a multiple award-winning poet, novelist,
short- story writer, children’s writer, dramaturge and
translator, with over 55 books to his name. He has made
major contributions to Tamil literature in Singapore.
He worked for 20 years as an editor for various Tamil
language publications, including Singapore’s Tamil
Murasu and Chennai’s Ananda Vikatan Weekly and
(2009)
[Birds of a Feather]
stories for children,
written between 1955 and
1961. The stories centre
on school students,
parents, teachers and
other educational
workers.
(1975; 3rd ed. 2006)
[The Sound
of the Waves]
The story of
Kumaraswami, a young
man from India who,
after his wedding, moves
to Singapore in search
of a better life. There,
circumstances force him
to marry again. After
many years, he returns
to India and his first wife,
who welcomes him with
open arms. However,
he decides to return to
Singapore.
Mayan Youth Magazine. He came to Singapore in 1964
and worked for the (then) Singapore Broadcasting
Corporation as a broadcast journalist in 1983. From
1987 – 1990, Sali was an advisor to the Tamil section of
the literary journal, Singa. He has served on the editoral
committee of Nadi, the Tamil language publication of the
Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) since 2004.
[Fasting; 1994), a collection of 22 short stories,
received the National Book Development Council of
Singapore Book Award for Tamil Fiction in 1996. Other
awards received include the Thamizhavel Award (2001)
from the Association of Singapore Tamil Writers, the
Kavimalai Award (2005) from the Kavimalai Poets
Association (Singapore), and the Seera Award (2008) from
the Chennai Kamban Kazhagam. Several of his short
stories have been translated into English, Hindi, Urdu
and Sinhalese.
S S Sarma
Born in Pahang, Malaysia, S S Sarma was educated at
King George V School in Seremban, Negri Sembilan.
He was on the editorial staff of Tamil Murasu and
subsequently became editor of Indian Movie News in
1952, a position he held for 40 years. He continues
to contribute to the periodical as a senior editor.
He was editor and publisher of Vel and Alai Osai,
and managing editor of Singai Chudar. Sarma has
directed 25 plays, including seven for the National
Drama Festival in the1980s. He has authored some
twenty books.
For his promotion of Tamil drama and culture, Sarma
received the Kala Ratna (Gem of the Arts) Award from
the Tamil Nadu Parthasarathy International Academy
in Chennai in 1987; in 2011, he received the Lifetime
Achievement Award for Tamil Literature from the
Chennai Kalai Magal Foundation.
“I congratulate the author for the strength and firmness with
which he handled this marvellous theme... Dr. Sarma will
inspire many scholars to undertake more and more studies
in this unique area of academic pursuit.” Dr G John Samuel,
Director, Institute of Asian Studies, Chennai. (fr the Foreword,
Tamil Culture: Beyond the Horizon)
(2011)
[Tamil Culture:
Beyond the Horizon]
A collection of essays
originally published in
various periodicals as
well as research articles
originally presented at
seminars on ancient
Tamil culture in ASEAN.
Essays address the
traditional cultures in
ASEAN and Europe. Other
essays include travel
experiences in Nepal,
Vietnam and Cambodia.
(2004)
[Sarma’s Stage
Experience]
A collection of Sarma’s
stage plays and dance
dramas from the 1950s
to the1990s; reviews
and photographs of the
productions are included.
His troupes performed
not only in Singapore, but
also Malaysia, Indonesia,
India, Sri Lanka and
the Seychelles. Seven
hundred and twenty
pages of text and
photographs cover 40
years of experience in
writing, and directing
plays and cultural
programmes.
“The author, whose modern writing in a Tamil weekly has become
quite popular, has not succumbed to the ‘formula’ type of storytelling. In just 80 pages, the reader has the satisfaction of getting a
crisp tale.” From a review in The Hindu [Chennai; 1976]
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
b 1939
b 1930
EMAIL
[email protected]
Non-Fiction
Drama
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
Poombuhar Publication
Sethu Alami Prasuram
S S Sarma
S S Sarma
127 Broadway
Chennai 600101
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: 25267543
8 Muthukrishnan Street
Pondy Bazaar
T.Nagar, Chennai 600017
Tamil Nadu, India
Tel: 28480647
99 Cashew Road
#09-05 Cashew Heights
Singapore 679670
Tel: (65) 6765 4643
Email: sssarma36@
hotmail.com
99 Cashew Road
#09-05 Cashew Heights
Singapore 679670
Tel: (65) 6765 4643
Email: sssarma36@
hotmail.com
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-7426-1
981-00-4022-9
ISBN
Nil
148 |
ISBN
Nil
| 149
Pon Sundararaju
Thangaraju s/o
Muthu Veerasamy
Pon Sundararaju’s love for the Tamil language inspired
him to be a writer at the age of 14. To date, he has written
40 plays for television and 30 plays for radio. He has
also written numerous short stories and published two
collections of short fiction. Well-received by the Indian
community, his stories focus on issues challenging the
Indian community. His latest publication,
(Pon Sundararaju’s Selected
(2005)
[Short Stories by
Pon Sundararaju]
(2007)
[Pon Sundararaju’s
Selected Works]
A collection of 23
stories previously
published in two
separate collections.
All the stories deal
with issues challenging
Indians in Singapore:
spousal relationships,
parental expectations
versus children’s
desires, women’s
rights, unity among
Indians.
An anthology of plays
written for radio and
television, literary essays
and research papers on
the teaching and learning
of the Tamil Language.
Works; 2007) was highly commended by many in the
Tamil literary field. His short stories and plays have
won first and second prizes in various literary and
creative competitions. For his contributions to the
literary and creative field, he was given the prestigious
Kalai Chemmal Award by the Singapore Indian Artistes
Association, and the Thirukkural Award by the Singapore
Tamil Language and Cultural Society in 2005. In 2007, he
received the Pulamai Thendral Award from Tamil Nadu’s
World Tamils Unity Society, in recognition of his literary
talents and contributions.
M Thangaraju came to Malaya from Tamil Nadu at the
age of three, subsequently settling in Singapore in
1959. A novelist, playwright, poet, essayist and scholar,
he was a teacher of Tamil for more than 40 years. His
love for the language and its literature, and passion for
creating literary works have made him a prolific writer
and well known literary figure in the Tamil community.
His early works, mostly poems and short stories, were
featured in the Tamil dailies, Tamil Murasu and Tamil
Malar. In the early 60s and 70s, he scripted, directed
and staged many plays. One of his notable contributions
to the Tamil literary scene in Singapore was the
Thamizhavel Dramatic Society which he founded in 1962
and successfully managed for more than forty years as
Secretary. His works, which centre on self, family and
community values, and reformative ideals, have been
published in newspapers and magazines, and broadcast
over the air. Since his first volume of poetry,
[Jewels; 1985], he has published 22 books: poetry, short
stories, plays and essays, and garnered several literary
(2010)
[Happy Country]
(2001)
[Fragrant Jasmine]
Sixty poems which
explore the growth of
a Singaporean identity
and culture, the need
to preserve Singapore’s
literary heritage and
issues arising from the
country’s multilingual,
multicultural
environment. A
historical overview of
Singapore is provided
and some attention
given to Singapore’s
Indian temples. The
poet’s relationship with
his homeland is also
considered.
