Singular Stories: Tales from Singapore

At the beginning of the 1980s, Singapore’s public relied largely on a literary diet of traditional British and North American authors. By 1990, however, books by Singaporeans were rapidly replacing imports on the bestseller lists and in the review columns. Singular Stories exemplifies the range of the new Singaporean prose.

The pieces in this diverse collection explore the conflict between traditional and modern societies, the role of women, the Japanese occupation, and the lighter side of the Singaporean character; the styles range from straight narrative, to surreal, to experimental. Highlights include prize-winning stories by Ovidia Yu and Ho Minfong.

• Introduction—R. Yeo.
• A Girl as Sweet as Alice—Gregory Nalpon.
• Between the Lines—Rebecca Chua.
• Wedding Night—Gopal Baratham.
• Tanjong Rhu—Ho Minfong.
• Monologue—Kirpal Singh.
• Another Country—Shirley Lim.
• Sailboat—Lim Thean Soo.
• Out of the Storm—Woo Keng Thye.
• Rite of Passage—Ho Poh Fun.
• A Dream of China—Ovidia Yu.
• The Lady in Red—Felix Chia.