Abstract
Introduction
A prominent feature of the English-language literature of Singapore and Malaysia in recent years is the emergence of two major figures in the literary landscape: Tash Aw and Tan Twan Eng. The year under review saw the longlisting of the third Malaysian novel for the Booker prize: Tan Twan Eng’s Garden of Evening Mists; Aw’s The Harmony Silk Factory was longlisted in 2005, and Tan’s The Gift of Rain in 2007. Tan’s novel went a step further by being subsequently selected for the Booker shortlist. Although the predictions of the winner were largely centred on the two English novelists on the shortlist, Hilary Mantel and Will Self, Tan was seen as a strong contender, with the British bookmaker, William Hill, placing odds that he was the third most likely author to win the prize. One of the judges of the Booker, Peter Stothard, in fact noted that the book’s central character, Aritomo, was “one of the most memorable characters in all the 30,000 or so pages we’ve read this year” (Guardian, 12 September).
The Frank O’Connor prize for the short story may not be as well known as the Booker, but it should be noted that a Malaysian and two Singapore authors had their works longlisted for the prize during the year. The Malaysian Dina Zaman was selected for her collection of short stories, The King of the Sea. The Singaporeans, Dave Chua and O Thiam Chin, were respectively selected for The Beating and Other Stories and The Rest of Your Life and Everything That Comes with It (2011). It should be noted too, that this was the second time that O Thiam Chin was longlisted for the Frank O’Connor prize: he was previously longlisted in 2010, for his volume of short stories, Free-Falling Man (2009).
In spite of the fact that the longlisted short story collections were written by locally-based authors and were published in Malaysia or Singapore, it could generally be said that in recent years, writers who were more internationally known were foreign-based and had their books published by British or international publishers. This is certainly true of both Aw and Tan, who had spent a good part of their writing lives abroad. Tan spends half the year in Cape Town, South Africa, and is recognized as more than just a visitor there. When the veteran novelist from Cape Town, André Brink, did not make it from the Booker longlist to its shortlist, the report in the city’s Weekend Argus newspaper described Tan as “Cape Town’s other hope” (16 September).
Generally, books that are published abroad are likely to gain wider international exposure, as the publishers have both a global presence and more resources to market their books over a more extensive geographical reach. But there are exceptions to this. Tan Twan Eng, for example, published his two novels with a small British publisher, Myrmidon. Had his two novels not been longlisted and his second novel shortlisted for the Booker, it is likely that they would have been much less noticed internationally. In this, it is the quality of his novels, and not their marketing by major international publishers, that led to their eminence. Tan’s second novel’s success in the literary competitions that it participated in, will be reported in the 2013 Bibliography for the region.
Although local publishers in Malaysia and Singapore may not have the means to extensively market their books globally, they should be congratulated for their unflagging support of local literature. This is especially the case in Singapore, where Ethos, and two more recent publishers, Epigram and Math Paper Press, published several volumes written by Singaporean authors. In the list that I have collated for this Bibliography, about two thirds of the Singaporean creative books were published by them. The proportion would have been larger had I included reprinted works in the list; during the year, Epigram reissued several works that were out of print. The oldest of the trio of dynamic publishers, Ethos, celebrated its fifteenth year as a publisher of local literature in 2012. Although some of the older publishers that published books at the turn of the century, such as Angsana Books and Times Books International, have folded up or are no longer publishing local literary works, it is encouraging to see more established publishers, such as Landmark Books, continuing to publish works by Singaporean writers during the year.
A trend that was seen in previous years continued to be seen during the year: several Singaporean works were published in all the literary categories, but the same is not true of publications by Malaysian authors. Malaysian writers such as Tash Aw and Tan Twan Eng have, of course, attained global prominence, and they have also outstretched the achievement of their Singaporean counterparts by having their novels listed for the Booker. However, works by their compatriots were not well represented in the other generic categories: I have managed to locate only one Malaysian volume each for poetry, drama and non-fiction. There was a clear difference on the other side of the border, where Singaporean authors published twenty-one individual poetry collections, six volumes of dramatic works, and four non-fictional works. Although some selectivity was involved in the listing of non-fictional works, where only books of some literary interest were chosen, the same cannot be said about poetry and printed dramatic works: there is a definite dearth of Malaysian publications in these genres, and it is hoped that the situation will change in the future.