Nine short stories
which focus on the
human condition and
relationships among
the characters, seen
through the lens of
daily life. Contemporary
social issues emerge
from within the stories,
not a few of which are
concerned with the
values and virtues
lacking in society.
Poetry
Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
Thangaraju
Thamizhavel Drama Society
Blk 733 #03-368
Yishun Avenue 5
Singapore 760733
Tel: (65) 6752 7690
Blk 733 #03-368
Yishun Avenue 5
Singapore 760733
Tel: (65) 67527690
ISBN
ISBN
978-981-08-6706-5
981–04-5466-X
awards. One of the stories in
[Fragrant Jasmine; 2001] was selected for
the National Library Board’s READ! Singapore (2009).
Fiction
Drama, Essays, Papers
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Tamil
Tamil
Tamil Art Printers Pte Ltd
Malar Mamani Publication
Tel/Fax: (65) 9856 5428
Email: tamilartprinters@
yahoo.com
22-23 Street 5
Periyar Nagar
Madippakkam
Chennai 600091
Tamil Nadu, India
ISBN
981-05-5465-6
ISBN
978-981-08-0159-5
150 |
b 1947
EMAIL
[email protected]
[email protected]
b 1935
| 151
Born in Singapore, Varathan worked as a shipping
assistant for 35 years. He started writing plays for
radio, stage and television in 1953. In 1955, he founded
(the Rational Dramatic
Troupe) which staged plays in Malaysia and Singapore.
In 1984, Varathan received the Cultural Medallion as
well as the Kalai Chemmal, Avvai and Bharathiyar
awards. He has published nine books, including critical
[1950-1970] and
[1970-1990]
[1990]
[Memories Never
Fade; in 2 vols.]
1935 – 2007
(2008)
[Development of
Tamil Drama in
Singapore: 1935 2007]
An account of the
author’s life, divided
into two volumes.
The development of Tamil
drama in Singapore,
from its beginnings to
its heyday in the fifties,
sixties and after. Included
are the many activities
which supported it.
Autobiography
Non-Fiction
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
English
English
Singapre Indian Artistes’
Association
Singapre Indian Artistes’
Association
Towner Road PO Box 137
Singapore 913225
Tel/Fax: (65) 6475 8906
Towner Road PO Box 137
Singapore 913225
Tel/Fax: (65) 6475 8906
152 |
ISBN
ISBN
981-00-2011-2
978-981-08-19775
essays and memoirs. He is married and has five
children.
b 1934
EMAIL
[email protected]
PUBLISHERS AND AGENTS
ORGANISATIONS
JOURNALS
S Varathan
153
155
Publishers And Agents
Asiapac Books Pte Ltd
Contact Information
996 Bendemeer Road #06-09
Singapore 339944
Tel: (65) 6392 8455
Fax: (65) 6392 6455
Website: www.asiapacbooks.com
Established in 1983, Asiapac Books is Singapore’s leading publisher of
educational comics and illustrated books on Asian culture, including history,
philosophy, health practices, art and literature. Featuring cartoons, comics
and illustrations, Asiapac’s books are informative, compact and accessible.
Contact Person
Lim Li Kok, Managing Director
Banjo & Sons Pte Ltd
Contact Information
78 Guan Chuan Street #01-35
Singapore 160078
Tel: (65) 6536 0689
Fax: (65) 6536 6390
Website : www.banjoandsons.com
Established in 2005, Banjo & Sons is a private company that aims to spread
the joy of reading by publishing English books for adults and children.
Contact Person
Helen Ho, Administrative Manager
books@jacaranda, LLP
Contact Information
331 River Valley Road
09-03 Angsana Lobby 1, Yong An Park
Singapore 238363
Tel: (65) 93624559
39 Delwick Lane, Short Hills
New Jersey 07078, USA
Tel: (1) 1 973-803-8990
Website: www.jacaranda-press.com
books@jacaranda, LLP, was first set up 13 years ago in India as Jacaranda
Publishing Pte Ltd and functions as a full service literary agency working
with first-time writers as well as established ones to place manuscripts with
reputable publishers. In 2008, the agency opened a branch in Singapore, and
in 2010, the agency further expanded its operations with the opening of a
branch in the United States. The agency specialises in writing from the Indian
subcontinent, Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Contact Persons
Jayapriya Vasudevan, Partner & Literary Agent
Priya Doraswamy, Partner & Literary Agent
Candid Creation Publishing LLP
Contact Information
524 Kampong Bahru Road #03-00
Singapore 099455
Tel: (65) 6273 7623
Fax: (65) 6275 6984
Website: www.singaporebookpublisher.com
Contact Person
Phoon Kok Hwa, Director, Projects
Chuang Yi Publishing Pte Ltd
Contact Information
Blk 1003, Bukit Merah Central
Redhill Industrial Estate #02-04
Singapore 159836
Tel: (65) 6276 7314 (ext 815)
Fax: (65) 6274 8713
Website: www.chuangyi.com.sg
Contact Person
Rony Neo, Chief Operating Officer
154 |
Candid Creation Publishing, Singapore’s English-Chinese bilingual publishing
company, was founded in 1999 by Dr Phoon Kwee Hian. It provides a onestop publishing service that takes individuals and organisations from idea
to market. Its range of professional services includes conceptualisation,
planning, project management, writing, translation, copyediting, design,
illustration and layout, proof-reading, printing, distribution, sales and
marketing. Candid Creation Publishing is discerning in the choice of authors
it works with and the books it conceptualises and publishes. This is the
reason why it has built a reputation for being the publisher of choice for
many renowned personalities and esteemed organisations, through personal
recommendations from satisfied clients.
Chuang Yi was established in 1990 as a publishing company specialising
in manga (Japanese comic book) publications, catering to both Chinese
and English readers. Over the years, Chuang Yi has successfully promoted
“manga culture” in Singapore. The response to several of its flagship titles
like Dragonball, Slam Dunk and Pokémon convinced the company that there
was a significant demand in the local market for both manga and comics.
Chuang Yi is the leading manga publisher in the region. It continues to explore
new markets by securing licenses to distribute its manga comics to countries
like Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines and India. The company’s
portfolio has also expanded to include the publication of comic-magazines
(Winx Club, Disney’s Princess), the production and sale of collectable
merchandise as well as other comic and manga-related products.
| 155
Equatorial Wind
Publishing House
Contact Information
Blk 170 Stirling Road #15-1145
Singapore 140170
Tel: (65) 64793454
(65) 8157 6970
Fax: (65) 6479 3454
Email: [email protected];
[email protected]
Equatorial Wind Publishing House was established in December 1985. In
April 1986, the inaugural issue of Equatorial Wind (a literary monthly) was
published. Publication of the literary monthly was eventually reduced to every
four months. To date, 78 issues have been published. Covering a wide range
of topics and genres, and even including a youth column which publishes
the creative work of students, Equatorial Wind is widely read by the general
public as well as teachers and students.
