Abstract
Introduction
One of the questions asked in previous Malaysia and Singapore bibliographies concerned the extent to which the two countries’ literatures were comparable. A tendency noticed in previous years was the greater output in poetry and printed dramatic works from Singapore. While the Malaysian output in fiction is not near the Singapore quantity (in 2011, Singapore has doubled the number of fictional works), it does have some works of an appreciable quality. Also, some Malaysian fictional works have more international exposure than those from Singapore, with appearances in the Booker longlists, whereas Singapore has none yet. In spite of the advances in fiction, Malaysia’s outputs of poetry and printed dramatic works lag far behind, forming a stark contrast to its output in fiction.
Over a period of several years, Singapore’s publication of poetry and printed dramatic works has been significantly greater than Malaysia’s output in these genres and the year under review was not an exception. There were nine volumes of poetry written by Singaporean writers in 2011, with younger or more newly-published authors getting their works published together with “veterans” such as the prolific Cyril Wong, and Margaret Leong, who left Singapore and went to live in the United States many years ago. The editors of the volume of Leong’s poetry, Shirley Lim and Angelia Poon, should be commended for bringing out the volume. Some of Leong’s poems refer to a bygone era of Singapore’s history, such as the title poem “The Ice Ball Man” (referring to a vendor of a sweetened crushed-ice delicacy shaped like a ball), who can no longer be found in contemporary Singapore.
During the year, the output of published dramatic works was commendable, with collections of plays by five playwrights: Chong Tze Chien, Haresh Sharma, Tan Tarn How, Verena Tay and Ovidia Yu. With these and other recent publications of dramatic works, it could be said that Singaporean drama no longer appears a largely unpublished performance art form, as was the case in the 1990s and earlier. This development is a boon to both the researcher of Singaporean drama and to theatrical groups interested in performing or reviving over thirty plays collected in five volumes.
The growth in the publications of poetry and drama anthologies in more recent years would not have been possible without the support of local publishers who are enthusiastic about promoting local literature. It does appear that the profit motive is not uppermost in the minds of these publishers, who do seem to be more interested in encouraging local writers to publish on a pro bono basis. Among the publishers are Ethos Books, which published five of the poetry books and four other books, and the new Epigram, which published three of the drama collections and was also involved in republishing several out-of-print books. The dominant role of Marshall Cavendish, which has a more international presence than Ethos and Epigram, should also be mentioned: during the year, it published or republished several volumes of works from both Singapore and Malaysia. Apart from book publishers, the role of Singapore’s National Arts Council in the advancement of the arts is also noteworthy.
The situation in Malaysia is not as advantageous as in Singapore. It does not have a comparable government or semi-government body entrusted with the role of promoting local literature in the English language. In addition, a good number of Malaysian books are published in Singapore by Marshall Cavendish or Monsoon Books. Nevertheless, some of the Malaysian publishers are quite active, and the role of a Malaysian publisher like Silverfish Books in the promotion of local literature should not be underestimated. It is, further, not really the case that some Malaysian authors publish in Singapore but not vice versa. Some works by Singaporean authors, such as those by O Thiam Chin and J. F. Conceicao, were published in Malaysia.
During the year, perhaps the most prominent writer on both sides of the causeway was the playwright Haresh Sharma: several of his plays were performed not only in Singapore, but also in Malaysia. Sharma is a good example of a writer who achieved eminence locally and whose international reputation is an outgrowth of his local work. He forms a contrast to a thespian like Ong Keng Sen, who tried to achieve international prominence before a firm local standing. It is hard to predict where Ong would be heading, especially after an almost completely inactive year, which was inexplicably described as Ong’s “sabbatical”. It is clear, nevertheless, that Sharma’s standing, both locally and internationally, is set to grow even further in the coming years.
Bibliographies
General Bibliographies
Singapore
Singapore National Bibliography National Library (Singapore [1993–]) From Volume 1 onwards (July 1993 to December 2003) DVD-ROM, semi-annual, each update being cumulative, replacing previous disk.
Research Aids
Regional
Camping and Tramping: Through the Colonial Archive: The Museum in Malaya eds Tan Li-Jen and Shabbir Hussain Mustafa 133pp NUS Museum (Singapore).