It should also be noted that in English-language dramatic performance, there was relatively more activity in Singapore than in Malaysia. The Malaysian playwright and actor, Huzir Sulaiman now spends much of his time in Singapore, where he contributes not only to the performing arts, but also, to drama education and the publication of Singaporean dramatic works. The theatre company that he co-founded in Singapore, Checkpoint Theatre, celebrated its tenth anniversary during the year, and it is likely that he would continue to make important contributions to Singapore theatre in the future.
Bibliography
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
Contestations of Memory in Southeast Asia eds Roxana Waterson and Kwok Kian-Woon 300pp NUS Press (Singapore) S $30.
War, Memory and the Making of Modern Malaysia and Singapore Kevin Blackburn and Karl Hack 459pp NUS Press S $45.
Malaysia
Ethnicization and Identity Construction in Malaysia Frederik Holst 240pp Routledge (Milton Park) £90.
Malaysia in the World Economy, 1824-2011: Capitalism, Ethnic Divisions, and “Managed” Democracy Azlan Tajuddin 294pp Lexington Books (Lanham) US $75.
Singapore
Authoritarian Rule of Law: Legislation, Discourse, and Legitimacy in Singapore Jothie Rajah 343pp Cambridge University Press (Cambridge) £18.99.
Studying Singapore’s Past: C.M. Turnbull and the History of Modern Singapore ed Nicholas Tarling ix+261pp NUS Press (Singapore) S $38.
Poetry
Malaysia
Wong Phui Nam The Hidden Papyrus of Hen-taui 35pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $10.
Singapore
Alfian Sa’at The Invisible Manuscript 107pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) A $16.
Boey Kim Cheng Clear Brightness 64pp Epigram Books (Singapore) S $19.90.
Chia, Grace Cordelia 106pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $18.
Heng Siok Tian Is My Body a Myth 27pp Landmark Books (Singapore) [2011] S $14.98.
—– Mixing Tongues 45pp Landmark Books (Singapore) [2011] S $17.12.
Ho Ren Chun Shrines & Streetlights 156pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $14.
Ip, Joshua Sonnets from the Singlish 71pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $16.
Lee, Anne Tzu Pheng.
Lee Tzu Pheng Catching Connections: Poems, Prosexcursions, Crucifictions 96pp Landmark Books (Singapore) S $13.
Leo, David Ubin Dreaming 121pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $18.
Loo, Jane Hallucinations 74pp Celestial (Singapore) S $20.
Koh Jee Leong The Pillow Book 66pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $10.
Loh Guan Liang Transparent Strangers: Poems 79pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $16.
Ooi Giok Ling My Garden and I xi+100pp East West Publication (Singapore) S $23.
Ouyang Yu Bilingual Love: Poems from 1975 to 2008 116pp Picaro Press (Warners Bay, New South Wales) A $20.
Pang, Alvin When the Barbarians Arrive 69pp Arc Publications (Todmorden, UK) £4.49
Puthucheary, Rosaly My Burning Hill 64pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $14.
Singh, Kirpal The Best of Kirpal Singh 93pp Epigram Books (Singapore) S $21.90.
Thumboo, Edwin The Best of Edwin Thumboo 256pp Epigram Books (Singapore) S $21.90.
Wong, Cyril Straw, Sticks, Brick: Poems 58pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $16.
Yam, Jerrold Chasing Curtained Suns 98pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $16.
Yeo, Robert The Best of Robert Yeo xxviii+195pp Epigram Books (Singapore) S $21.90.