Contact Information
1008 Toa Payoh North #03-08
Singapore 318996
Tel: (65) 6292 4456
Fax: (65) 6292 4414
E-mail: [email protected]
Websites: www.epigram.com.sg;
www.facebook.com/epigrambooks
Since its launch nearly a decade ago, Epigram Books has established
itself as an imprint for exquisitely designed and thought-provoking books.
Epigram’s catalogue includes literary fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, art and
photography books, memoirs, children’s books, and coffee-table books.
Contact Information
Woodlands Central Branch Post Office
PO Box 192
Singapore 917310
Tel: (65) 9873 0874
Emails: [email protected];
[email protected]
Websites: www.firstfruitspublications.com;
http://www.facebook.com
/firstfruits.publications
Landmark Books Pte Ltd
Contact Information
106 Clementi Street 12 #04-38
Singapore 120106
Tel: (65) 6466 0443
Fax: (65) 6466 7630
Contact Person
Goh Eck Kheng, Publisher
Contact Persons
Edmund Wee, Publisher
Ruth Wan, Editor
firstfruits publications,
imprint of mediaexodus LLP
Contact Information
131 East Coast Road #02-01
Singapore 428816
Tel: (65) 6348 4024
Fax: (65) 6344 7250
Website: http://www.imaginaryfs.com
Contact Persons
Stanley Lau, Creative Director/ Co-Founder
Tay Ling Yan, Project Manager
Contact Person
Lim Kok Peng, General Manager
Epigram Books Pte Ltd
Imaginary FS Pte Ltd
(Imaginary Friends Studios)
firstfruits publications was founded in 1997 with the aim of promoting the
literary arts in Singapore. It has won recognition as a literary press. In 2006,
two of its poets, Cyril Wong and Yong Shu Hoong, were jointly awarded the
Singapore Literature Prize (SLP). In 2008, the prize went to Ng Yi-Sheng,
another firstfruits poet, and the youngest award-winner since the inception
of the SLP. The publishing house organises events to showcase the role of
books and reading in the community. Book launches are aimed at increasing
public awareness of Singaporean writers. Other activities in schools, art
museums, art galleries, and the theatre have sought to introduce the vital
interrelations between the literary arts and other spheres of knowledge and
creativity.
Lingzi Media Pte. Ltd
Contact Information
48 Toh Guan Road East #06-106
Enterprise Hub
Singapore 608586
Tel: (65) 6293 5677
Fax: (65) 6293 3575
Website: www.lingzi.com.sg
Imaginary Friends Studios was founded by friends, Stanley “Artgerm” Lau,
one of the top artists on Deviantart.com with close to 6 million page views;
Kendrick “Kunkka” Lim, a game designer who worked previously at a
Tokyo-based game studio; and Kai “Ukitakumuki” Lim, who at 19 has already
art-directed two major game mods for Half-Life 2, including Hull Breach
and Nuclear Dawn. Imaginary is much more than a concept art, comics and
illustration studio. With its “by-artists-for-artists” mantra and its small but
ever-increasing cult-like online fan following, Imaginary FS truly represents
a next-gen creative approach to the creative business: it hot-houses its
established and fresh new talents, delivering creative services and content to
a global audience.
Landmark Books is an independent Singaporean publisher specialising in
high-quality illustrated books, Asian subjects and Singaporean literature.
It was established in 1986 to give authors an alternative to publishing
conglomerates. Having produced many titles of which it can be proud, among
them award-winning books for both design and content, Landmark Books has
come to be recognised for high-quality books in both text and design. In the
process, it has gained a reputation not only for its niche areas of Singapore’s
heritage and culture, but also for nurturing Singapore’s literary talent. Among
its authors are Simon Tay, Adrian Tan, Toh Hsien Min, Alfian Sa’at, Robert Yeo
and Felix Cheong.
Lingzi Media Private Limited is a young publishing company rooted in Chinese
culture and with Chinese as its main language medium. It is recognised in
Singapore’s publishing circles as a publisher cum distributor of Chinese
literature books, reference books and educational books. To meet the
demands of changing times, the company is diversifying its publishing and
distribution activities to inject new life into the Singapore book market and to
open up new areas for the reading public.
Contact Persons
Sandy Chen Siqi, Managing Director
Denon Lim Denan, Executive Director
Contact Person
Enoch Ng, General Manager
Flame Of The Forest
Publishing Pte Ltd
(Imprint: Angsana Books)
Contact Information
Blk 5 Ang Mo Kio Industrial Pk 2A
Singapore 567760
Phone:(65) 6484 8887
Fax: (65) 6484 2208
Website:www.flameoftheforest.com
Flame Of The Forest has been entertaining readers since its beginnings in
1989. Russell Lee’s True Singapore Ghost Stories, its first title, started what
became a publishing phenomenon. The series has sold over a million copies.
Sales of another series, Mr Midnight by James Lee, have exceeded the two
million mark. Always laced with an Asian flavour, Flame’s titles now reach
an audience far beyond Singapore’s shores – from Southeast Asia to China,
Japan and beyond. Despite its humble beginnings, Flame has grown from
strength to strength. But true to its roots and its very soul, Flame Of The
Forest continues to be “a people’s publisher.”
Contact Information
5 Toh Tuck Link
Singapore 596224
Tel: (65) 6466 5775
Fax: (65) 6467 7667
Website: http://www.globalpublishing.com.sg
Contact Information
Marshall Cavendish Headquarters
Times Centre
Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300
Fax: (65) 6213 9398
[email protected]
Website: www.marshallcavendish.com
MCIA is the largest English language publisher of Southeast Asian content.
The main categories are travel, cuisine and culture. Formerly publishing
as Times Editions, MCIA has been active for the last 35 years and has
produced a constant stream of successful titles, ranging from Lee Kuan
Yew’s autobiographies, the three million unit-selling Culture Shock! Series
to the bestselling books of witty observations by Neil Humphreys. MCIA has
been the proud publisher of groundbreaking writers such as Catherine Lim,
Colin Cheong and Philip Jeyaretnam. Also of note is its contract publishing
business that has produced award-winning books for Singapore Airlines, The
Peninsula Hotel and TAG Heuer.
Contact Person
Chris Newson, Publisher
Contact Person
Alex Chacko, Publisher
Global Publishing
Marshall Cavendish International
Asia (MCIA)
Global Publishing introduces readers to the perspectives and works
of renowned scholars living in different parts of the world. It publishes
commentaries and essays, including local publications, literature and
biographies of renowned scientists and histories. The works are either in
Chinese or bilingual (Chinese and English). Global Publishing has published
more than 230 titles. It is a subsidiary of World Scientific Publishing Company.