The Causeway G. Alphonso, A. Lau, J. Huang, K. Khoo, and S. J. Chon 188pp National Archives of Malaysia and National Archives of Singapore (Kuala Lumpur and Singapore) $88.
Malaysia
Fringe Benefits: Essays and Reflections on Malaysian Arts and Cinema Benjamin McKay (comp and eds Yeoh Seng Guan and Julian C.H. Lee) xxi+277pp Strategic Information and Research Development Centre (Petaling Jaya) RM 40.
Malaysian Chinese: An Inclusive Society ed Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies ix+158pp Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies (Kuala Lumpur) RM 15.
Singapore
Churchill and the Lion City: Shaping Modern Singapore ed Brian P. Farrell xii+194pp NUS Press (Singapore) S $38.
Historical Dictionary of Singapore New Edition Justin Corfield 396pp Scarecrow Press (Lanham, Md) US $80.
The History of Singapore Jean E. Abshire xvi+179pp Greenwood (Santa Barbara, California) US $49.95.
Singapore in Global History eds Derek Heng and Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied 317pp Amsterdam University Press (Amsterdam) €44.40.
Singapore Shifting Boundaries: Social Change In The Early 21St Century eds William Lim, Sharon Siddique and Tan Dan Feng 245pp Asian Urban Lab (Singapore) S $25.
Poetry
Singapore
Chua, Damon Traveler’s Tale and Other Poems 93pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $16.
Kwek, Theophilus They Speak Only Our Mother Tongue: Poems 71pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $14.
Leong, Margaret The Ice Ball Man and Other Poems eds Shirley Geok-lin Lim and Angelia Poon 109pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $20.
Ng, Leonard This Mortal World: Poems 80pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $16.
Siva Mahendran Reflections – Body, Mind and Soul 112pp AuthorHouse (Milton Keyes) £8.50.
Tan Jing Quee A Gentle Journey: A Personal Poetry Collection viii+121pp May Publishing (Singapore) S $18.
Valles, Eric Tinsay A World in Transit: Poems 98pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $16
Wong, Cyril Satori Blues 57pp Softblow Press (Singapore) S $22.
— You Cannot Count Smoke 38pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $10.70 [chapbook published as part of BooksActually’s Barbette’s Feast workshops].
Drama
Malaysia
Salleh ben Joned The Amok of Mat Solo: A Play 112pp Siverfish Books (Kuala Lumpur) RM 30.
Singapore
Chong Tze Chien Four Plays xvii+174pp Epigram Books (Singapore) S$24.90 [publication of Charged, Poop!, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and To Whom It May Concern; introd K K Seet].
Sharma, Haresh Shorts 2 v+269pp Necessary Stage (Singapore) S $22 [collection of 8 plays by Sharma].
Tan Tarn How Six Plays 354pp Epigram Books (Singapore) S $25.90.
Tay, Verena In the Company of Heroes 269pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $22.80 [collection of 7 plays by Tay].
Yu, Ovidia Eight Plays xxxii+380pp Epigram Books (Singapore) S $26.90 [includes introd by K K Seet].
Fiction
Malaysia
Chan Ling Yap Bitter-Sweet Harvest 414pp Marshall Cavendish (Singapore) US $18.99.
— Sweet Offerings 346pp Marshall Cavendish (Singapore) US $16.99 [first pub by Indepenpress (Brighton) 2009].
Chauly, Bernice Growing up with Ghosts 335pp Matahari Books (Petaling Jaya) RM 40 [this book has also been called a “fictive autobiography” and crosses the boundary between fiction and non-fiction].
Chin, Jeremy Fuel 255pp Jeremy Chin (Kuala Lumpur) RM 35.
Iskandar al-Bakri The Beruas Prophecy 233pp Silverfish Books (Kuala Lumpur) RM30.
Lee Su Kim Kebaya Tales: Of Matriarchs, Maidens, Mistresses and Matchmakers 178pp Marshall Cavendish (Singapore) US $15.99
Lim, Shirley The Shirley Lim Collection: Passports and Other Lives 358pp Marshall Cavendish (Singapore) US $20.99.