Drama
Malaysia
Menon, Kannan At a Plank Bridge: A Play in One Act 60pp Silverfish Books (Kuala Lumpur) RM18.
Singapore
Alfian Sa’at Cooling-Off Day 148pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $18.
Aroozoo, Wesley Leon Bedok Reservoir 135pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $21.80
Lim Chor Pee Mimi Fan 128pp Epigram Books (Singapore) S $13.90 [publication of Lim’s play, fifty years after it was first performed]
Sharma, Haresh Model Citizens 96pp Epigram Books (Singapore) S $13.90.
Tan Tarn How Fear of Writing 104pp Epigram Books (Singapore) S $13.90.
Tobin, Sean and Jason Wee Tongues 150pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $15.
Fiction
Malaysia
Anthony, Dave Love & Struggle: Beyond the Rubber Estates xviii+364pp Gerakbudaya (Petaling Jaya) RM35.
Dina Zaman King of the Sea 154pp Silverfish Books (Kuala Lumpur) RM30.
Flint, Shamini Mahadevan Inspector Singh Investigates: A Curious Indian Cadaver 308pp Piatkus (London) £8.99.
—– The Undone Years 347pp Heliconia Press (Singapore) S $18.69.
Nair, Sunil When All the Lights Are Stripped Away 286pp Marshall Cavendish (Singapore) US $15.99.
Phan Ming Yen That Night by the Beach and Other Stories for a Film Score 156pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $16.80.
Shankar, E. S. Tiger Isle: A Government of Thieves 328pp Gerakbudaya (Petaling Jaya) RM30.
Tan Twan Eng The Garden of Evening Mists 352pp Myrmidon Books (Newcastle upon Tyne) £18.99.
Woo Kam Chau Betwixt & Between 475pp Gerakbudaya (Petaling Jaya) RM35.
Singapore
Alfian Sa’at Malay Sketches 232pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $23.30 [illustrations by Shahril Nizam].
Ang, Ann Bang My Car 123pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $19.26.
Cheong, Felix Vanishing Point 152pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $20.
Heng, Jennifer Walking out of Secret Shame xvi+96pp Armour Publishing S $12.
Miller, David Year of the Tiger 278pp Monsoon Books (Singapore) S $18.50.
Mohan, Vinita Ramani Pavarthi Dreams about His Sex 90pp Math Paper Press (Singapore)
Puthucheary, Rosaly In the Wake of Terror 249pp Celestial (Singapore) S $20.
Tay, Verena Balik Kampung 151pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $21.80.
—– Spectre: Stories from Dark to Light 146pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $21.80.
Teo, Aqilah Ordinary Stories in an Extraordinary World 184pp Ethos Books (Singapore) S $18.90.
Ye, Stephanie The Billion Shop 101pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $10.
Yu, Ovidia Miss Moorthy Investigates 215pp Westland Books (New Delhi) [Indian edition of her novel, first pub 1989].
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].
Readings from Readings 2: New Writing from Malaysia, Singapore and Beyond eds Bernice Chauly and Sharon Bakar iv+206pp Word Works (Petaling Jaya) US $18 [short stories].
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
The Ayam Curtain eds June Yang and Joyce Chng 157pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) [short story collection] S $21.80.
Balik Kampung ed Verena Tay 151pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $21.80 [selection of eight semi-autobiographical short stories by Singaporean writers].
Fish Eats Lion: New Singaporean Speculative Fiction ed Jason Erik Lundberg 417pp Math Paper Press (Singapore) S $21.80.
A Monsoon Feast ed Verena Tay 167pp Monsoon Books (Singapore) S $19.80.
One: The Anthology ed Robert Yeo 231pp Marshall Cavendish Editions (Singapore) S $25.
Voices Clear and True: New Singapore Plays 1 eds Huzir Sulaiman, Lucas Ho and Laremy Lee 317pp Checkpoint Theatre [with an introduction by Huzir Sulaiman] S $24.90.
