Literature of Singapore
Encyclopedia
The literature of Singapore comprises a collection of literary works by Singapore
ans in any of the country's four main languages: English
, Chinese
, Malay
and Tamil
.
While Singaporean literary works may be considered as also belonging to the literature of their specific languages, the literature of Singapore is viewed as a distinct body of literature portraying various aspects of Singapore society and forms a significant part of the culture of Singapore
. Literature in all four official languages has been translated and showcased in publications such as the literary journal Singa, that was published in the 1980s and 1990s with editors including Edwin Thumboo
and Koh Buck Song
, as well as in multilingual anthologies such as Rhythms: A Singaporean Millennial Anthology Of Poetry (2000), in which the poems were all translated three times each into the three languages. A number of Singaporean writers such as Tan Swie Hian
and Kuo Pao Kun
have contributed work in more than one language. However, such cross-linguistic fertilisation is becoming increasingly rare and it is now increasingly thought that Singapore has four sub-literatures instead of one.
-born Chinese community in the colonial era; it is unclear which was the first work of literature in English published in Singapore, but there is evidence of Singapore literature published as early as the 1830s. The first notable Singaporean work of poetry in English is possibly F.M.S.R., a pastiche of T. S. Eliot
by Francis P. Ng, published in London
in 1935. This was followed by Wang Gungwu
's Pulse in 1950.
With the independence of Singapore in 1965, a new wave of Singapore writing emerged, led by Edwin Thumboo
, Arthur Yap
, Robert Yeo
, Goh Poh Seng
, Lee Tzu Pheng
and Chandran Nair
. It is telling that many critical essays on Singapore literature name Thumboo's generation, rightly or wrongly, as the first generation of Singapore writers. Poetry is the predominant mode of expression; it has a small but respectable following since independence, and most published works of Singapore writing in English have been in poetry.
There were varying levels of activity in succeeding decades, with poets in the late 1980s and early 1990s including Simon Tay
, Leong Liew Geok, Koh Buck Song
, Heng Siok Tian and Ho Poh Fun. In the late 1990s, poetry in English in Singapore found a new momentum with a whole new generation of poets born around or after 1965 now actively writing and publishing, not only in Singapore but also internationally. Since the late-1990s, local small press
es such as Firstfruits and Ethos Books
have been actively promoting the works of this new wave of poets. Some of the more notable include Boey Kim Cheng
, Yong Shu Hoong, Alvin Pang
, Cyril Wong
, Felix Cheong
, Toh Hsien Min
and Alfian bin Sa'at (also a playwright). The poetry of this younger generation is often politically aware, transnational and cosmopolitan
, yet frequently presents their intensely focused, self-questioning and highly individualised perspectives of Singaporean life, society and culture. Some poets have been labeled Confessional
for their personalised writing, often dealing with intimate issues such as sexuality.
Verse anthologies have collected and captured various aspects of life in Singapore, from the 1970s onwards. For example, the coffeetable book Singapore: Places, Poems, Paintings (1993, edited by Koh Buck Song
) featured poems, paintings and reminiscences about 30 significant places ranging from Chinatown to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and had an exhibition at the National Museum along with paintings from the book. From Boys To Men: A Literary Anthology Of National Service In Singapore (2002, edited by Koh Buck Song
and Umej Bhatia) examined the meaning of military duty. Reflecting On The Merlion (2009, edited by Edwin Thumboo and Yeow Kai Chai) brought together about 40 poems about the national tourism symbol. The most authoritative anthology to date is, arguably, Writing Singapore: An Historical Anthology Of Singapore Literature (2009) edited by Angelia Poon, Philip Holden and Shirley Geok-lin Lim, and published by the National University of Singapore Press.
, who was also a notable poet and novelist, in Robert Yeo
, author of 6 plays, and in Kuo Pao Kun
, who also wrote in Chinese, sometimes translating his works into English. The late Kuo was a vital force in the local theatre renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the artistic director of The Substation
for many years. Some of his plays, like The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole (1984) and Lao Jiu (1990), have been now considered classics. Stella Kon gained international fame with her now-famous play Emily of Emerald Hill: a monologue. About an ageing Peranakan
matriarch, it has been produced in Scotland
, Malaysia and Australia
. The sole character has been played by men as well as women.
(1972) – widely recognised as the first true Singaporean novel – and A Dance of Moths (1995).
Beginning as a short story writer, Penang
-born Catherine Lim
has been Singapore's most widely read author, thanks partly to her first two books of short stories, Little Ironies: Stories of Singapore
(1978) and Or Else, The Lightning God and Other Stories (1980). These two books were incorporated as texts for the GCE 'O' Levels. Lim's themes of Asian male chauvinistic gender-dominance mark her as a distant cousin to Asian-American writers such as Amy Tan
. She has also been writing novels, such as The Bondmaid (1998) and Following the Wrong God Home (2001), and publishing them to an international audience since the late 1990s.
Han May is the pseudonym
of Joan Hon who is better known for her non-fiction books. Her science-fiction romance Star Sapphire (1985) won a High Commendation Award from the Book Development Council of Singapore in 1986, the same year when she was also awarded a Commendation prize for her better-known book Relatively Speaking on her family and childhood memories.
Rex Shelley
hails from an earlier colonial generation, although he began publishing only in the early 1990s. A Eurasian
, his first novel The Shrimp People (1991) examines the regional Eurasian community and their experience in Singapore. The book won a National Book Prize. His three other novels, People of the Pear Tree (1993), Island in the Centre (1995) and River of Roses (1998) all examine similar themes of the Eurasian community in the Southeast Asia region. He has won the S.E.A. Write Award
in 2007.
Haresh Sharma
is a playwright who has written more than fifty plays
that have been staged all over the world, including Singapore
, Melbourne
, Glasgow
, Birmingham
, Cairo
and London
. In May 2010, his highly acclaimed play Those Who Can't, Teach was published in book form by the independent publisher Epigram Books
.
Su-Chen Christine Lim
's works consider varied themes surrounding issues of gender, immigration and orthodoxy. In 1993, her novel, Fistful of Colours, was awarded the first Singapore Literature Prize
. Her other novels take up the relationship between the Malays and Chinese immigrants in colonial Malaya, and the issue of land (A Bit of Earth).