Megat Ishak Cannibal vs. Ah Long and Other Bloody Stories ii+145pp Storm (Kuala Lumpur) RM 20.
Rumaizah Abu Bakar The Female Cell 166pp Silverfish Books (Kuala Lumpur) RM 30.
Singapore
Alagan, Eric Beck and Call: A Business Thriller Set in Singapore 390pp LCA Books (Singapore) S $18.50.
— Code Shield: A Peek into Singapore’s Secret Services: A Novel 356pp 390pp LCA Books (Singapore) S $18.50.
Chan, Carol The World Must Weigh the Same 48pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $10.70 [chapbook #5: published as part of BooksActually’s Barbette’s Feast workshops].
Cheong, Colin The Colin Cheong Collection 450pp Marshall Cavendish (Singapore) [collection of three novellas and 23 short stories] US $22.50.
— Polite Fiction 238pp Marshall Cavendish (Singapore) [stories on the theme of truthfulness and falsehood] US $15.99.
Chia, Christine The Law of Second Marriages 92pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $10.70 [chapbook #4: published as part of BooksActually’s Barbette’s Feast workshops].
Chua, Dave The Beating and Other Stories 209pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $22.
— and Koh Hong Teng Gone Case: A Graphic Novel ed Joyce Sim (unpaged) Dave Chua and Koh Hong Teng (Singapore) [self-pub] S $18.90 [graphic novel, with drawings by Koh, based on Chua’s novel of the same name, originally published in 1997].
Conceicao, J F Love and War in Old Malacca 402pp JN Cooray Publishing House (Ampang, Malaysia) S $32.90.
— The Travels and Adventures of Sang Dol 376pp JN Cooray Publishing House (Ampang, Malaysia) S $29.90.
En-Kai, Clive Aporia: A Novella 127pp Ethos Books S $20.
Lim, Catherine Miss Seetoh in the World 487pp Marshall Cavendish (Singapore) US $20.99.
Low Kay Hwa For That Day 194pp Goody Books (Singapore) S $16.90.
— A Singapore Love Story 128pp Goody Books (Singapore) S $16.73.
O Thiam Chin The Rest of Your Life and Everything That Comes with It 163pp ZI Publications (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) RM 30.
Pang, Alvin What Gives Us Our Names 52pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $10.70 [chapbook published as part of Booksactually’s Barbette’s Feast workshops].
Rajaratnam, Sinnathamby The Short Stories and Radio Plays ed Irene Ng xlii+240pp Epigram (Singapore) S $18.90.
Woon, Walter C M The Devil’s Circle 287pp Marshall Cavendish (Singapore) US$15.99.
Anthologies
Malaysia
Readings from Readings: New Malaysian Writing eds Bernice Chauly and Sharon Bakar x+198pp Word Works (Petaling Jaya) US $18 [short stories by Malaysian writers].
Sex, Stage & State ed Ann Lee et al. 297pp Parama Adhi Perkasa (Jakarta) US $46 [plays by members of Kuali Works, the all-women Malaysian theatre group].
Singapore
Coast eds Daren Shiau and Lee Wei Fen 244pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S$24.80 [53 works with the title “Coast”, a mono-titular anthology of Singapore writing].
Man/Born/Free: Writings on the Human Spirit from Singapore ed Gwee Li Sui 103pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S$20 [anthology of poems on the themes of liberty, equality, humanity and hope].
Moving Words 2011: A Poetry Anthology ed Alvin Pang 174pp The Literary Centre (Singapore) S$20 [poems originally submitted to a poetry competition, mostly in English, with some poems in Chinese, Malay and Tamil, with their English translations].
Singapore Sucks! eds the “Singa Crew” xii+134pp Gerakbudaya Enterprise (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) RM 20 [short stories on Singapore life].
Traversing the Silent Voices of Song 2nd edition eds Anitha Devi Pillai and Geraldine Song 79pp National Institute of Education (Singapore) [A collection of monologues by trainee teachers on Geraldine’s Song play Nurhalizah].