Criticism
General Studies, Reports & Reviews
Regional
Communities of Imagination: Contemporary Southeast Asian Theatres Catherine Diamond ix+392pp University of Hawaii Press (Honolulu) US $56.
Malaysia
“Bridge to Art from Malaysia” Adeline Chia Straits Times 21 August [Malaysian arts festival in Singapore].
“Labouring Bodies, Labouring Histories: The Malaysian-Indian Estate Girl” Dashini Jeyathurai Journal of Commonwealth Literature 47(3) pp 303-323.
Literary Studies and Multi-Varied Realities ed Ruzy Suliza Hashim 116pp Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan (Bangi).
Singapore
“15 Books for Ethos’ 15th birthday” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 29 March [on anniversary of Ethos Books, a major literary publisher in Singapore].
“Acts of Remembrance” Adeline Chia Straits Times 26 September [on three commissioned plays that recount the history of English-language theatre in Singapore].
“Arts for All, and What It Would Take; Steering Committee Unveils Recommendations to Boost Arts, Culture” Neo Chai Chin and Cheow Xin Yi Today 6 February p1.
“Arts Groups Get More Funding” Corrie Tan Straits Times 30 March [increase of National Arts Council grants by more than S $1.5 million].
“B-Side Record: Pleasant Jaunt through Singapore Literature Fails to Create Definitive Collection” Ronald Klein Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 11(3) http://www.qlrs.com/critique.asp?id=944 [review of One: The Anthology ed Robert Yeo, see
“Check In; From Shy Love Birds to Champions of New Talent, Checkpoint Theatre Has Come a Long Way” Mayo Martin Today 24 September p32 [on the tenth anniversary of the Checkpoint Theatre company].
“Class Is in Session; With Arts Education in Full Swing, Theatre Companies Are Hoping to Cash In” Mayo Martin Today (Singapore) 16 April p30 [likely involvement of Singapore’s theatre companies in arts education].
“Daren Shiau and Lee Wei Fen eds Coast…” Angus Whitehead Asiatic 6(2) pp177–181 [review of the anthology; see Journal of Commonwealth Literature 47(4) p539].
“A Decade on the Stage” Adeline Chia Straits Times 11 September [the tenth anniversary of Checkpoint Theatre].
“Forum Theater in Singapore: Resistance, Containment, and Commodification in an Advanced Industrial Society” Kenneth Paul Tan Positions: East Asia Cultures Critique 21(1) pp189–221.
“Laundry Woes and Space Wars” Kenneth Goh Straits Times 14 January [announcement of the award of the inaugural Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize for the short story to Koh Choon Hwee].
“Let’s Play Risk; Can Experimental Theatre Survive in a Mainstream World?” Mayo Martin Today 16 July p40 [on the recent history of the reception to experimental theatre in Singapore].
“Lit Prize to Include Non-Fiction Works” Adeline Chia Straits Times 10 November [opening the Singapore Literature Prize to non-fiction books from 2014].
“Lost with No Translation” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 29 May [on Singapore’s bicultural and bilingual writers and their works, with a focus on Alfian Sa’at’s latest book, Malay Sketches, see
“More Local Books Out” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 9 November [on the increased publication and more positive response towards local literary works].
“Necessary Celebrations” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 15 March [twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of the theatre company, The Necessary Stage].
“Necessary Theatre; The Necessary Stage Turns 25” Mayo Martin Today (Singapore) 12 March p38 [anniversary celebration of the theatre company].
“Negotiating Class, Taste, and Culture via the Arts Scene in Singapore: Postcolonial or Cosmopolitan Global?” Melissa Wong Wansin Asian Theatre Journal 29(1) pp233-254.
“A New Chapter” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 21 May [on the book publisher, Fong Today 18 June p34 [on literary e-book publishing in Singapore].
“The Next Chapter: Is Singapore’s E-Book Industry Waking Up?” Mayo Martin Today (Singapore) 18 June p34 [on the development of electronic publishing of fictional works in Singapore].