Gopal Baratham
, a neurosurgeon, started as a short story writer and later wrote politically-charged works like A Candle or the Sun (1991) and Sayang (1991), which courted some controversy when they were first published.
Jean Tay is an economist-turned-playwright. Her play Everything but the Brain won the Best Original Script at The Straits Times
' Life! Theatre Awards in 2006. Two of her plays, Everything but the Brain and Boom, were published in book form by the Singapore-based independent publisher Epigram Books
.
Augustine Goh Sin Tub who began his writing career writing in Malay, burst on the literary scene after his retirement with more than a dozen books of short stories, most of which were founded on his own personal history, thus making them part fiction and part non-fiction. Works like One Singapore and its two sequels One Singapore 2 and One Singapore 3 have found fans among the different strata of Singapore society and well acclaimed by all.
Around this time, younger writers emerged. Claire Tham and Ovidia Yu wrote short stories, while playwright Stella Kon put forth her lesser-known science-fiction novel, Eston (1995). Of the younger generation, Philip Jeyaretnam
has shown promise but has not published a new novel since Abraham's Promise (1995). His first two books, First Loves (1987) and Raffles Place Ragtime (1988), were bestsellers in Singapore.
Kelvin Tan, a musician and playwright, has been sporadically in sight, publishing the works All Broken Up and Dancing
(1992) and the Nethe(r);R (2001). Colin Cheong
can perhaps lay claim to being one of Singapore's most prolific contemporary authors, releasing three novels, one novella
, two short story collections, and dozens of non-fictional works thus far. He won the Singapore Literature Prize
in 1996 for his travel diary-like novel Tangerine
. Daren Shiau
's Heartland
(1999) traces an eighteen-year-old's rites of passage from junior college
through to enlistment and thereafter. The novel has been selected to be a set text at secondary school level.
Hwee Hwee Tan
graduated with a First Class Honours from the University of East Anglia
, and a Masters from Oxford University. She grew up in Singapore and in the Netherlands
, and her cosmopolitan experience can be readily seen in her novels. Her snazzy, humorous prose can be read in Foreign Bodies (1997) and Mammon Inc. (2001), both published by Penguin Books
. Simon Tay
, currently the chairperson of Singapore Institute of International Affairs
and a former nominated Member of Parliament
, has a short story collection and a novel under his belt. These are Stand Alone (1991) and City of Small Blessings (2009).
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
ans in any of the country's four main languages: English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.
While Singaporean literary works may be considered as also belonging to the literature of their specific languages, the literature of Singapore is viewed as a distinct body of literature portraying various aspects of Singapore society and forms a significant part of the culture of Singapore
Culture of Singapore
Singapore was a part of British Malaya for many centuries. It was ruled by the Sultanate of Johor. In 1819, the British came to the Island and set up a port and colony. During British rule, the port of Singapore flourished and attracted many migrants...
. Literature in all four official languages has been translated and showcased in publications such as the literary journal Singa, that was published in the 1980s and 1990s with editors including Edwin Thumboo
Edwin Thumboo
Edwin Nadason Thumboo is an award-winning Singaporean poet and academic who is regarded as one of the pioneers of English literature in Singapore....
and Koh Buck Song
Koh Buck Song
Koh, Buck Song is a writer, editor and consultant in branding, communications strategy and corporate social responsibility in Singapore.-Selected Published Works:Koh, Buck Song is the author and editor of 20 books.His non-fiction books include:...
, as well as in multilingual anthologies such as Rhythms: A Singaporean Millennial Anthology Of Poetry (2000), in which the poems were all translated three times each into the three languages. A number of Singaporean writers such as Tan Swie Hian
Tan Swie Hian
Tan Swie Hian is a Singaporean multidisciplinary artist known for his contemporary Chinese calligraphy, chinese poetry and contemporary art sculptures found in Singapore and many parts of the world....
and Kuo Pao Kun
Kuo Pao Kun
Kuo Pao Kun was a playwright, theatre director, and arts activist in Singapore who wrote and directed both Mandarin and English plays. He founded three arts and drama centres in Singapore, conducted and organised a number of drama seminars and workshops, and mentored Singaporean and foreign...
have contributed work in more than one language. However, such cross-linguistic fertilisation is becoming increasingly rare and it is now increasingly thought that Singapore has four sub-literatures instead of one.
Poetry
Singaporean literature in English started with the StraitsSingapore Strait
The Singapore Strait is a 105-kilometer long, 16-kilometer wide strait between the Strait of Malacca in the west and the South China Sea in the east. Singapore is on the north of the channel and the Riau Islands are on the south...
-born Chinese community in the colonial era; it is unclear which was the first work of literature in English published in Singapore, but there is evidence of Singapore literature published as early as the 1830s. The first notable Singaporean work of poetry in English is possibly F.M.S.R., a pastiche of T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
by Francis P. Ng, published in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1935. This was followed by Wang Gungwu
Wang Gungwu
Wang Gungwu, CBE is an academic who has studied and written about the Chinese diaspora, although he has objected to the use of the word diaspora to describe the migration of Chinese from China, because it is inaccurate and has been used to perpetuate fears of a "Chinese threat". He was born in...
's Pulse in 1950.
With the independence of Singapore in 1965, a new wave of Singapore writing emerged, led by Edwin Thumboo
Edwin Thumboo
Edwin Nadason Thumboo is an award-winning Singaporean poet and academic who is regarded as one of the pioneers of English literature in Singapore....
, Arthur Yap
Arthur Yap
-Biography:Arthur Yap was born in Singapore, the sixth child of a carpenter and a housewife. Yap attended St Andrew's School and the University of Singapore, after which he won a British Council scholarship to study at the University of Leeds in England...
, Robert Yeo
Robert Yeo
Robert Yeo is a Singaporean poet, playwright and novelist.-Career:Yeo is a retired lecturer of the National Institute of Education and Nanyang Technological University. At present he is a teacher of Creative Writing at the Singapore Management University...
, Goh Poh Seng
Goh Poh Seng
Goh Poh Seng , Singaporean dramatist, novelist and poet, was born in Malaya in 1936. He received his medical degree from University College Dublin, and practised medicine in Singapore for twenty-five years. In his time living in Singapore, Dr Goh held many honorary positions including the Chairman...
