H I S T O R Y

 Singaporean literature in English started in Chinese community

 With independence in 1965, new writing such as critical essays emerged
 Comprised of literary works written in 4 languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil

SINGAPOREAN POETRY
 Literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas
by the use of distinctive style and rhythm
 Unclear which was the first work but there’s a trace as early as 1830s
 F.S.M.R
 by Francis P. Ng (Teo Poh Leng)
 about the train ride from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States
Railways, inspired by T.S. Elliot’s, The Waste Land.
 FINDING FRANCIS: A POETIC ADVENTURE
 October 2010
 by Dr. Ericko Schuck and Anne Teo
 1965 is the new wave of Singaporean writing
 First Generation of Singaporean Writers, led by Edwin Thumboo; called
Thumboo’s Generation
 Thumboo wrote mostly lyrical poetry based on personal experiences
 Edwin Thumboo is often dubbed as Singapore’s Unofficial Poete Laureate because of
his poems with nationalistic themes.

SINGAPOREAN DRAMA
 Drama is a mode of fictional representation through dialogue and performance. Its
composition is in prose or verse presenting a story in pantomime or dialogue.
 EMILY OF EMERALD HILL: A MONOLOGUE
 by Stella Kon
 about an ageing Peranakan matriarch
 character has been played by men, as well as women

SINGAPOREAN FICTION
 Fiction is created from the imagination and not presented as fact
 did not start in earnest until after independence
 comprises of short stories and novels
 IF WE DREAM TOO LONG
 recognised as the first true Singaporean novel
 by Goh Poh Seng

C H I L D R E N ‘ S L I T E RA T U R E
 gained momentum in recent years due to increased interest in the genre generated by the
First Time Writers and Illustrators’ Initiative

SINGAPOREAN LITERATURE ‖ jmercado & mdpelagio

  According to the National Library Board, prominent and prolific children’s authors
include Patricia Maria Tan, Chia Hearn Chek, Ho MinFong, and Bassie Chua.
 Jessie Wee, one of the pioneers of children’s literature, rereleased her popular Mooty
Mouse series with Martial Cavendish in 2009

CHARACTERISTICS
 multilingual
 political
 personal (sexuality and perspective of Singaporean Life)
 cultural
 societal

SINGAPOREAN WRITERS
 Catherine Lim
 Singapore’s widely known author
 hailed as “doyenne of Singapore writers”
 themes: Asian male, chauvinistic gender-dominance
 “The Bond Made”
 Joan Hon
 pen name: “Han May”
 known for fiction books
 “Star Sapphire”

 Haresh Sharma
 playwright who has written more than fifty plays that have been staged all over
the world
 “Those Who Can’t, Teach”

SINGAPOREAN STORIES
 “Little Ironies”
 by Catherine Lim
 collection of short stories concerning modern Singapore life, mostly involving
the Singaporean Chinese community.
 “Taximan’s Story”
 the irony is the fact that the taximan criticizes young people of our generation for
being too immature by hanging out in places like Hotel McElroy; while he still
goes there to make an easy living as Hotel McElroy is a popular spot to earn a
living
 This is an act of contradiction, and instead of ‘practicising what he has
preached’, he has gone against his stand and decides to put money and to make
a living over his own beliefs and mind-set.

SINGAPOREAN LITERATURE ‖ jmercado & mdpelagio

The following is a non-exhaustive list of notable Singaporean writers:

 Gopal Baratham, neurosurgeon and writer

 Boey Kim Cheng, poet
 Don Bosco, writer and publisher of children's fiction books
 Colin Cheong, poet and novelist
 Felix Cheong, poet
 Christine Chia, poet
 Grace Chia, poet
 Michael Chiang, playwright
 Tania De Rozario, poet, fiction writer, and artist
 Goh Poh Seng, poet and novelist
 Gwee Li Sui, a literary critic, poet and graphic artist
 Suffian Hakim, satirist and writer
 Raymond Han, novelist and teacher
 Rachel Heng, fictionist
 Heng Siok Tian, poet
 Joshua Ip, poet
 Philip Jeyaretnam, novelist and lawyer
 Koh Buck Song, poet
 Desmond Kon, poet and publisher
 Aaron Lee, poet and lawyer
 Madeleine Lee, poet
 Russell Lee, author of popular True Singapore Ghost Stories series
 Lee Tzu Pheng, academic and poet
 Liang Wern Fook, Chinese writer and songwriter
 Sonny Liew, comic artist / graphic novelist
 Catherine Lim, novelist
 Su-Chen Christine Lim, novelist
 Shirley Lim, poet and critic
 Low Kay Hwa, novelist
 Kishore Mahbubani, politics
 Aaron Maniam, poet and civil servant
 Mohamed Latiff Mohamed, poet
 Chandran Nair, poet and artist
 O Thiam Chin, fiction writer
 Pooja Nansi, poet
 Faith Ng, playwright
 Ng Yi-Sheng, poet and writer
 Nuraliah Norasid, fictionist and academic
 O Thiam Chin, writer
 Alvin Pang, poet and editor
 Villayil Raman Gopala Pillai, Malayalam novelist

SINGAPOREAN LITERATURE ‖ jmercado & mdpelagio

 Wena Poon, writer
 Alfian bin Sa'at, playwright, poet and fiction writer
 Rex Shelley, novelist
 Daren Shiau, poet, novelist, environmentalist and lawyer
 Damien Sin, author of Classic Singapore Horror Stories series
 Huzir Sulaiman, playwright
 Colin Tan, poet
 Kelvin Tan, musician, playwright and novelist
 Hwee Hwee Tan, novelist
 Joel Tan, playwright
 Paul Tan, poet and deputy chief executive of the National Arts Council
 Tan Swie Hian, poet, translator, calligrapher, and artist
 Tan Tarn How, playwright
 Jean Tay, playwright
 Simon Tay, poet and lawyer
 Teo Poh Leng, poet
 Theophilus Kwek, poet, editor and critic
 Edwin Thumboo, poet and academic, former Dean of the Arts and Social Sciences
Faculty, National University of Singapore
 Jeremy Tiang, fiction writer, translator
 Toh Hsien Min, poet
 Cyril Wong, poet, fictionist, anthologist and countertenor
 Eleanor Wong, academic lawyer and playwright
 Jerrold Yam, lawyer and poet
 Kevin Martens Wong, writer and linguist
 Angeline Yap, poet
 Arthur Yap, academic and poet
 Yeng Pway Ngon, poet, novelist and critic
 Ovidia Yu, playwright and novelist
 Robert Yeo, playwright and poet
 Yong Shu Hoong, poet

SINGAPOREAN LITERATURE ‖ jmercado & mdpelagio