Criticism
General Studies, Reports & Reviews
Regional
“All Aboard the Highway of the Arts” Cheah Ui-Hoon Business Times (Singapore) 22 July [on the second joint, Singapore and Malaysia Causeway Exchange arts festival held in Kuala Lumpur in 2011].
Colony, Nation, and Globalisation: Not at Home in Singaporean and Malaysian Literature Eddie Tay viii+165pp NUS Press (Singapore) S$28.
“Eddie Tay, Colony, Nation, and Globalisation: Not at Home in Singaporean and Malaysian Literature” Bernard Wilson Asiatic 5(1) pp139–141 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-1-03; review of Tay’s study, above].
“Money, Money, Money” U-en Ng New Sunday Times 27 February p13 [on the highly generous Singapore government spending on the arts when compared to the Malaysia government’s].
Narrating Race: Asia, (Trans)Nationalism, Social Change ed Robbie B.H. Goh viii+283pp Rodopi (Amsterdam) € 58.
The New Asian City: Three-Dimensional Fictions of Space and Urban Form Jini Kim Watson xi+311pp University of Minnesota Press (Minneapolis) US $25.
“Race in Asian Poetry in English: Ethnic, National and Cosmopolitan Representations” Agnes Lam Narrating Race ed Goh pp253–272 [see
Malaysia
“Caught in the Act” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 13 January [performances by a Malaysian theatre company in Singapore].
“Diasporic Translocation and ‘The Multicultural Question’ in Malaysia” Sharmani Patricia Gabriel Mosaic 44(2) pp19–34.
Intimating the Sacred: Religion in English-Language Malaysian Fiction Andrew Ng Hock-soon 281pp Hong Kong University Press (Hong Kong) US $25.
“Major Breakthrough for Malaysian Literary [Works] At Frankfurt Book Fair” Bernama 17 October http://goo.gl/eaxP4.
“Pushing the Arts Agenda” Brenda James Malaysian Business 1 July p74 [interview with the Malaysian actress Tiara Jacquelina on keeping the performing arts alive].
“Theatre and the People” Ng U-En New Sunday Times 13 March p13 [on the audience for Malaysian theatre].
“Theatre in Dire Straits” Ng U-En New Sunday Times 8 May p12.
“Voodoo Theatre” Ng U-En New Sunday Times 21 August p13 [on the state of Malaysian theatre].
“Where Are Our Writers?” New Sunday Times 20 March p13.
Singapore
“Acting on the Written Word” Magdalen Ng Straits Times 13 June [three local directors curate and direct Singapore writing].
“Bilingual Metaphor in Hong Kong and Singapore Writing” Kwok-kan Tam Symbolism: An International Annual of Critical Aesthetics 11 pp225-236.
“Bring Back Good Plays” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 23 June [on the restaging of older Singaporean plays].
“Broken Taboos Have a Starring Role in Singapore Theater Festival” Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop International Herald Tribune 22 July p9 [on the controversial plays staged by the theatre company W!ld Rice for their third Singapore Theatre Festival].
“Cash for Creations” Corrie Tan Straits Times 13 January [report on the Arts Creation Fund for budding artists].
“Commentary: A Harvest of Political Plays” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 18 August [overview of the rise of political theatre in Singapore].
“Differing Views on Arts Funding” Corrie Tan Straits Times 24 October [panel discussion whether arts funding is needed and on its extent]
“Edwin Thumboo, ed. & Words: Poems Singapore and Beyond” George Polley Asiatic 5(1) pp129–130 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-1-01 review of the anthology edited by Thumboo (2010)].
“Enter Stage Left: Politics; The Year Theatre Got the Vote” Mayo Martin Today p69 [report on what the writer describes as “a bumper year for political theatre” in Singapore].
“Festival’s a Bestseller” Corrie Tan and Akshita Nanda Straits Times 3 November [on the fourteenth Singapore Writers Festival held during the year].
“Growing (Old) Pains” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 20 October [on the Passages project, which involved eight authors writing on hospice patients or elderly persons living in homes].
“Gwee Li Sui, ed. Telltale Stories” Tamara Silvia Wagner Asiatic 5(1) pp156–157 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-1-06; review of short story anthology, edited by Gwee (2010)].