, Lee Tzu Pheng
Lee Tzu Pheng
Lee Tzu Pheng was born and educated in Singapore. She has a Ph.D in English from the National University of Singapore from where she has recently retired as a Senior Lecturer in its English Department...
and Chandran Nair
Chandran Nair
Chandran Nair is a Singaporean poet and retired Director and Mediator of UNESCO in Paris.-Background:Nair was born in Kerala, India in 1945. He left India for Singapore at the age of seven...
. It is telling that many critical essays on Singapore literature name Thumboo's generation, rightly or wrongly, as the first generation of Singapore writers. Poetry is the predominant mode of expression; it has a small but respectable following since independence, and most published works of Singapore writing in English have been in poetry.
There were varying levels of activity in succeeding decades, with poets in the late 1980s and early 1990s including Simon Tay
Simon Tay
Simon Tay , is a Singaporean professor, author, and former nominated member of Parliament.-Career:...
, Leong Liew Geok, Koh Buck Song
Koh Buck Song
Koh, Buck Song is a writer, editor and consultant in branding, communications strategy and corporate social responsibility in Singapore.-Selected Published Works:Koh, Buck Song is the author and editor of 20 books.His non-fiction books include:...
, Heng Siok Tian and Ho Poh Fun. In the late 1990s, poetry in English in Singapore found a new momentum with a whole new generation of poets born around or after 1965 now actively writing and publishing, not only in Singapore but also internationally. Since the late-1990s, local small press
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
es such as Firstfruits and Ethos Books
Ethos Books
Established in 1997, Ethos Books is a small press focusing on publishing literary works, primarily from writers in Singapore. It produces poetry volumes and anthologies, including several award-winning titles...
have been actively promoting the works of this new wave of poets. Some of the more notable include Boey Kim Cheng
Boey Kim Cheng
Boey Kim Cheng is a Singapore-born Australian poet.He is of Chinese descent. As a student he won the National University of Singapore Poetry Competition and has since received the National Arts Council's Young Artist Award...
, Yong Shu Hoong, Alvin Pang
Alvin Pang
Alvin Pang was named 2005 Young Artist of the Year by the National Arts Council Singapore. He holds a First Class Honours degree in English Literature from the University of York and an Honorary Fellowship in Writing from the University of Iowa's International Writing Program...
, Cyril Wong
Cyril Wong
Cyril Wong is the author of nine volumes of poetry and one collection of prose.- Biography:Born in 1977, Cyril Wong attended Saint Patrick's School, Singapore and Temasek Junior College, before pursuing a doctoral degree in English literature from the National University of Singapore...
, Felix Cheong
Felix Cheong
Felix Cheong is a Singaporean author, and poet.Cheong has written two young adult fiction books used as part of a national education campaign – The Call From Crying House and its sequel, The Woman In The Last Carriage .Cheong's first collection of poetry, Temptations, and Other Poems was...
, Toh Hsien Min
Toh Hsien Min
Toh Hsien Min is a Singaporean poet.His poems have appeared in many literary journals and have been translated into French, Spanish and Italian...
and Alfian bin Sa'at (also a playwright). The poetry of this younger generation is often politically aware, transnational and cosmopolitan
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
, yet frequently presents their intensely focused, self-questioning and highly individualised perspectives of Singaporean life, society and culture. Some poets have been labeled Confessional
Confessional poet
Confessional poetry emphasizes the intimate, and sometimes unflattering, information about details of the poet's personal life, such as in poems about mental illness, sexuality, and despondence. The confessionalist label was applied to a number of poets of the 1950s and 1960s...
for their personalised writing, often dealing with intimate issues such as sexuality.
Verse anthologies have collected and captured various aspects of life in Singapore, from the 1970s onwards. For example, the coffeetable book Singapore: Places, Poems, Paintings (1993, edited by Koh Buck Song
Koh Buck Song
Koh, Buck Song is a writer, editor and consultant in branding, communications strategy and corporate social responsibility in Singapore.-Selected Published Works:Koh, Buck Song is the author and editor of 20 books.His non-fiction books include:...
) featured poems, paintings and reminiscences about 30 significant places ranging from Chinatown to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and had an exhibition at the National Museum along with paintings from the book. From Boys To Men: A Literary Anthology Of National Service In Singapore (2002, edited by Koh Buck Song
Koh Buck Song
Koh, Buck Song is a writer, editor and consultant in branding, communications strategy and corporate social responsibility in Singapore.-Selected Published Works:Koh, Buck Song is the author and editor of 20 books.His non-fiction books include:...
and Umej Bhatia) examined the meaning of military duty. Reflecting On The Merlion (2009, edited by Edwin Thumboo and Yeow Kai Chai) brought together about 40 poems about the national tourism symbol. The most authoritative anthology to date is, arguably, Writing Singapore: An Historical Anthology Of Singapore Literature (2009) edited by Angelia Poon, Philip Holden and Shirley Geok-lin Lim, and published by the National University of Singapore Press.
Children
Children's literature in Singapore has gained momentum in recent years due to increased interest in the genre generated by the First Time Writers and Illustrators Initiative which discovered acclaimed writers such as *Adeline Foo The Diary of Amos Lee, *Jin Pyn The Elephant and the Tree, and *Emily Lim Prince Bear and Pauper Bear.*Jessie Wee, one of the pioneers of children's literature, rereleased her popular Mooty Mouse series with Marshall Cavendish in 2009. According to the National Library Board, other prominent and prolific children's authors include Patricia Maria Tan, Chia Hearn Chek, Ho MinFong and Bessie Chua.Drama
Drama in English found expression in Goh Poh SengGoh Poh Seng
Goh Poh Seng , Singaporean dramatist, novelist and poet, was born in Malaya in 1936. He received his medical degree from University College Dublin, and practised medicine in Singapore for twenty-five years. In his time living in Singapore, Dr Goh held many honorary positions including the Chairman...
, who was also a notable poet and novelist, in Robert Yeo
Robert Yeo
Robert Yeo is a Singaporean poet, playwright and novelist.-Career:Yeo is a retired lecturer of the National Institute of Education and Nanyang Technological University. At present he is a teacher of Creative Writing at the Singapore Management University...