“No Cheap Shorts” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 15 January [publication of chapbooks by Singapore writers].
“NTU Welcomes New National Writers-in-Residence” Singapore Government News 5 September [the appointment of two local writers-in-residence at Nanyang Technological University: Dave Chua and Jean Tay].
“Oriental Purity: Postcolonial Discomfort and Asian Values” Daniel Goh Pei Siong. Positions: East Asia Cultures Critique 20(4) pp1041–1066.
“Politics and Business, Sex and Violence, Wrestling and the Pulitzers: All of This and More at the Singapore Writers Festival” Lito B. Zulueta Philippine Daily Inquirer 11 November.
The Report of the Arts and Culture Strategic Review 110pp Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts (Singapore).
“Singapore Books Go Abroad” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 29 May [the increasing reception and publication of Singapore literary works abroad].
“Singapore Theatre’s 1980s Zeitgeist” Helmi Yusof Business Times (Singapore) [preview of three plays that recount Singapore theatre history].
“Singapore’s Withdrawal from 55th Venice Biennale; Practitioners’ Open Letter against Move” Deepika Shetty Straits Times 4 September [protest from 200 members of Singapore’s arts community against the withdrawal].
“Some of the Best in One” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 13 May [review of One: The Anthology ed Robert Yeo, see
“Studio Quality Collaborations” Corrie Tan Straits Times 19 June [preparations for The Perfection of 10, in which ten Singaporean playwrights reflect, through the dramatic medium, on what it is like to make theatre in Singapore].
“Theatre Crossover: The Necessary Stage Builds a Croatian connection with Their Latest Effort” Mayo Martin Today (Singapore) 10 August p66 [on one of the theatre company’s international collaborations].
“Theatre Looks Back” Helmi Yusof Business Times (Singapore) 19 October [review of three plays that recount Singapore theatre history].
“Unmaking Sense: Short Fiction and Social Space in Singapore” Philip Holden The Postcolonial Short Story: Contemporary Essays eds Maggie Awadalla and Paul March-Russell 240pp Palgrave Macmillan (Basingstoke) pp 49-63.
“Valentine to the Theatre” Corrie Tan Straits Times 15 September [review of performance of The Perfection of 10].
“Words in Visuals” Lisabel Ting Straits Times 11 December [the creation of plastic artwoks in response to Singaporean literary works http://goo.gl/XfQRp].
Individual Writers: Studies, Reports & Reviews
Malaysia
Flint, Shamini Mahadevan “Light Touch, But Serious” William Yeoman The West Australian 1 May p7 [interview].
—– “Singapore’s Inspector Singh Lands in Mumbai” Pooja Sharma The Asian Age 30 May [review of Inspector Singh Investigates; see
Iskandar Al-Bakri “The Beruas Prophecy” George Polley Asiatic 6(2) pp200–202 http://goo.gl/ar8Ryh [review of the novel; see Journal of Commonwealth Literature 47(4) p538.
Huzir Sulaiman “The Monday Interview with Huzir Sulaiman; Spark of Spontaneity” Corrie Tan Straits Times 6 February.
—– “View from Two Sides” Adeline Chia Straits Times 29 September [review of performance of Huzir’s Occupation].
—– “When Life Brings a Carbon Copy” Robin Usher The Age 7 February p15 [preview of the Australian premiere of Huzir’s Cogito].
Kannan Menon “The Bridging Stage” Cheah Ui-Hoon Business Times (Singapore) 17 August [the staging of Kannan’s At a Plank Bridge in Singapore].
Kee Thuan Chye “Kee Thuan Chye’s Political Plays: An Analysis” Susan Philip Asian Theatre Journal 29(2) pp357–378.
Lee Joo For “God, Horses and Anguish” John Tiong New Sunday Times 24 June p11 http://goo.gl/q64dk [exhibition of artworks by Lee; the reviewer points out that the artworks can be compared to Lee’s plays, as they look like scenes from dramatic works].