— “Gwee Li Sui, man/born/free: Writings on the Human Spirit from Singapore” Angus Whitehead Asiatic 5(2) pp146–149 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-2-07; review of the anthology edited by Gwee (2011), see
“The Invisible Women: Is the Arts — Even in the Age of the Career Woman — Still an Old Boys’ Club?” Mayo Martin Today (Singapore) 4 March p4 [on male dominance of the arts in Singapore].
“Let Literature Become Part of Daily Life” Corrie Tan Straits Times 26 November.
“Literary Journals Are Hot” Magdalen Ng Straits Times 23 January [on the revival of literary journals in Singapore].
Literary Singapore: A Directory of Contemporary Writing in Singapore 171pp National Arts Council (Singapore) S $14.20.
“Love, in a Time of Old Age and Sickness” Sarah Chang MyPaper 7 October pA17 [on the Passages project,
“Manufacturing Authenticity: The Cultural Production of National Identities in Singapore” Terence Chong Modern Asian Studies 45(4) pp877-897.
“The Monday Interview with Edmund Wee; Novel Way of Life” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 11 July [interview with the owner of Epigram Books, which reprinted some rare or out-of-print Singapore literature books during the year].
“Newcomers to the Stage” Adeline Chia Straits Times 27 October [on three new dramatic productions conceptualized by visual artists and designers].
“On Learning, Teaching and the Pursuit of Creative Writing in Singapore and Hong Kong” Eddie Tay and Eva Leung New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing 8(2) pp103-113.
“Plays Go to Print” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 20 March [on the publication of plays by Singapore playwrights].
“Poetry Moves onto the MRT” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 23 May [poems from twelve Singaporean writers would be displayed on posters in the carriages and trains of Singapore’s rapid transit system].
“Political Writing Market Opens Up” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 25 October
“Politics and All Its Drama” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 29 December [discussion of six performances of political theatre by Singaporean playwrights during the year].
“Politics, Sex and Religion” Adeline Chia Straits Times 1 June [on three new plays which deal with these issues in the Man Singapore Theatre Festival].
“Quarterly Literary Review Singapore Celebrates a Decade of Fine Writing Online” Mayo Martin Today (Singapore) 24 October p36 [on the tenth anniversary of the online literary journal].
“Refreshing Spontaneity Marks Singapore Writers Festival” Lito B. Zulueta Philippine Daily Inquirer 31 October http://goo.gl/HPueo.
“Seoul and Singapore as ‘New Asian Cities’: Literature, Urban Transformation, and the Concentricity of Power” Jini Kim Watson Positions: East Asia Cultures Critique 19(1) pp193–215.
“Sex and the City-State: Cultural Politics and Sexual Cultures in Love and Lust in Singapore” Joel Gwynne and Angus Whitehead Asiatic 5(2) pp79–94 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-2-01, review article of the erotic short story collection Love and Lust in Singapore (2010)].
“S’poreans’ Passion Sparks Rise of Online Lit Journals” Sarah Chang MyPaper 20 October pA19.
“Unfolding Dual Diaspora in Minority Fiction of Singaporeans Abroad: The Dead Other at Home in Josephine Chia’s Shadows across the Sun” Tamara S. Wagner. Transforming Diaspora: Communities beyond National Boundaries eds Robin E. Field, Parmita Kapadia, and Amritjit Singh, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press (Madison, NJ) pp135–151.
“Where Have the Young Ones Gone?” Adeline Chia Straits Times 13 October [on the dearth of younger Singaporean playwrights].
“Words Count: Man Singapore Theatre Fest’s Playwrights Talk Shop about The Great Singapore Play — Or Not” Mayo Martin Today 11 July p38 [discussion with the four playwrights who wrote the plays for the Festival].
Individual Writers: Studies, Reports & Reviews
Malaysia
Aw, Tash “History and Narrative: The Use of the Sublime in Tash Aw’s Fiction” Sim Wai-chew Journal of Commonwealth Literature 46(2) pp293–210.