, author of 6 plays, and in Kuo Pao Kun
Kuo Pao Kun
Kuo Pao Kun was a playwright, theatre director, and arts activist in Singapore who wrote and directed both Mandarin and English plays. He founded three arts and drama centres in Singapore, conducted and organised a number of drama seminars and workshops, and mentored Singaporean and foreign...
, who also wrote in Chinese, sometimes translating his works into English. The late Kuo was a vital force in the local theatre renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the artistic director of The Substation
The Substation
The Substation is Singapore's first and only independent contemporary arts centre. It was founded in 1990 by Kuo Pao Kun.The Substation is centrally located in the city's civic district. Venues at The Substation for hire include a black-box theatre, a gallery, a dance studio, the Random Room and...
for many years. Some of his plays, like The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole (1984) and Lao Jiu (1990), have been now considered classics. Stella Kon gained international fame with her now-famous play Emily of Emerald Hill: a monologue. About an ageing Peranakan
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
matriarch, it has been produced in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Malaysia and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The sole character has been played by men as well as women.
Fiction
Fiction writing in English did not start in earnest until after independence. Short stories flourished as a literary form, the novel arrived much later. Goh Poh Seng remains a pioneer in writing novels well before many of the later generation, with titles like If We Dream Too LongIf We Dream Too Long
If We Dream Too Long is a novel written by Singaporean writer Goh Poh Seng. The novel was completed in 1968 though it was first published in 1972 by Singapore's Island Press. The book won the National Book Development Council of Singapore's Fiction Book Award in 1976...
(1972) – widely recognised as the first true Singaporean novel – and A Dance of Moths (1995).
Beginning as a short story writer, Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
-born Catherine Lim
Catherine Lim
Catherine Lim is a best-selling Singaporean fiction author known for writing about Singapore society and of themes of traditional Chinese culture. Hailed as the "doyenne of Singapore writers", Lim has published nine collections of short stories, five novels, two poetry collections and numerous...
has been Singapore's most widely read author, thanks partly to her first two books of short stories, Little Ironies: Stories of Singapore
Little Ironies: Stories of Singapore
Little Ironies: Stories of Singapore is a collection of seventeen short stories by Singapore author Catherine Lim. It was first published in 1978 by Heinemann and earned for the writer much accolades. It is Lim's first published book of fiction. Little Ironies was later used as a set text for...
(1978) and Or Else, The Lightning God and Other Stories (1980). These two books were incorporated as texts for the GCE 'O' Levels. Lim's themes of Asian male chauvinistic gender-dominance mark her as a distant cousin to Asian-American writers such as Amy Tan
Amy Tan
Amy Tan is an American writer whose works explore mother-daughter relationships. Her most well-known work is The Joy Luck Club, which has been translated into 35 languages...
. She has also been writing novels, such as The Bondmaid (1998) and Following the Wrong God Home (2001), and publishing them to an international audience since the late 1990s.
Han May is the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Joan Hon who is better known for her non-fiction books. Her science-fiction romance Star Sapphire (1985) won a High Commendation Award from the Book Development Council of Singapore in 1986, the same year when she was also awarded a Commendation prize for her better-known book Relatively Speaking on her family and childhood memories.
Rex Shelley
Rex Shelley
Rex Anthony Shelley was a Eurasian Singaporean author. A graduate of the University of Malaya in Singapore and Cambridge trained in engineering and economics, Shelley managed his own business and also worked as member of the Public Service Commission for over 30 years...
hails from an earlier colonial generation, although he began publishing only in the early 1990s. A Eurasian
Eurasian (mixed ancestry)
The word Eurasian refers to people of mixed Asian and European ancestry. It was originally coined in 19th-century British India to refer to Anglo-Indians of mixed British and Indian descent....
, his first novel The Shrimp People (1991) examines the regional Eurasian community and their experience in Singapore. The book won a National Book Prize. His three other novels, People of the Pear Tree (1993), Island in the Centre (1995) and River of Roses (1998) all examine similar themes of the Eurasian community in the Southeast Asia region. He has won the S.E.A. Write Award
S.E.A. Write Award
The S.E.A. Write Award, or Southeast Asian Writers Award, is an award that has been presented annually since 1979 to poets and writers in Southeast Asia....
in 2007.
Haresh Sharma
Haresh Sharma
Haresh Sharma is a Singaporean playwright. To date, he has written more than fifty plays that have been staged all over the world, including Singapore, Melbourne, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cairo and London. Sharma has a BA from the National University of Singapore as well as an MA in Playwriting from...
is a playwright who has written more than fifty plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
that have been staged all over the world, including Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In May 2010, his highly acclaimed play Those Who Can't, Teach was published in book form by the independent publisher Epigram Books
Epigram Books
Epigram Books is a Singapore-based independent publisher that publishes fiction and non-fiction with a focus on Asiatic themes and a strong emphasis on design. They also produce commemorative books and coffee table books for galleries, corporations and other institutions.The company was established...
.
Su-Chen Christine Lim
Su-Chen Christine Lim
Su-Chen Christine Lim was born in Malaysia and had her early education at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus in Penang and Kedah. At the age of 14 she migrated to Singapore with her parents and two brothers, and continued her education at CHIJ Katong...
's works consider varied themes surrounding issues of gender, immigration and orthodoxy. In 1993, her novel, Fistful of Colours, was awarded the first Singapore Literature Prize
Singapore Literature Prize
The Singapore Literature Prize is an award in Singapore to recognise outstanding published works by Singaporean authors in any of the four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil....
. Her other novels take up the relationship between the Malays and Chinese immigrants in colonial Malaya, and the issue of land (A Bit of Earth).
Gopal Baratham
Gopal Baratham
Gopal Baratham was a Singaporean author and neurosurgeon. He was known for his frank style and his ability to write about topics that were often considered controversial in the conservative city-state.-Life:...
, a neurosurgeon, started as a short story writer and later wrote politically-charged works like A Candle or the Sun (1991) and Sayang (1991), which courted some controversy when they were first published.
Jean Tay is an economist-turned-playwright. Her play Everything but the Brain won the Best Original Script at The Straits Times
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
' Life! Theatre Awards in 2006. Two of her plays, Everything but the Brain and Boom, were published in book form by the Singapore-based independent publisher Epigram Books
Epigram Books
Epigram Books is a Singapore-based independent publisher that publishes fiction and non-fiction with a focus on Asiatic themes and a strong emphasis on design. They also produce commemorative books and coffee table books for galleries, corporations and other institutions.The company was established...