Contact Person
Sophia Tan, Editor and Marketing Executive
156 |
| 157
Math Paper Press
Contact Information
9 Yong Siak Street, Tiong Bahru
Singapore 168645
Tel: (65) 6222 9195
Website: http://www.booksactually.com/
mathpaperpress.html
Contact Person
Kenny Leck, Owner
Monsoon Books
Contact Information
71 Ayer Rajah Crescent #01-01
Mediapolis Phase Ø
Singapore 139951
Tel: (65) 6777 9366
Website: www.monsoonbooks.com.sg
Contact Person
Phil Tatham, Publisher
Math Paper Press is a small press founded by independent Singapore bookstore
BooksActually, that deals with short experimental novellas, poetry and essays.
Math Paper Press also distributes books by selected small presses. Math Paper
Press produces the quarterly literary journal, Ceriph (http://www.ceriph.net/
home.htm), a publication dedicated to the discovery of new writers. BooksActually
also hosts a fortnightly dinner gathering, Babette’s Feast, where writers are
encouraged to share and discuss their works.
Monsoon Books is a trade publisher of English language literary and commercial
fiction and narrative non-fiction with Southeast Asian themes, publishing under
the “monsoon” imprint. Among other books, Monsoon has published The Lies
That Build a Marriage by Suchen Christine Lim, And the Rain my Drink by Han
Suyin, Sold for Silver by Janet Lim, Indiscreet Memories by Edwin A. Brown, The
Golden Chersonese by Isabella Bird, The Red Thread by Dawn Farnham, and The
Devil’s Garden by Nigel Barley. Monsoon has published short stories and poetry
by many Singaporean writers including Felix Cheong, Chris Mooney-Singh, O
Thiam Chin, Ng Yi-Sheng, Cyril Wong, Kirpal Singh and Robert Yeo.
Penguin Books
Singapore & Malaysia
Contact Information
523/ 25 First Lok Yang Road, Jurong
Singapore 629733
Telephone (65) 6319 9331
Fax (65) 6264 2063
Contact Person
Loi Zhi Wei, Senior Manager,
Product and Marketing
Peony Literary Agency
Contact Information
1 Peony Literary Agency, Winsome House
Suite 2401, 71 Wyndham Street, Hong Kong
Tel: 852 9761 4122
Fax: 852 2167 8885
Website: www.peonyliteraryagency.com
Contact Person
Marysia Juszczakiewicz, Literary Agent
Pustaka Nasional Pte Ltd (PN)
Nice One Entertainment (NOE)
Contact Information
C/O 446 Hougang Avenue 8, #04-1627
Singapore 530446
Tel: (65) 9789 5534
(65) 6881 0057
Website: www.niceonethat.com
Contact Person
Jerry Hinds, Proprietor & Creative Director.
Contact Information
65 Ubi Crescent #06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6846 4771
Fax: (65) 6748 7427
Websites: www.pagesetters.com.sg;
www.ethosbooks.com.sg
Contact Person
Fong Hoe Fang, Marketing Director
NOE is an independent proprietorship which focuses on intellectual property
suitable for comics, manga, graphic novels, animation and games. NOE
published internationally, Singapore’s first ever all-colour USA format comicbook,
Get Carter!. It produced Singapore’s first and only 100% independent 3D
edutainment short movie for The National Kidney Foundation, “K-Buddy”, which
appeared throughout local schools and on television. NOE works as a publishing
partner with the Association of Comic Artists (Singapore). It also sources for
talent from around the region.
Set up in 1989, Pagesetters is a design and publishing house. It publishes under
the imprint of Ethos Books, Ethos with History and Ethos with Children. Notable
writers who have published under the Ethos imprint include Edwin Thumboo,
Chandran Nair, Alfian Sa’at, Dave Chua, Aaron Lee, David Leo, Suchen Christine
Lim, Jeffrey Lim, Alvin Pang, Wena Poon and Daren Shiau. Ethos has also copublished anthologies with publishers in the Philippines, Australia and Italy.
Heartland, by Daren Shiau, No Other City: The Ethos Anthology of Urban Poetry,
edited by Aaron Lee and Alvin Pang, and Telltale: 11 Stories, edited by Gwee Li
Sui, are literature texts in schools.
Contact Information
548 Changi Road
Singapore 419931
Tel: (65) 6745 4321
Fax: (65) 6745 2417
Website: www.pustaka.com.sg
Contact Person
Syed Ali Semait, Director
Raji Publication (S) Pte Ltd
Contact Information
9 Dalhousie Lane
Singapore 209678
Tel : (65) 6273 5523
Fax: (65) 6273 5524
Contact Information
Raffles City PO Box 677
Singapore 911723
Tel: (65) 6316 1788
(65) 9660 1088
Fax:(65)6291 0500
Website: www.panasiabooks.com
Established in 1984, PAPPL is a publisher of illustrated children’s story books
and educational teaching aids in English, Chinese and both. To date, PAPPL has
produced the longest running bilingual “Happy Reader’s Series” in Singapore
(almost 100 titles) which has proved to be popular with teachers, parents and
children.
Peony Literary Agency is a new breed of literary agency and provides a
unique literary interface between East and West. Based in Hong Kong and
Beijing, Peony agents travel regularly to the US, UK, Europe and Australia.
The agency offers author representation in home markets, the sale of English
language rights and translation rights worldwide, as well as sales of TV and
film dramatisation rights. Its interest is in general fiction and non-fiction,
photography books and graphic novels.
The company was incorporated in 1979 as a private limited exempt company.
The first books were published in 1963. It has published Malay novels by
young writers who are now prominent in the Malay literary scene in Singapore
and Malaysia. It also publishes Malay translations of Arabic books for a nonArabic reading audience. The madrasah school textbooks it first published in
1996 are still being used today. The principal activities of PN are in publishing
quality books, distribution to retail outlets in Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia,
typesetting services in Arabic, Malay and English, and supplying to corporate
customers.
In the market since 1998, Raji Publication is a supplier of educational
materials and assessment books, as well as fiction and non-fiction books
to the National Library Board, and libraries overseas. It provides library
services to schools. It partners various organisations with similar interests in
education.
Contact Person
Rajen Rajaratnam Arumugam
Select Books
Pan Asia Publishing Pte Ltd
(PAPPL)
Penguin Books Singapore-Malaysia is the local sales and distribution office
of Penguin Group, an internationally renowned publisher. Set up in 2001,
Penguin Books Singapore-Malaysia is a leading book distributor in Singapore,
Malaysia and Brunei. It markets and distributes all of Penguin Group’s
imprints and is the sole distributor for distinguished publishing clients like
Little Brown Book Group UK, Simon & Schuster UK, Headline Publishing,
Bloomsbury Publishing Group, A&C Black, Faber & Faber, and Sterling.
Contact Information
65A Jalan Tenteram
#02-06 St Michael’s Industrial Estate
Singapore 328958
Tel: (65) 6251 3798
Fax: (65) 6251 3380
Website: www.selectbooks.com.sg
Contact Person
Seow Hwye Min, Director
Select Books is an independent book publisher, distributor and bookstore.