Lim, Shirley Geok-lin “Reading Shirley Geok-lin Lim’s Memoir as Travel Narrative in Search of Self, Home, and Community” Huang Guiyou Journal of Ethnic American Literature 2 pp92–109.
Marina Mahathir “‘I’ll Be Plugging away at It…” Adeline Chia Straits Times 6 November http://goo.gl/IZeCL.
Rajendran, Charlene “A Time of Many Opportunities” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 22 April [interview].
Tan Twan Eng “Author Wins Despite Losing Out” Nooraini Mydin New Straits Times 31 October p26 http://goo.gl/rOXDY [the writer of the report points out that despite not winning the award, the first-ever shortlisting of a Malaysian novel for the Man Booker prize was an achievement for Malaysian literature].
—– “Beauty and Cruelty in the Haunted Hills” Boyd Tonkin The Independent 28 April pp34–35 [review of Garden of Evening Mists (henceforth Garden); see
—– “Borrowed Scenery; “Garden of Evening Mists” Offers a Lovely Response to the Question of How to Deal with the Traumas of War” John Freeman The Boston Globe 21 October pK.5 [review of Garden of Evening Mists (henceforth Garden); see
—– “City-Based Novelist Makes Prestigious Man Booker Prize Longlist” Cape Times 27 July E1 p3 [on the selection of Tan’s Garden for the Man Booker Prize Longlist; see
—– “Eng’s Novel Delicately Complex” I Browne Cape Times E1 p28 [review of Garden; see
—– “Garden of Good and Evil” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 16 September [interview].
—– “A ‘Garden’ of Good and Evil in Post-World War II Malaya” Carolyn See The Washington Post 6 October pC03 [review of Garden].
—– “‘Garden’ Takes One on a Mysterious Trip” Ruth Brown Cape Times E1 p7 16 October http://goo.gl/mFd9S [interview with Tan, who resides in Cape Town].
—– “Making Arrangements” Dominique Browning New York Times 2 September p11 http://nyti.ms/12tvmhv [review of Garden].
—– “A Tale Inked with Deeper Truths” Shanghai Daily 2 September [review of Garden].
—– “Take Time to Smell Roses When Visiting This Garden” Weekend Argus 9 September E1 p19 [review of Garden and interview with Tan].
—– “The Toughest Write” Umapagan Ampikaipakan New Straits Times 20 October p10 http://goo.gl/GwW8v [interview on Garden].
—– “‘Writing’s a Job, It’s Not Glamorous’” Nooraini Mydin New Straits Times 15 October p12 http://goo.gl/kTdrn [review of Garden and interview].
Singapore
Alfian Sa’at “Caught between Love and Faith: Award-Winning Singaporean Play ‘Nadirah’ to be Staged in KL” Sophia Halim Malay Mail 3 October p27 [performance of the play in Kuala Lumpur [KL]].
—– “Cool Changes for Rerun” Corrie Tan Straits Times 23 February [preview of re-staging of Alfian’s Cooling off Day].
—– “Issues in a Family Living Room” New Sunday Times 7 October p15 [performance of Nadirah in KL].
—– “Jetsetting with … Alfian Sa’at” Serene Lim Today 3 March p43 [on Alfian’s travels and the reception of his works internationally].
—– “Memo from Kuala Lumpur; Play on Ethnic Ties Resonates in Malaysia” Carolyn Hong Straits Times 11 February [report on the Malaysian run of Alfian’s Malay-language play, Parah; also published in The Jakarta Globe, 11 February].
—– “On the Subject of Race: Alfian Sa’at sketches What It Is like to Be Malay in Singapore” Laremy Lee Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 11(3) http://www.qlrs.com/critique.asp?id=945 [review of Malay Sketches; see
—– “Power to the People” Natalie Koh Business Times (Singapore) 2 March [review of Cooling off Day].