.
Augustine Goh Sin Tub who began his writing career writing in Malay, burst on the literary scene after his retirement with more than a dozen books of short stories, most of which were founded on his own personal history, thus making them part fiction and part non-fiction. Works like One Singapore and its two sequels One Singapore 2 and One Singapore 3 have found fans among the different strata of Singapore society and well acclaimed by all.
Around this time, younger writers emerged. Claire Tham and Ovidia Yu wrote short stories, while playwright Stella Kon put forth her lesser-known science-fiction novel, Eston (1995). Of the younger generation, Philip Jeyaretnam
Philip Jeyaretnam
Philip Antony Jeyaretnam is a lawyer from Singapore. He is a Senior Counsel in Singapore, former President of the Law Society of Singapore, and a member of the Singapore Public Service Commission. He is also well known as a fiction writer. He is the younger son of the late veteran Singaporean...
has shown promise but has not published a new novel since Abraham's Promise (1995). His first two books, First Loves (1987) and Raffles Place Ragtime (1988), were bestsellers in Singapore.
Kelvin Tan, a musician and playwright, has been sporadically in sight, publishing the works All Broken Up and Dancing
All Broken Up and Dancing
All Broken Up and Dancing is a novel written by the Singaporean author and musician Kelvin Tan. It deals with the main protagonist Brinsley's search for identity and self-worth. Tan published the novel when he was 26 years old...
(1992) and the Nethe(r);R (2001). Colin Cheong
Colin Cheong
Colin Cheong is a Singaporean writer, teacher and former journalist.Colin Cheong Wye Mun was born in Singapore in 1965.The older of two children born to two teachers, Colin Cheong attended Victoria School, Anderson Secondary School, Hwa Chong Junior College, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and National...
can perhaps lay claim to being one of Singapore's most prolific contemporary authors, releasing three novels, one novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
, two short story collections, and dozens of non-fictional works thus far. He won the Singapore Literature Prize
Singapore Literature Prize
The Singapore Literature Prize is an award in Singapore to recognise outstanding published works by Singaporean authors in any of the four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil....
in 1996 for his travel diary-like novel Tangerine
Tangerine
__notoc__The tangerine is an orange-colored citrus fruit which is closely related to the Mandarin orange . Taxonomically, it should probably be formally named as a subspecies or variety of Citrus reticulata; further work seems to be required to ascertain its correct scientific name...
. Daren Shiau
Daren Shiau
Daren Shiau , a novelist, poet, conservationist and lawyer in private practice qualified in Singapore, England and Wales, has been described by The Arts Magazine as "among the most exciting of the post-1965 generation of writers" and cited by the travel guide Lonely Planet: Malaysia, Singapore and...
's Heartland
Heartland (1999 novel)
Heartland is a novel by Daren Shiau, first published by SNP Editions in 1999. The book won the 1998 Singapore Literature Prize Commendation Award and is Shiau's debut novel. The book is now selected as a set text for GCE 'O' and 'N' levels....
(1999) traces an eighteen-year-old's rites of passage from junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
through to enlistment and thereafter. The novel has been selected to be a set text at secondary school level.
Hwee Hwee Tan
Hwee Hwee Tan
Hwee Hwee Tan is a Singaporean writer.-Biography:She was born in Singapore in 1974. During her youth she spent three years in the Netherlands. At first she studied English Literature at the University of East Anglia, from which she graduated with honours...
graduated with a First Class Honours from the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
, and a Masters from Oxford University. She grew up in Singapore and in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and her cosmopolitan experience can be readily seen in her novels. Her snazzy, humorous prose can be read in Foreign Bodies (1997) and Mammon Inc. (2001), both published by Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
. Simon Tay
Simon Tay
Simon Tay , is a Singaporean professor, author, and former nominated member of Parliament.-Career:...
, currently the chairperson of Singapore Institute of International Affairs
Singapore Institute of International Affairs
The Singapore Institute of International Affairs is a non-government think tank based in Singapore. The Institute conducts research, hosts events, and plans conferences that deal with pressing issues in international affairs, with special focus on South East Asia...
and a former nominated Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, has a short story collection and a novel under his belt. These are Stand Alone (1991) and City of Small Blessings (2009).
List of Singaporean writers
- Aaron LeeAaron LeeAaron Lee Soon Yong is a Singaporean prize-winning poet who writes in English.Aaron began writing poetry during his days at Raffles Institution, a secondary school in Singapore where he befriended other students who would also eventually go on to become published Singaporean writers...
, poet and lawyer - Abdul Ghani Bin Abdul Hamid poet
- Alfian bin Sa'at, playwright, poet and fiction writer
- Muhammad Ariff Ahmad
- Gopal BarathamGopal BarathamGopal Baratham was a Singaporean author and neurosurgeon. He was known for his frank style and his ability to write about topics that were often considered controversial in the conservative city-state.-Life:...
, neurosurgeon and writer - Boey Kim ChengBoey Kim ChengBoey Kim Cheng is a Singapore-born Australian poet.He is of Chinese descent. As a student he won the National University of Singapore Poetry Competition and has since received the National Arts Council's Young Artist Award...
, poet - Colin CheongColin CheongColin Cheong is a Singaporean writer, teacher and former journalist.Colin Cheong Wye Mun was born in Singapore in 1965.The older of two children born to two teachers, Colin Cheong attended Victoria School, Anderson Secondary School, Hwa Chong Junior College, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and National...
, poet and novelist - Felix CheongFelix CheongFelix Cheong is a Singaporean author, and poet.Cheong has written two young adult fiction books used as part of a national education campaign – The Call From Crying House and its sequel, The Woman In The Last Carriage .Cheong's first collection of poetry, Temptations, and Other Poems was...
, poet - Michael ChiangMichael ChiangMichael Chiang is a prolific playwright of the '80s and '90s art scene in Singapore. He wrote Army Daze and Beauty World.He is also editorial director of Mediacorp Publishing, which publishes 8 Days .-External links:...