Since its establishment in 1976, it has built up a comprehensive and in-depth
collection of over 30,000 books and journals relating to the Asia region, and on
a wide range of genres which include politics, the arts and literature. Select
Books is an internationally recognized Asian book specialist, supplying many
universities, museums and institutions. Select Books is also an established
book distributor, representing local and overseas publishers, as well as
an active publisher of quality books on Asia, on Asian themes and by Asian
writers.
Contact Person
Evelyn Chia, General Manager
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| 159
Organisations
Straits Times Press
Contact Information
Singapore Press Holdings
1000 Toa Payoh North News Centre
Singapore 318994
Tel: (65) 6319 8346
Fax: (65) 6319 8258
Website: http://www.stpressbooks.com.sg/
(online bookstore)
Contact Person
Shirley Hew, Executive Director
TCZ Studio Pte Ltd
Contact Information
623 Aljunied Road #03-04B
Aljunied Industrial Complex
Singapore 389835
Tel: (65) 6748 6778
Fax: (65) 6748 0086
Website: www.celestialzone.com
Contact Person
Wee Tian Beng, Director
Contact Information
Blk 231 Bain Street #02-27
Bras Basah Complex
Singapore 180231
Tel: (65) 6337 9552
Fax: (65) 6336 9130
Website: www.youthbook.com.sg
Straits Times Press is spearheaded by an award-winning team with more
than 80 years of international publishing experience. In its pursuit of books
of uncompromising quality and appeal, it has helped Singapore earn a place
on the world map for publishing. It has a keen interest in developing new
talent, and publishes a wide range of books for the general trade, including
children’s fiction, travel, cookery, health and reference books. Straits Times
Press is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. It offers
a comprehensive range of services, including publishing and marketing
consultancy, press publicity and media relations, project conceptualisation,
manuscript editing, design and layout, picture research and supply, printing,
binding and laminating services, delivery by sea or air to any part of the
world, translation services, print broking and the supervision and purchase of
print and paper.
Set up in 2001, TCZ Studio is Singapore’s first comics publisher. To encourage
the growth of the local comics industry, TCZ Studio plans to publish the
works of other comic artists. Through its online store, it hopes to promote its
comics to more readers overseas. TCZ Studio is one of the most successful
companies in Singapore in the publication of its own comic series. The
team at TCZ Studio has captured a substantial market share of readers with
its period epic comic series, The Celestial Zone. The series is also being
distributed to other countries such as North America, Europe, Australia,
and Southeast Asia through its website. The Celestial Zone has been
published in Chinese and English and has been translated into French and
Spanish. Besides publishing comic books, TCZ Studio produces merchandise
developed from the comics and hopes to further develop the comic series
in the areas of animation and computer gaming. It seeks collaboration with
overseas or local partners.
Youth Books was founded in 1955 by Mr Chan Meng Zhe at 363 North Bridge
Road (the former Black Cat Books). Youth Books is a Chinese bookstore and
publishing house. Since its establishment, it has focused on promoting and
publishing Chinese language texts in Singapore, and offered a publishing
platform for local writers. For half a century, Youth Books has published
landmark Singaporean literature. Its authors range from established and
renowned to promising writers. Though particularly known for specialising in
Southeast Asian literature, Youth Books publishes a wide variety of books.
(Association of ‘50s
Malay Writers)
Contact Information
90 Goodman Road, Blk B #05-12
Goodman Arts Centre
Singapore 439053
Tel: (65) 6344 8589
Website: www.asas50.com
Contact Person
Hamzan Saad, Executive Officer
Association of Comic Artists
(Singapore) (ACAS)
Contact Information
C/O 446 Hougang Avenue 8, #04-1627
Singapore 530446
Tel: (65) 9789 5534
Fax: (65) 6881 0057
Website: www.acas.org.sg
Contact Persons
Jerry Hinds,
President and Chief Course Compiler
JDC Amane,
Assistant Secretary and Senior Artist
and Instructor
Association of Singapore
Tamil Writers (ASTW)
Contact Information
Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre
Singapore 069547
Tel: (65) 9784 9105
Fax: (65) 6753 2746
Website: www.singaporetamilwriters.com
Contact Person
Naa. Aandeappan, Chairman
Comics Society (Singapore)
Contact Information
623 Aljunied Road, #03-04B
Aljunied Industrial Complex
Singapore 389835
Tel: (65) 6748 6778
Fax: (65) 6748 0086
Website: www.singaporecomics.org
Founded in 1950, Angkatan Sasterawan ’50, or Asas ’50, is a leader in
the Malay literary scene. It made radical changes to the Malay script and
established institutions that have played iconic roles in the development of
Malay language and literature in the region, such as Dewan Bahasa dan
Pustaka (Malay Language and Literary Agency), the Malay Language Council
of Malaysia-Brunei-Indonesia (MABBIM), and the Southeast Asia Literature
Council (Mastera). In Singapore, Asas ’50 initiated the first Malay Literature
Prize and the Regional Writers Meet. It has undertaken innovative initiatives
like the “Bibliotherapy Programme” (for juvenile offenders), the “Heartland
Poet Programme” and the “Malay Resource Innovation Portal” in conjunction
with national writing competitions (such as the Temasek Novel Writing
Competition, the White Dot Short Story and Poetry Writing Competition)
and the Literary Awareness Movement, as well as through its workshops in
libraries and schools. Asas ’50 continues to publish both fiction and nonfictional works for students and the writing community. It has produced a
post-1965 Directory of Singaporean Malay Writers. It launched its inaugural
International Writers Residency Programme in 2010, in collaboration with the
National
ACAS’ key focus is to arrange for the publishing of locally produced comics,
manga and graphic novels. Since its formation in 2005, it has worked with
many partners, including the Media Development Authority of Singapore
and the National Arts Council of Singapore. To help defray the costs involved
in comic production, ACAS conducts numerous courses and workshops
in schools, tertiary institutions and in its own classrooms. It has served
established institutions like the NUS High School of Mathematics and
Science, Raffles Institution, Dunman High School and St Joseph’s Institution.
ACAS is instrumental in teaching both traditional and digital art, and has also
branched out into the major areas of writing and conceptual thought.
The Association of Singapore Tamil writers or
, was registered as a Society in 1976. It was formed to cater to the
interests of Tamil writers as well as to nurture young writers in Singapore.
ASTW now has more than 80 members, all of whom are writers or poets.
The Executive Committee consists of eleven members. ASTW organises two
major annual events. One is the Muthamizh Vizha (Tamil Festival) in which
a Singaporean writer is honoured with the Thamizhavel Award (including a
prize of four to five gold sovereigns), and where students from kindergarten
to tertiary level, as well as members of the public, participate in contests.
Its other major event is Kannadasan Vizha, to commemorate the great Tamil
Poet. ASTW also organises workshops in Creative Writing for students and
the public, book launches, monthly poetry sessions, dialogue sessions with
visiting foreign writers, and debates on social and literary topics. ASTW
organised the World Tamil Writers’ Conference (2011), with support from the
National Arts Council.