—– “The Right to Choose” Anandhi Gopinath The Edge Financial Daily 5 November [performance of Nadirah in KL].
—– “Sketches to Connect” Straits Times 26 January [review of Malay Sketches; see
—– “Something Wicked This Way Comes” Straits Times 13 November [review of Alfian’s rewriting of “Hansel and Gretel”].
—– “Warming up to Cooling off Day” Natalie Koh Business Times (Singapore) 24 February [preview of Cooling off Day].
Boey Kim Cheng “Proust Questionnaire: 17 Questions with Boey Kim Cheng” Yeow Kai Chai Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 11(2) http://www.qlrs.com/interview.asp?id=919 [interview].
Cheong, Colin “Long-Distance Writing: How to Build a Book out of Short Stories” Toh Hsien Min Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 11(4) http://www.qlrs.com/critique.asp?id=971 [review of Cheong’s Polite Fiction, see Journal of Commonwealth Literature 47(4) p538; and Stephanie Ye’s The Bullion Shop, see
Chia, Christine “All Things Pass with Time, All Things Freeze with Time” Sam Ng Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 11(4) http://www.qlrs.com/critique.asp?id=972 [review of The Law of Second Marriages, see Journal of Commonwealth Literature 47(4) p538].
Chia, Grace “The Read Interview; Unwavering Passion for Poetry” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 19 August.
Chong Tze Chien “Media-Savvy Theatre through the Years” Corrie Tan Straits Times 16 October [review of Chong’s Rant & Rave, which is a recount of the history of theatre criticism in Singapore].
—– “Singapore Arts Festival; Death and the Transvestite” Corrie Tan Straits Times 22 May [preview of Chong’s The Book of Living and Dying].
Chua, Dave “Beating in the Bag” Straits Times 26 January [review of Chua’s The Beating and Other Stories; see
—– “Proust Questionnaire: 17 Questions with Singapore Writers Festival Authors Dave Chua, Theophilus Kwek and O Thiam Chin” Yeow Kai Chai Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 11(4) http://www.qlrs.com/interview.asp?id=967 [interview with the three young writers].
—– “Telling Tales of Home” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 8 April [reviews of Chua’s The Beating and Other Stories and Alfian Sa’at’s Malay Sketches: see
—– “Two Longlisted for Literary Award” Adeline Chia Straits Times 31 March [the longlisting of the works of Chua and O Thiam Chin for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize].
Heng Siok Tian “To Mummy, with Love” Straits Times 26 January [on Heng’s Is My Body a Myth and Mixing Tongues; see
Ho Minfong “Theatre Opens Its Doors to Teens with New Sing to the Dawn Musical” Mayo Martin Today (Singapore) 27 February p36 [musical adaptation of her novel Sing to the Dawn, first published in 1975].
Ip, Joshua “Poetry; Sonnets from the Singlish” Corrie Tan Straits Times 2 September [review of Ip’s collection of poems; see
Koh, Andrew “Servicing the Nation” Angus Whitehead Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 11(1) http://www.qlrs.com/interview.asp?id=904 [interview].
Kon, Stella “Emily Goes to the Museum” Huang Lijie Straits Times 1 June [exhibition on Kon’s Emily of Emerald Hill at the Peranakan Museum in Singapore].
—– “The Tough Early Years” Alicia Wong Today (Singapore) 9 August p34 [Kon recalls her earlier struggles as a playwright in the theatrical landscape of Singapore].
Kuo Pao Kun “An Artist for Everyone: Kuo Pao Kun’s 10th Death Anniversary Sees a Slew of Programmes Commemorating His Legacy” Mayo Martin Today 10 September.
—– “Asia Remembers Kuo Pao Kun” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 26 June [year-long festival of plays and exhibitions in Asian cities to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Kuo’s death].
—– “Blue Pill, Red Pill or Both?; Lao Jiu Would be Surprised to Find Out That Things Have Changed” Mayo Martin Today (Singapore) 16 July p42 [preview of the restaging of Kuo’s Lao Jiu as a musical by the Theatre Practice group].