, playwright - Rohani Din
- Adeline Foo, children's book author, "The Diary of Amos Lee"
- Ivy Goh Nair, Journalist and writer
- Goh Poh SengGoh Poh SengGoh Poh Seng , Singaporean dramatist, novelist and poet, was born in Malaya in 1936. He received his medical degree from University College Dublin, and practised medicine in Singapore for twenty-five years. In his time living in Singapore, Dr Goh held many honorary positions including the Chairman...
, poet and novelist - Han May, high school physics teacher, novelist and writer
- Heng Siok Tian, poet
- Ho Poh Fun, poet
- Philip JeyaretnamPhilip JeyaretnamPhilip Antony Jeyaretnam is a lawyer from Singapore. He is a Senior Counsel in Singapore, former President of the Law Society of Singapore, and a member of the Singapore Public Service Commission. He is also well known as a fiction writer. He is the younger son of the late veteran Singaporean...
, novelist and lawyer - Rama Kannabiran
- Koh Buck SongKoh Buck SongKoh, Buck Song is a writer, editor and consultant in branding, communications strategy and corporate social responsibility in Singapore.-Selected Published Works:Koh, Buck Song is the author and editor of 20 books.His non-fiction books include:...
, poet - Russell LeeRussell Lee (writer)Russell Lee is a Singaporean author best known as the creator of True Singapore Ghost Stories, a series of books that has been among the most popular source of ghost stories in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong ever since the release of Book 1 in 1989.As of April 2010, the 20 books in...
, mysterious author of popular True Singapore Ghost StoriesTrue Singapore Ghost StoriesThe True Singapore Ghost Stories books are one of the bestselling books in Singapore. With over 1,000,000 copies sold, True Singapore Ghost Stories has become a household name since its inception in 1989. Russell Lee, the Singaporean author, compiles reports, stories and interviews about the...
series - Jeffery T.H. Lee, poet
- Lee Tzu PhengLee Tzu PhengLee Tzu Pheng was born and educated in Singapore. She has a Ph.D in English from the National University of Singapore from where she has recently retired as a Senior Lecturer in its English Department...
, academic and poet - Leong Liew Geok, academic and poet
- Liang Wern FookLiang Wern FookDr Liang Wern Fook is a Singaporean writer, musician, and researcher in Chinese literature and pedagogy. He was one of the pioneer figures in the xinyao movement in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
, Chinese writer and songwriter - Catherine LimCatherine LimCatherine Lim is a best-selling Singaporean fiction author known for writing about Singapore society and of themes of traditional Chinese culture. Hailed as the "doyenne of Singapore writers", Lim has published nine collections of short stories, five novels, two poetry collections and numerous...
, novelist - Emily Lim, children's book author "Prince Bear and Pauper Bear"
- Su-Chen Christine LimSu-Chen Christine LimSu-Chen Christine Lim was born in Malaysia and had her early education at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus in Penang and Kedah. At the age of 14 she migrated to Singapore with her parents and two brothers, and continued her education at CHIJ Katong...
, novelist - Shirley Lim, poet and critic
- Chandran NairChandran NairChandran Nair is a Singaporean poet and retired Director and Mediator of UNESCO in Paris.-Background:Nair was born in Kerala, India in 1945. He left India for Singapore at the age of seven...
, poet and artist - Alvin PangAlvin PangAlvin Pang was named 2005 Young Artist of the Year by the National Arts Council Singapore. He holds a First Class Honours degree in English Literature from the University of York and an Honorary Fellowship in Writing from the University of Iowa's International Writing Program...
, poet and editor - Wena PoonWena PoonWena Poon is a lawyer and novelist based in the United States. She writes English-language fiction.-Biography:Poon began writing fiction in her early teens and studied English literature. She refused to enroll in any creative writing classes. She obtained her degrees in English literature and law....
, author based in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - Villayil Raman Gopala PillaiVillayil Raman Gopala PillaiVR Gopala Pillai was a Singaporean novelist writing in Malayalam under the nom de plume G.P. Njekkad, after his natal village in Kerala.- Background :Married to Bhargavi Pillai, he migrated to Singapore from Kerala, India in 1947...
, Malayalam novelist - David Seow, children's book author 'Sam, Sebbie and Di Di Di", "The Littlest Emperor", "There's Soup on My Fly"
- Darren Shiau, poet, novelist, environmentalist and lawyer
- Rex ShelleyRex ShelleyRex Anthony Shelley was a Eurasian Singaporean author. A graduate of the University of Malaya in Singapore and Cambridge trained in engineering and economics, Shelley managed his own business and also worked as member of the Public Service Commission for over 30 years...
, novelist - Serene Wee children's book author "Harry Straw Hat" Chairman of National Book Development Council of Singapore, President of Society of Reading and Literacy.
- Robert YeoRobert YeoRobert Yeo is a Singaporean poet, playwright and novelist.-Career:Yeo is a retired lecturer of the National Institute of Education and Nanyang Technological University. At present he is a teacher of Creative Writing at the Singapore Management University...
, playwright and poet - Kirpal Singh, poet, academic and critic
- Huzir SulaimanHuzir SulaimanHuzir Sulaiman is a Malaysian actor, director and writer. One of Malaysia's leading dramatists, acclaimed for his vibrant, inventive use of language and incisive insight into human behavior in general and the Asian psyche in particular...
, playwright - Hwee Hwee TanHwee Hwee TanHwee Hwee Tan is a Singaporean writer.-Biography:She was born in Singapore in 1974. During her youth she spent three years in the Netherlands. At first she studied English Literature at the University of East Anglia, from which she graduated with honours...
, novelist - Colin Tan, poet
- Toh Hsien MinToh Hsien MinToh Hsien Min is a Singaporean poet.His poems have appeared in many literary journals and have been translated into French, Spanish and Italian...
, poet - Kelvin Tan, musician, playwright and novelist
- Mohamed Pitchay Gani poet, editor and researcher
- Tan Swie HianTan Swie HianTan Swie Hian is a Singaporean multidisciplinary artist known for his contemporary Chinese calligraphy, chinese poetry and contemporary art sculptures found in Singapore and many parts of the world....
, poet, translator, calligrapher, and artist - Simon TaySimon TaySimon Tay , is a Singaporean professor, author, and former nominated member of Parliament.-Career:...
, poet and lawyer - Tan Tarn HowTan Tarn HowTan Tarn How is a Singaporean playwright and senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies . His plays have been staged in Singapore and Hong Kong, and have won numerous awards...