Formed in 2007, the society has the following objectives: to represent
Singapore in the global comic industry, to promote and contribute comic
culture in Singapore, to nurture and develop local comic talents and to create
awareness in professional comic production.
Contact Person
Wee Tian Beng, President
160 |
| 161
May Poetry Society
[新加坡五月诗社]
Contact Information
Blk 66 Bedok South Ave 3
#14-508
Singapore 460066
Tel: (65) 6444 7191
Contact Person
Lim Ser Leng, President
Media Development Authority
of Singapore (MDA)
Contact Information
3 Fusionopolis Way
#16-22 Symbiosis
Singapore 138633
Tel: (65) 6377 3800
Fax: (65) 6577 3888
Website: http://www.mda.gov.sg
Ministry of Information,
Communications and the Arts
(MICA)
Contact Information
140 Hill Street
#02-02 MICA Building
Singapore 179369
Tel : (65) 6270 7988
Fax: (65) 6837 9480
Website: http://app.mica.gov.sg/
The May Poetry Society or 新加坡五月诗社, is a group of established poets
committed to the crafting of new poetic works. Formed in 1978, the society is
devoted to the modern type of Chinese poetry in Singapore. Its members have
published 24 volumes of poetry and a collection of critiques under the Society’s
auspices thus far. It has also published 39 issues of May Poetry Journal, with
poems and critiques from members and non-members. The Society’s influence
on the writing style of Chinese poetry in Singapore has been the subject of
scholarly research.
Formed in 2003, MDA is a statutory board that plays a vital role in transforming
Singapore into a Trusted Global Capital for New Asia Media and spearheading
initiatives that promote industry growth in these sectors: film, television, radio,
publishing, music, games, animation and interactive digital media. At the same
time, MDA formulates clear and consistent regulatory policies, based on these
guiding principles: to protect core values and safeguard consumers’ interests,
to foster a pro-business environment for industry players and to increase media
choices for consumers.
MICA has for its mission the development of Singapore as a Global City for
information, communications and the arts, in order to build a creative economy
and a connected society with a Singaporean identity rooted in a multicultural
heritage. It seeks to propel the creative economy through the development and
promotion of the creative industries in the arts, design, media and infocomm
technology sectors to create new economic value and jobs. It also aims to forge
a strong sense of community, national identity, rootedness and inclusion among
Singaporeans, and to foster better understanding between the Government
and its various stakeholders through effective public communications. MICA’s
vision is to nurture and develop a Creative People, a Gracious Community and a
Connected Singapore.
National Heritage Board
(NHB)
Contact Information
Hotline: 1800–CALL–NHB (1800-2255-642)
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.nhb.gov.sg
http://hi2p.sg
National Library Board
(NLB)
Contact Information
National Library Board
100 Victoria Street #14-01
Singapore 188064
Tel: (65) 6332 3255
Tel: (65) 6332 3255
Website: http://www.nlb.gov.sg
Screenwriters Association
(Singapore)
Contact Information
Fax: (65) 6274 1655
Website: www.screenwriters.org.sg
Monsters Under the Bed Pte Ltd
(MUTB)
Contact Information
11 Sophia Road
Peace Centre #04-10
Singapore 228149
[email protected]
Tel: (65) 6100 4363
(65) 9459 4931
Website www.mutb.com.sg
MUTB trains students to achieve higher literary proficiency and creative writing
skills. Its methods combine the practices of accomplished writers with the
natural creative intelligence of youth. The result is a holistic writing programme.
MUTB also publishes 14:59, a monthly literary newspaper, and manages the
Budding Writers League, which helps young writers discover their talent.
Contact Person
Eugene Tay, Director
National Book Development
Council of Singapore
(NBDCS)
Contact Information
50 Geylang East Avenue 1
Singapore 389777
Tel: (65) 6848 8290
Fax: (65) 6742 9466
Website: www.bookcouncil.sg
Contact Person
R Ramachandran, Executive Director
162 |
NBDCS is a non-profit institution founded in 1969. The Council’s objective is
to establish and develop Singapore as the Asian centre for publishing and the
literary arts. In pursuance of this objective, the Council works in partnership
with Government agencies, private corporations and professional associations
to organise a variety of conferences, festivals, workshops, talks and seminars
related to storytelling, reading, writing and publishing. In addition, it presents
the prestigious Singapore Literature Prize, the Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book
Award and the Scholastic Asian Book Award. NBDCS manages the Centre for
Literary Arts and Publishing, and the Singapore Writers Centre.
Singapore Association of Writers
(SAW) (新加坡作家协会)
Contact Information
13B Smith Street
Singapore 058927
Tel: (65) 9764 0610
(65) 9654 0417
Website: http://www.singaporewriters.org.sg
Contact Person
Chia Hwee Pheng, President
NHB is a statutory board that actively champions the development of a vibrant
cultural and heritage sector in Singapore. It makes heritage enriching,
fun and accessible to all through exciting events like the iconic Singapore
HeritageFest, International Museum Day, and Istana Art Event that engage
diverse audiences. Further, NHB promotes public awareness and appreciation
of Singapore’s heritage through educational, outreach and community
programmes. It partners like-minded people in the private and public sectors
and provides state-of-the-art archival and conservation services through
the National Archives of Singapore, the Preservation Monuments Board and
the Heritage Conservation Centre. The Board also operates seven leading
museums and heritage interpretative centres: Asian Civilisations Museum,
Memories at Old Ford Factory, National Museum of Singapore, Peranakan
Museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Singapore Art Museum and Singapore
Philatelic Museum. It manages the Heritage Industry Incentive Programme
(HI2P) to encourage the development of new and innovative heritage-inspired
products and services. It seeks to seed new museum and heritage ventures,
and assist private museums in upgrading their galleries and programmes.
NLB is a statutory board that oversees both the National Library as well
as the Public Libraries in Singapore. Its mission is to provide a trusted,
accessible and globally-connected library and information service through
the National Library and a comprehensive network of Public Libraries. Also
under its management are one community children’s library, and 17 libraries
belonging to government agencies, schools and institutions. Through its
innovative use of technology and collaboration with strategic partners, it
ensures that library users have access to a rich array of information services
and resources that are convenient, accessible and relevant.
The Screenwriters Association promotes the development of local screen
content and provides a conduit to local and international producers as well
as a support group for Singapore-based screenwriters. Formed in May 2000
in response to a perceived need to focus on screen content development
and to fill a gap in the still-growing local film, television and multimedia
industry, the Association works closely with the Singapore Film Commission.
Its mission is to promote the craft of screenwriting as an important aspect
of the screen production process. Members include independent producers,
talented young filmmakers, students, and aspiring and professional writers.