— “Years of Living Dangerously” Katherine A. Powers The Boston Globe 23 January pC.5 [discussion on Aw’s novels].
Awang Goneng “Tales of a Veritable Village Boy” Tan Choe Choe New Sunday Times 1 May p33 [interview].
Chauly, Bernice “Confronting Ghosts of Past” Sharmila Valli Narayanan Malaysian Business 1 September p71 [interview].
Chua Kok Yee “Chua Kok Yee, Without Anchovies” Lily Rose Tope Asiatic 5(1) pp 151–155 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-1-05; review of Chua’s short story collection (2010)].
Flint, Shamini “Happily Elsewhere; Crimes That Take Place Abroad” Sean O’Brien Times Literary Supplement 19 August pp21–22 [review of five novels, including Flint’s Inspector Singh Investigates].
— “Sleuthing across Southeast Asia” Nick Walker Phnom Penh Post 7 March [interview].
Lim, Shirley “Remapping the Past – The Struggle for Self-Identity in Shirley Geok-lin Lim’s Joss and Gold” Tzu-Chun Chin Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction 52(2) pp198–216.
— “Shirley Lim, The Shirley Lim Collection: Passports and Other Lives” Carol Leon Asiatic 5(2) pp131–132 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-2-02; review of the collection, see
Rumaizah Abu Bakar “Rumaizah Abu Bakar, The Female Cell” Shakila Abdul Manan Asiatic 5(2) pp158–162 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-2-11, review of Rumaizah’s collection of short stories, see
Salleh ben Joned “Salleh ben Joned, The Amok of Mat Solo” Asiatic 5(2) pp156–157 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-2-10; review of the publication of Salleh’s play (2011), see
Tan Twan Eng “Agency and the Pedagogy of Japanese Colonialism in Tan Twan Eng’s The Gift of Rain” David C L Lim Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction 52(2) pp233–247.
— “A Moving Mix of History, Philosophy” Nancy Harris The Boston Globe 11 August p3 [review of A Gift of Rain (2010)].
Singapore
Alfian Sa’at “Alfian Sa’at, Collected Plays Two” Susan Philip Asiatic 5(2) pp143–145 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-2-06; review of the second volume of Alfian’s collected plays (2010)].
— “All Heat up over Cooling” Adeline Chia Straits Times 4 August [preview of performance of Alfian’s “documentary theatre”, Cooling Off Day, on Singapore’s General Election earlier in the year].
— “Hot-Button Issues a Big Hit” Cheah Ui-Hoon Business Times (Singapore) 19 August [review of Cooling off Day].
— “Inner Demons on a Rampage” Natalie Koh Business Times (Singapore) 19 August [review of performance of Alfian’s Nadirah].
— “Relive the GE Fever” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 12 August [review of Cooling off Day].
— “Second Run for Cooling Off Day” Adeline Chia Straits Times 23 August [plans by the theatre company Wild Rice to re-stage Alfian Sa’at’s Cooling off Day, within the next six months].
Cheong, Colin “Colin Cheong, The Colin Cheong Collection” George Polley Asiatic 5(2) pp140–142 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-2-05; review of the Cheong anthology (2011), see
— “Polite Conversations” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 30 October [interview].
Cheong, Felix “Cool Dad to Have” Jane Ng Straits Times 16 October [on the poet’s relationship with his son, triggered by a poem on the same theme].
Chong Tze Chien “Hands of History” Clarissa Tan Business Times (Singapore) 22 April [on Chong’s Turn by Turn We Turn, on the fortunes of a hand-puppet troupe in China].
— “The Monday Interview with Chong Tze Chien” Corrie Tan Straits Times 29 August.
— “Perfect Puppetry” Corrie Tan Straits Times 16 April [review of Chong’s Turn by Turn We Turn].
— “Propping up a Dying Art” Cheah Ui-Hoon Business Times (Singapore) 8 April [on Turn by Turn We Turn].
— “Puppets’ Turn to Shine” Corrie Tan Straits Times 12 April [on Turn By Turn We Turn].
— “Scam? Just Delete That E-Mail” Corrie Tan Straits Times 3 September [review of staging of Chong’s monodrama, To Whom It May Concern].