, playwright - Edwin ThumbooEdwin ThumbooEdwin Nadason Thumboo is an award-winning Singaporean poet and academic who is regarded as one of the pioneers of English literature in Singapore....
, poet and academic, former DeanDean (education)In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the Arts and Social Sciences Faculty, National University of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeThe National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered.... - Jeremy Tiang
- I Ulaganathan
- James Villanueva, textbook-writer, poet, novelist, playwright
- Cyril WongCyril WongCyril Wong is the author of nine volumes of poetry and one collection of prose.- Biography:Born in 1977, Cyril Wong attended Saint Patrick's School, Singapore and Temasek Junior College, before pursuing a doctoral degree in English literature from the National University of Singapore...
, poet and countertenor - Eleanor WongEleanor Wong (playwright)Eleanor Wong is a writer and playwright in Singapore. Her plays have been produced in Singapore and regionally. She is best known for "Invitation to Treat", her trilogy of plays centred around the experiences of the character Ellen Toh, a lesbian lawyer in Singapore...
, academic lawyer and playwright - Arthur YapArthur Yap-Biography:Arthur Yap was born in Singapore, the sixth child of a carpenter and a housewife. Yap attended St Andrew's School and the University of Singapore, after which he won a British Council scholarship to study at the University of Leeds in England...
, academic and poet - Yeow Kai Chai, poet and journalist
- Yim Kein Kwok, novelist and architect
- Yong Shu Hoong, poet
- Ovidia Yu, playwright and novelist
- Mohamed Latiff Mohamed poet
English
- After the Hard Hours, This Rain - Chandran NairChandran NairChandran Nair is a Singaporean poet and retired Director and Mediator of UNESCO in Paris.-Background:Nair was born in Kerala, India in 1945. He left India for Singapore at the age of seven...
(1975) - All Broken Up and DancingAll Broken Up and DancingAll Broken Up and Dancing is a novel written by the Singaporean author and musician Kelvin Tan. It deals with the main protagonist Brinsley's search for identity and self-worth. Tan published the novel when he was 26 years old...
- Kelvin Tan (1992) - Army DazeArmy DazeArmy Daze is a 1996 Singaporean comedy movie based on the 1987 theater play of the same name by Singaporean writer Michael Chiang...
- Michael Chiang (1984) - Star Sapphire - Han May (1985)
- Below: Absence - Cyril WongCyril WongCyril Wong is the author of nine volumes of poetry and one collection of prose.- Biography:Born in 1977, Cyril Wong attended Saint Patrick's School, Singapore and Temasek Junior College, before pursuing a doctoral degree in English literature from the National University of Singapore...
(2002) - The Bondmaid - Catherine Lim (1995)
- The Brink of an Amen - Lee Tzu Pheng (1991)
- Eight Plays - Huzir Sulaiman (2002)
- Escape from ParadiseEscape from ParadiseEscape from Paradise: From Third World to First is a 2001 non-fiction book written by John Harding and May Chu Harding set in Singapore, Brunei, Australia, England, and the United States. The book tells, from the author's perspective, of her struggle to divorce her ex-husband, Hin Chew Chung, whom...
- John & May Chu Harding (2001) - First Loves - Philip JeyaretnamPhilip JeyaretnamPhilip Antony Jeyaretnam is a lawyer from Singapore. He is a Senior Counsel in Singapore, former President of the Law Society of Singapore, and a member of the Singapore Public Service Commission. He is also well known as a fiction writer. He is the younger son of the late veteran Singaporean...
(1988) - A Brief History Of Toa Payoh And Other Poems - Koh Buck SongKoh Buck SongKoh, Buck Song is a writer, editor and consultant in branding, communications strategy and corporate social responsibility in Singapore.-Selected Published Works:Koh, Buck Song is the author and editor of 20 books.His non-fiction books include:...
(1992) - Fistful Of Colours - Su-Chen Christine LimSu-Chen Christine LimSu-Chen Christine Lim was born in Malaysia and had her early education at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus in Penang and Kedah. At the age of 14 she migrated to Singapore with her parents and two brothers, and continued her education at CHIJ Katong...
(1993) - Amazing, Surprising, Weird & Wonderful: Myths and Facts of Singapore- Thomas Toh (1995)
- Foreign Bodies - Hwee Hwee Tan (1997)
- Frottage - Yong Shu Hoong (2005)
- The Worth Of Wonder - Koh Buck SongKoh Buck SongKoh, Buck Song is a writer, editor and consultant in branding, communications strategy and corporate social responsibility in Singapore.-Selected Published Works:Koh, Buck Song is the author and editor of 20 books.His non-fiction books include:...
(2001) - I Chose to Climb - Colin Tan (2001)
- I Remember May - Yim Kein Kwok (2001)
- If We Dream Too LongIf We Dream Too LongIf We Dream Too Long is a novel written by Singaporean writer Goh Poh Seng. The novel was completed in 1968 though it was first published in 1972 by Singapore's Island Press. The book won the National Book Development Council of Singapore's Fiction Book Award in 1976...
- Goh Poh Seng (1973) - Mammon Inc. - Hwee Hwee Tan (2001)
- Man Snake Apple - Arthur YapArthur Yap-Biography:Arthur Yap was born in Singapore, the sixth child of a carpenter and a housewife. Yap attended St Andrew's School and the University of Singapore, after which he won a British Council scholarship to study at the University of Leeds in England...
(1988) - the Nethe(r);R - Kelvin Tan (2001)
- Once the Horsemen and Other Poems' - Chandran NairChandran NairChandran Nair is a Singaporean poet and retired Director and Mediator of UNESCO in Paris.-Background:Nair was born in Kerala, India in 1945. He left India for Singapore at the age of seven...
(1972) - Ricebowl - Su-Chen Christine LimSu-Chen Christine LimSu-Chen Christine Lim was born in Malaysia and had her early education at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus in Penang and Kedah. At the age of 14 she migrated to Singapore with her parents and two brothers, and continued her education at CHIJ Katong...