The Association’s objectives are to increase awareness of the paramount
importance of the screenplay in any screen production so that the screen
production “begins and ends with the script”, to establish and maintain
collaborative relationships with all who are involved with screen productions,
both locally and internationally, and to provide a learning environment for
the cultivation of screenwriting skills by way of formal training and peer
instruction.
The Singapore Association of Writers (SAW) or 新加坡作家协会, was formed
in 1970. It has a long history and is the largest registered Chinese literary
association in Singapore. It actively promotes creative works of literature and
research in literary theory. It serves as an established network for writers in
Singapore and provides a platform for accelerating the development of new
talents with creative works of quality. It also seeks to establish links with
writers, scholars and researchers from other countries, to help Singaporean
literary products with characteristic Southeast Asian qualities gain
recognition internationally.
| 163
Singapore Book Publishers
Association (SBPA)
Contact Information
20 Maxwell Road
#09-17 Maxwell House
Singapore 069113
Tel:(65) 6408 9712
Fax: (65) 6399 3699
Website: www.singaporebookpublishers.sg
Established in 1968, the SBPA currently has over 75 member publishers.
SBPA promotes the interests of publishers in Singapore; it works with other
associations to create and further literary awareness in Singapore and organises
training courses to improve the technical qualifications of its members’ staff.
The SBPA provides a friendly community where Singapore-based publishers and
related industry partners can pool their knowledge and experiences.
Contact Information
Singapore 547751
Tel: (65) 6280 4630
Fax: (65) 6280 4630
Website: http://sgcls.zhongwenlink.com/
Contact Person
Yap Koon Chan, President
Contact Information
Blk 128 Pending Road #09-310
Singapore 670128
Tel: (65) 9778 2898
Contact Person
Ang Tiam Huat, Secretary
Contact Person
Phil Tatham, Asst Hon Secretary, SBPA
Singapore Literature Society
(SLS) (新加坡文艺协会)
Tropical Literature & Arts Club
(热带文学艺术俱乐部)
The Singapore Literature Society or 新加坡文艺协会, is a non-profit society
that was established in 1980. The Singapore Literature Society actively and
continuously initiates new and creative publication and literary activities to
promote and raise the standard of literary writing in Singapore. The Society
aspires to promote the development of Chinese Literature in Singapore and to
unite all Singaporean writers through participation from both young and old
writers. Its publications and activities are not only restricted to Singapore, but
also include the international promotion of Singaporean Chinese literature. The
Society brings out three annual publications, 新加坡文艺杂志 [Singapore Chinese
Literature Magazine], 新加坡文艺报 [Singapore Chinese Literature Newspaper],
and the 年度文选 [Annual Collection of Literary Works]. The Society has ties with
various countries and participates in International Cultural Exchanges; of note is
the “ASEAN Literature Camp”, first established in 1988 by the Society’s President,
Mr Yap Koon Chan, and which is held biennially in a different ASEAN country to
enable participants to share local literary developments and best practices in
literary promotions.
Word Forward Limited (WF)
Contact Information
Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre (TAPAC)
Singapore 06954
Tel: (65) 6224 9616
Tel: (65) 9180 5501
Website: www.wordforward.org
Contact Person
Savinder Kaur, Director
Writers Centre Singapore
The Arts House at The Old
Parliament (managed by The Old
Parliament House Ltd)
Contact Information
1 Old Parliament Lane
Singapore 179429
Tel: (65) 6332 6900
Fax: (65) 6336 3021
[email protected]
Website: www.theartshouse.com.sg
Occupying the almost 200 year-old building that was the former Parliament
House and Singapore’s first Court House, The Arts House, since its opening in
2004, has been offering its visitors a broad spectrum of activities ranging from
contemporary arts and entertainment events to lifestyle options, while at the
same time playing an active role in the development of the arts and the creative
scene in Singapore. From 2011, The Arts House will focus on the development of
the literary arts in Singapore, supporting and presenting programmes and events
that aim to give visitors and audiences a wider and multi-disciplinary experience.
Contact Person
William Phuan, Director
Programming & Marketing
Contact Information
Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre
Singapore 069547
Tel: (65) 91011844
Email: info@the writerscentre.org
Website: www.the writerscentre.org
Contact Person
Chris Mooney Singh, Director
Xin Sheng Poets’ Society
[新加坡新声诗社]
The Literary Centre (Singapore)
Contact Information
65 Ubi Crescent, #06-04 Hola Centre
Singapore 408559
Tel: (65) 6846 4771
Fax: (65) 6748 7427
Contact Person
Fong Hoe Fang , Director
164 |
Incorporated in Singapore in 2003, The Literary Centre relies primarily on
sponsorship, group resourcefulness and individual initiative for its activities and
projects. It is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to literary development,
trans-community dialogue, multi-lingual communication and positive social
change; promoting, supporting and serving literary, cultural, intellectual and
social aspirations in Singapore, and functioning as a resource hub for literary
and cultural practice around the world, with a special interest in Singapore. Its
current Directors are literary pioneers Alvin Pang and Fong Hoe Fang.
Contact Information
13A Smith Street
Singapore 058927
Tel: (65) 6449 4694
Contact Person
Chan Choon Siang, President
The Tropical Literature & Arts Club or 热带文学艺术俱乐部, was established
in 1993 to promote Chinese literature in Singapore. Its mission includes
encouraging literary dialogue and discussions on literary and related topics
among members; developing Singaporean literature and the arts through
publishing and editorial work; cultivating ties with international literary
organisations and individuals through literary exchanges and dialogue. Key
activities include organising literary programmes, photography, art and
calligraphy exhibitions. In addition, the society produces a regular literary
journal, and creative writing and literary research publications. The society
also organises monthly sessions for literary discussions and book reading
among the Chinese literary community.
WF was established in 2003 with the mission of contributing to and building
the literary arts scene in Singapore. Word Forward, the trademark holders
of Poetry Slam™ in Singapore, launched The National Youth Poetry Slam
League in 2006, which now attracts over 60 teams annually. WF is registered
as a training provider with the National Arts Council’s Arts in Education
Programme. WF teams are regular mentors of the Creative Arts Programme
and run workshops for the Gifted Branch of the Ministry of Education. WF also
co-organises with the Writers Centre, Singapore, the annual Lit Up Singapore,
Emerging Writers and Performers Festival. Other public events organised
include a monthly Poetry Slam™ at Blu Jaz Café and Sound Up (Open Mic)
at TAPAC [Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre]. WF has ventured into book
publication, with Singaporean poets. Its first publication series in 2007 has
now been incorporated into Red Wheelbarrow Books, a new publishing
company which distributes Singapore’s authors regionally, from India to
Australia.
Located in the centre of the CBD [Central Business District], the Writers
Centre, Singapore, is a sanctuary for writers to escape the bustling city. It
hosts open mics, artist collectives and writer meet-ups. Since June 2004,
it has supported Writers Connect, a network of published and emerging
writers who discuss craft and critique literary work on a fortnightly basis. Its
members work in all genres: fiction, short fiction, drama, poetry and prose.