Chua, Dave “Daydreams in Monochrome” Malcolm Tay Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 10(2) [review of the first volume of graphic-novel adaptation (2010) of Chua’s novel, Gone Case (1997)].
Kon, Stella “Bibik’s a Material Girl” Natasha Ann Zachariah Straits Times 17 February [on a promotional video for a forthcoming production of her perennial play Emily of Emerald Hill].
— “Emily Comes Full Circle” Corrie Tan Straits Times 26 February [staging of Emily in celebration of the theatre company Wild Rice’s tenth anniversary].
— “Emily Jazzed Up” Adeline Chia Straits Times 7 March [review of performance of Emily].
— “One-Man Tour de Force” Clarissa Tan Business Times (Singapore) 11 March [on Ivan Heng’s transgendered performance as Emily].
— See also, Lim, Jonathan
Kuo Pao Kun. See Lim, Jonathan
Leong, Margaret “Margaret McDaniels Leong, The Ice Ball Man and Other Poems” Pauline T. Newton Asiatic 5(2) pp133–136 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-2-03; review of Leong’s poetry collection (2011), see
Li Lien-Fung “Mum Remembers Grandma” Corrie Tan Straits Times 18 October [Li’s daughter, Ho Minfong, on the posthumous launch of Li’s autobiographical work].
Lim, Catherine “Catherine Lim, Following the Wrong God Home” George Polley Asiatic 5(2) pp150–152 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-2-08; review of Lim’s novel (2001), reprinted in 2011].
— “Missing Catherine” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 27 February [review of Miss Seetoh in the World; see
Lim, Jonathan “Dynamic Duo: Jonathan Lim’s Take on Two Singapore Classic Monologues — At the Same Time” Mayo Martin Today (Singapore) p40 [Lim’s send-up of the two classic Singapore monodramas, Kuo’s The Coffin Is Too Big for the Hole and Kon’s Emily of Emerald Hill].
— “Lim’s Mash-Ups Hit the Mark” Natalie Koh Business Times (Singapore) 16 September [review of Lim’s sendup of Kuo’s and Kon’s monodramas]
Loon, Robin “Sex and the Politician” Adeline Chia Straits Times 24 November [on Loon’s play Mata Hati and its production].
Nair, Chandran “Chandran Nair, Reaching for Stones: Collected Poems (1963-2009)” Harry Aveling Asiatic 5(1) pp134–138 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-1-02; review of Nair’s poetry collection, Searching for Stones (2010)].
— “Precious Stones, Sometimes Inscrutable” Gilbert Koh Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 10(1) http://www.qlrs.com/critique.asp?id=828 [review of Searching for Stones (2010)].
O Thiam Chin “The Prose of His Life” Corrie Tan Straits Times 21 October [interview].
— “Short and Sweet” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 15 May [review of O’s Under the Sun (2010)]
Rajaratnam, Sinnathamby “Rajaratnam’s Stories in a Book” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 30 July [on the posthumous publication of Rajaratnam’s collection of short stories and radio plays; see
Sharma, Haresh “A Campy, Back-to-the-Future Look at S’pore” Rebecca Liu Business Times (Singapore) 6 June [review of performance of Sharma’s Singapore: You Make Me Feel Brand New].
— “‘Disabled’ Characters in Plays” Lionel Warner Changing English: An International Journal of English Teaching 18(4) pp371-382 [includes a discussion of Sharma’s Off Centre (2000; first staged in 1993)].
— “Disjointed Singapore Confuses” Adeline Chia Straits Times 6 June [review of performance of Singapore…].
— “Fleshed-Out Restaging” Natalie Koh Business Times (Singapore) 4 November [re-staging of Sharma’s Gemuk Girls].
— “Flip Side of Local History” Rebecca Liu Business Times (Singapore) 3 June [preparation for staging of Sharma’s Singapore…].
— “Homecoming Queens” Corrie Tan Straits Times 24 February [on Sharma’s play Balek Kampong, which explores the idea of home].
— “Kampong Calling” Corrie Tan Straits Times 5 March [review of performance of Sharma’s Balek Kampong].