(1984) - Singapore Accent - Ivy Goh Nair,aka B J Wu (1980)
- The Sea is Never Full - Jeffery T.H. Lee (1994)
- The Shrimp People - Rex Shelley (1991)
- The Space of City Trees - Arthur Yap (2000)
- The Stolen Child - Colin Cheong (1989)
- A Third Map - Edwin ThumbooEdwin ThumbooEdwin Nadason Thumboo is an award-winning Singaporean poet and academic who is regarded as one of the pioneers of English literature in Singapore....
(1993) - The Ocean Of Ambition - Koh Buck SongKoh Buck SongKoh, Buck Song is a writer, editor and consultant in branding, communications strategy and corporate social responsibility in Singapore.-Selected Published Works:Koh, Buck Song is the author and editor of 20 books.His non-fiction books include:...
(2003) - City of Rain - Alvin PangAlvin PangAlvin Pang was named 2005 Young Artist of the Year by the National Arts Council Singapore. He holds a First Class Honours degree in English Literature from the University of York and an Honorary Fellowship in Writing from the University of Iowa's International Writing Program...
(2003) - City of Small Blessings - Simon Tay (2009)
- Unmarked Treasure - Cyril WongCyril WongCyril Wong is the author of nine volumes of poetry and one collection of prose.- Biography:Born in 1977, Cyril Wong attended Saint Patrick's School, Singapore and Temasek Junior College, before pursuing a doctoral degree in English literature from the National University of Singapore...
(2004) - The Visage of Terrorism - The Hounds of Hell - James Villanueva (2006/2004)
- A Visitation of Sunlight - Aaron Lee (1997)
- Tilting Our Plates to Catch the Light - Cyril WongCyril WongCyril Wong is the author of nine volumes of poetry and one collection of prose.- Biography:Born in 1977, Cyril Wong attended Saint Patrick's School, Singapore and Temasek Junior College, before pursuing a doctoral degree in English literature from the National University of Singapore...
(2007) - The Lies That Build a Marriage - Suchen Christine Lim (2007)
- Heartlands - Koh Buck SongKoh Buck SongKoh, Buck Song is a writer, editor and consultant in branding, communications strategy and corporate social responsibility in Singapore.-Selected Published Works:Koh, Buck Song is the author and editor of 20 books.His non-fiction books include:...
(2008) - "The Diary of Amos Lee" -Adeline Foo (2009)
Selected anthologies
- Singapore: Places, Poems, Paintings - Koh, Buck Song (editor, 1993). Art & Artist Speak, Singapore. ISBN 981-00-4559-X.
- From Boys To Men: A Literary Anthology Of National Service In Singapore - Koh, Buck Song and Bhatia, Umej (editors, 2002). Landmark Books, Singapore. ISBN 981-3065-67-2.
- Rhythms: A Singaporean Millennial Anthology Of Poetry - Singh, Kirpal et al. (editors, 2000). National Arts Council, Singapore. ISBN 9971-88-763-0.
- Reflecting On The Merlion: An Anthology Of Poems - Thumboo, Edwin & Yeow, Kai Chai (editors, 2009). National Arts Council, Singapore. ISBN 978-981-08-4300-7.
- Writing Singapore: An Historical Anthology Of Singapore Literature - Poon, Angelia; Holden, Philip & Lim, Shirley Geok-lin (editors, 2009). National University of Singapore Press, Singapore. ISBN 978-9971-69-486-9. ISBN 978-9971-69-458-6.
Chinese
- 橡胶树 — 王润华(1997)
- 甜咸人生 — 尤今(1982)
- 众山围绕 — 刘瑞金(2001)
- 老人题材 — 蓉子(2004)
Malay
- Dewi Alam Dan Burung Senja (collection of poems) - Noor SI (1986)
- Jangan Tak Ada (collection of poems) - Muhammad Ariff Ahmad (1990)
- Diari Bonda (Mother's Diary) - Rohani Din (1997)
- Anugerah Buat Syamsiah (An Award for Syamsiah) - Rohani Din (2001)
- Bila Rama-Rama Patah Sayapnya (When The Butterfly Snaps Its Wings) - Mohamed Latiff Mohamed (2007)
- Suasana Senja (Evening Environment) - Masuri SN (2001)
- Petikan Rasa (Abstracts of Feelings) - Abdul Ghani Hamid (2007)
- Perjalananku (My Journey) - Mohamed Latiff Mohamed & A. Samat Ali (2008)
- Diari Hitam (Black Diary) - Mohamed Pitchay Gani Bin Mohamed Abdul Aziz(2008)
- Aku Bukan Penyair (I Am Not A Poet) - Abdul Ghani Hamid (2008)
- Kota Siluman (Siluman City) - Mohamed Pitchay Gani and Muhd Irwan Jamal (2008)
- Mail Mau Kahwin (Mail Wishes To Get Married) - Muhammad Ariff Ahmad (2008)
- Ayah Tidak Sayang Padaku Lagi (My Dad Does Not Love Me Anymore) - Rasiah Halil (2007)
- Mencari Pelangi Malam (Finding The Night Rainbow) - Ahmad Awang (2002)
- Menyongsong Pelangi (Chasing The Rainbow) - Pitchay Gani Bin Mohamed Abdul Aziz(2005)
- Tuhan Masih Sayang (God Still Loves) - A. Wahab Hamzah (2002)
- Bisik (Anthology of Malay Drama) - Teater Ekamatra (2003)
- Tiga Visi (Anthology of Malay Drama) - Perkumpulan Seni (1990)
- Puisi Luka dan Puisi Duka (Poems of Hurt and Sadness) - Suratman Markasan (2004)
- Bicararasa (Speeches of Feel) - Sarifah Yatiman (2004)
- Nota (Notes) - Abdul Ghani Hamid (1987)
- Ziarah Rindu (Visits of Reminisce) - Mohamed Latiff Mohamed (2004)
- Dari Dua Benua (From Two Ends) - Sulaiman Jeem and Muhd. Salihin Sulaiman (1999)
- XXL - Anak Muda Julung Berkeris (XXL - Young Man With a Kris) - Juffri Supa'at (1999)
- RESAN : Antologi Puisi & Cerpen Sayembara Noktah Putih 2008 (RESAN : Anthology of Poetry and Short Stories of White Down Writing Festival 2008) - Mohamed Pitchay Gani Bin Mohamed Abdul Aziz and Muhammad Jailani Abu Talib (2008)