Several writers have been able to publish their own books, or their work in
books, magazines and ezine publications. They have also received grants to
support their works. Since 2009, the Writers Centre has co-organised with
Word Forward Limited the annual Lit Up Singapore, Emerging Writers and
Performers Festival.
Formed in 1957, the Xin Sheng Poets’ Society or 新加坡新声诗社, is a nonprofit organisation which is a platform for learning Chinese culture, ancient
and classical poems, and classical Chinese Literature. It has other activities
like composing Chinese poetry, Chinese/English translation classes, Chinese
calligraphy, Chinese poetry singing and book publishing. The Society has links
with other Chinese cultural organisations in Singapore and abroad.
| 165
Journals
Ceriph
Website
www.ceriph.net/home.htm
Email
[email protected] /
[email protected]
Name of Editor / Contact Person:
Wei Fen Lee, Editor
Amanda Lee, Co-Editor
Winnie Goh, Art Director
Quarterly Literary
Review Singapore
(QLRS)
Website
http://www.qlrs.com/
Email
[email protected]
Ceriph is an independently run, quarterly publication. It seeks to share
Singaporean creative work in the form of prose, poetry, social commentary,
photography and visual art, without inhibition. The beginnings of this project
were humble: while examining the local arts scene, the editor(s) found many
outlets for artistic expression. However, most of these outlets concentrate
on art or exclusively on one medium of expression over the other(s).
Publications of local writing were even harder to come by, and catered mainly
to professional and full-time writers. The editors have set out to provide that
missing space: a space that is neither too formal nor flippant, that combines
word and form. Ceriph exists to provide an informal space for experimental
or developing writers and artists to express themselves, for works outside of
awards and accolades, works that are created by ordinary observers with a
pen and a voice.
QLRS is the longest-running online literary journal of Singapore. Founded
in 2001 by Toh Hsien Min and now into its tenth volume, the journal seeks to
promote the literary arts in Singapore, to stimulate the feedback mechanisms
in the literary scene, and to develop Singaporean writers to international
standards by applying rigorous critical and editorial criteria, and serving as
an arena for the interaction of Singaporean and international writing. QLRS is
open to submissions from all.
Toh Hsien Min
SOFTBLOW Poetry Journal
Website
www.ceriph.net/home.htm
Email
[email protected]
Eric Low
Cyril Wong
166 |
SOFTBLOW Poetry Journal is a poetry website based in Singapore, which
features contemporary poetry in English from across the globe. Founded in
2004 by Cyril Wong, it is now jointly edited by Gwee Li Sui, Eric Low, Jason
Wee, Christopher Ujine Ong and Cyril Wong.
Literature – whether through the written or spoken word – is valuable as
a medium of self-expression, as a canvas for our imagination and also of
course, as a record of a community’s life to be passed down the generations.
Its importance extends to the larger creative sphere and across different art
forms, from theatre to dance and graphic novels. That is why the National
Arts Council (NAC) has always supported the literary arts, and especially
Singapore’s literature, through various initiatives, programmes and events.
Its role in the larger cultural life of Singapore should not be underestimated
and has much potential as the country matures.
Singapore’s literary arts scene has become more vibrant over the years and
has flourished in Singapore’s four official languages - English, Chinese,
Malay and Tamil. There are active literary associations in Singapore which
play an important role in promoting writing, reading and publishing, as well
as nurturing and grooming new writers in all four languages.
Singapore’s writers, some of whom have been published by major publishing
houses, are now studied and appreciated internationally. The writers are also
making their presence felt at international literary festivals such as the Hong
Kong International Literary Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival
and Adelaide Writers’ Week, among others.
NAC administers financial assistance schemes and development tools to
cultivate a sustainable environment and promote continuing education for
the Singapore literary arts industry at all levels, from the promising amateur
and emerging publisher, to the established writer or publishing company.
NAC’s funding support operates through a comprehensive and holistic grants
framework focusing on the creation and development of literary content,
research, capability and talent development, organisational infrastructure
support, publishing and translation, production and market development,
and active presentation and promotion of the literary arts.
168 |
| 169
Acknowledgements
In addition to offering scholarships, NAC has also established the
The National Arts Council of Singapore would like to thank its panel of
International Arts Residency Programme which supports the participation
advisors without whom this publication would not have been possible.
of Singaporean writers in overseas residency programmes as well as
encouraging Singapore’s literary organisations and tertiary institutions to
This publication is by no means an exhaustive documentation of all active
host inbound residency programmes conducted by established international
and living writers in Singapore. Every effort has been made to ensure the
writers for the Singaporean community.
accuracy of the translations into English from the original Chinese, Malay
and Tamil. Wherever possible, the authors were consulted and their approval
One important event in the literary arts calendar is the Singapore Writers
sought.
Festival, one of the few festivals in the world focusing on multi-lingual
programming, with a strong emphasis on Singapore’s four official languages.
Information for the profiles of the following authors was obtained from
The Festival, organised by NAC, brings together writers, academics and
Pustaka Nasional Pte Ltd:
creative talents from Singapore and the world over, and features a variety of
Djamal Tukimin
literary genres.
Sabri Buang
NAC also manages the biennial SPH-NAC Golden Point Award, Singapore’s
premier creative writing competition for the short story and poetry. It aims to
Information for the profiles of the following authors was obtained from the
promote new creative writing and nurture potential literary talents by providing
National Library Board’s websites:
the opportunity for unpublished writers to be evaluated by a professional jury.
Muhammad Ariff Bin Ahmad
To raise the profile of the literary arts in schools and to promote reading
and creative writing from young, NAC also works with partners to spearhead
Photo of Haresh Sharma appears courtesy of “The Necessary Stage”
platforms that increase accessibility to literature and enhance linkages
Photo of James Lee by Russel Wong
between the literary arts and other creative industries.
Photo of Suchen Christine Lim by Russel Wong
Photo of Cyril Wong by Stephen Black
For more information on NAC’s grant schemes and initiatives, please visit the
Photo of Wong Yoon Wah by Quek Yong Siu
Council’s website at:
http://www.nac.gov.sg or email [email protected]
Publication design by Brainwave Design.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
Published by the National Arts Council, Singapore
90 Goodman Road
Goodman Arts Centre
Blk A #01-01
Singapore 439053
170 |
| 171
The National Arts Council of Singapore (NAC) was set up in September
1991 to spearhead the development of the arts in Singapore. Its mission is
to nurture the arts and make it an integral part of the lives of the people in
Singapore. Its vision is to develop Singapore into a distinctive global city for
the arts. Anchored to the twin strategies of excellence and engagement in the
arts, the Council aims to build a vibrant arts sector by creating a conducive
environment where the arts are accessible to all and artistic talents have the
necessary resources and capabilities to excel and achieve sustainability in
the long term.
90 Goodman Road
Goodman Arts Centre
Blk A #01-01
Singapore 439053
Tel: (65) 6346 9400
Fax: (65) 6346 1837
Website: www.nac.gov.sg
| 173

Literary Singapore (2011)

Transcription

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