— “Sharma Wins US Award” Adeline Chia Straits Times 28 October 2011 [recipient of the Goldberg Master Playwright Award by New York’s Tisch School of the Arts].
— “Soiman’s Gemuk Heft” Natalie Koh Business Times (Singapore) 18 November [review of performance of Sharma’s Gemuk Girls].
— “Stellar Cast Drives Model Citizens” 30 January Natalie Koh Business Times (Singapore) 14 January [review of the staging of Sharma’s Model Citizens].
— “A Well-Ordered Liberty” New Sunday Times p12 [on a performance of Sharma’s Model Citizens in Kuala Lumpur, and on larger issues concerning the political cultures of Malaysia and Singapore].
Shelley, Rex “Performing Ethnicity, Ethnicizing History: The Eurasians of Singapore in Rex Shelley’s The Shrimp People” Narrating Race ed Goh [see
Tan Tarn How “A Cry in the Dark” Adeline Chia Straits Times 3 September [review of performance of Tan’s Fear of Writing, a political play on self-censorship].
— “A False Awakening” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 15 September [review of performance of Fear of Writing].
— “Gender Benders Express Themselves” Adeline Chia Straits Times 31 August [on an aspect of Fear of Writing].
— “Old and New: Two Political Plays by Tan Tarn How Get an Airing in Public” Mayo Martin Today (Singapore) 25 August p64 [dramatised reading of The First Emperor’s Last Days and staging of Fear of Writing].
— “Six of the Best” Laremy Lee Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 10(3) http://www.qlrs.com/critique.asp?id=860 [review of Tan’s Six Plays, see
— “Tarn How Faces Fear in New Play” Adeline Chia Straits Times 21 July [interview with Tan on Fear of Writing].
— “When Writing Is Given Free Rein” Cheah Ui-Hoon Business Times (Singapore) 9 September [review of performance of Tan’s political play, Fear of Writing].
— “Whither Political Theatre?” Cheah Ui-Hoon Business Times (Singapore) 26 August [discussion with Tan on Fear of Writing].
Tay, Eddie “Eddie Tay, The Mental Life of Cities” Philip Holden Asiatic 5(1) pp145–147 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-1-04; review of Tay’s poetry collection (2010)].
Tay, Verena “Verena Tay, In the Company of Heroes” Asiatic 5(2) pp153–155 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-2-09; review of Tay’s collection of plays (2011), see
Tham, Claire “Shots in the Dark” Natalie Koh Business Times (Singapore) 16 September [review of performance of The Gunpowder Trail, a Malay adaptation by Zizi Azah Abdul Majid of a short story by Tham].
Yeo, Robert “The Monday Interview with Robert Yeo; Charting his Routes” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 8 August.
— “Robert Yeo, Routes: A Singaporean Memoir 1940-75” Verena Tay Asiatic 5(2) pp137–139 [http://tinyurl.com/Asiatic5-2-04; review of the first volume of Yeo’s memoirs (2011); see
Wong, Cyril “Into the Abyss We Go” Amos Toh Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 10(1) http://www.qlrs.com/critique.asp?id=827 [review of Wong’s Oneiros (2010)].
Zizi Azah Abdul Majid “A Dramatic Turn at 16” Huang Huifen Straits Times 7 August [the early development of Zizi Azah’s interest in drama].
Non-fiction
Malaysia
Awang Goneng A Map of Trengganu 271pp Monsoon Books (Singapore) S$22.50.
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad Coming of Age: A Decade of Essays, 2001-2011 Marshall Cavendish (Singapore) S$18.50.
Ooi Kee Beng The Right to Differ: A Biographical Sketch of Lim Kit Siang xi+180pp Research for Social Advancement (Kuala Lumpur) RM 30.
Singapore
Li Lien-Fung A Daughter Remembers Marshall Cavendish (Singapore) US$15.99.
Ong Siew Chey Life in Three Countries: In Search of a Home ix+172pp Ong Siew Chey (Singapore) S$15.70
Yeo, Robert Routes: A Singaporean Memoir, 1940-75 383pp Ethos Book (Singapore) S$35.