—– “The Burden of Spirits” Corrie Tan Straits Times 27 October [review of restaging of Kuo’s The Spirits Play].
—– “Evoking Kuo’s Passion” Cheah Ui-Hoon Business Times (Singapore) 13 July [preview of Lao Jiu].
—– “Kuo’s Past Still Present” Corrie Tan Straits Times 24 February [performance of 11: Kuo Pao Kun Devised, which is a sequence of staged vignettes that drew from Kuo’s work, performed around his former office and rehearsal space, the Stamford Arts Centre].
—– “Lao Jiu Reaches Out to All” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 24 July [review of Lao Jiu].
—– “Lao Jiu Rises against All Odds” Adeline Chia Straits Times 16 July [review of Lao Jiu].
—– “Life & Times of Kuo Pao Kun” Corrie Tan Straits Times 18 September [exhibition on the life of Kuo at the National Musuem of Singapore].
—– “Little Girl Lost” Corrie Tan Straits Times 8 September [review of the restaging of Kuo’s The Impending Storm: The Silly Little Girl and the Funny Old Tree].
—– “Moving Tribute to Arts Royal Couple” Corrie Tan Straits Times 17 September [review of a play on Kuo and his wife, Goh Lay Kuan].
—– “Pioneers on Stage” Corrie Tan Straits Times 11 September [preview of play on Kuo and Goh].
—– “Potluck Theatre” Corrie Tan Straits Times 14 February [Singapore theatre groups invited to contribute to Kuo’s tenth death anniversary commemoration].
—– “Tuned in to Family” Geoffrey Eu Business Times (Singapore) 20 July [review of Lao Jiu].
—– “Wordsmith for Everyman” Helmi Yusof Business Times (Singapore) 7 September [the performance of three plays and an exhibition to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Kuo’s death].
Kwek, Theophilus “‘An Island in Our Sea’: An Interview with Theophilus Kwek” Angus Whitehead Asiatic 6(2) pp156–167 http://goo.gl/0Ii1PD.
—– “They Speak Only Our Mother Tongue” Angus Whitehead Asiatic 6(2) pp184–188 http://goo.gl/WLwIQo [review of Kwek’s book of poems; see Journal of Commonwealth Literature 47(4) p537].
—– See also Chua, Dave “Proust Questionnaire”,
Lee Chee Keng “Playing with Words” Corrie Tan Straits Times 7 July [review of Lee’s and Jean Tay’s adaptation of short stories by O Thiam Chin and the Chinese-language author Yeng Pway Ngon for the stage].
Lee Tzu Pheng “The Life! In Interview with Lee Tzu Pheng; Finding Her Voice in Poetry” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 10 December http://goo.gl/A6svV.
Lim Chor Pee “Singapore’s State of Play” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 10 June [review of the publication of Lim’s Mimi Fan, Sharma’s Model Citizens and Tan’s Fear of Writing; see
Lim, Suchen Christine “Suchen Christine Lim Wins Write Award” Huang Lijie Straits Times 17 October [the Singapore winner of the year’s South East Asian Writers Awards].
O Thiam Chin “Double Bill Brings S’pore Literature to Life” Yong Shu Hoong MyPaper 3 July pA20 [adaptation of two of his short stories as a play].
—– See also, Chua, Dave “Two Longlisted for Literary Award”,
—– See also, Chua, Dave “Proust Questionnaire”,
—– See also, Lee Chee Keng “Playing with Words”,
Ong Keng Sen “A Stronger, More Potent Lear” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 2 June [a reworking of Ong’s theatrical reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Lear (1999), avoiding the blunt didacticism of some of his more recent works, but without any fresh insights].
Ouyang Yu “Double Vision: Bilingual Overview of ‘Angry Chinese Migrant’s’ Work Spans over Three Decades and Myriad Worlds” Leonard Ng Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 11(3) http://www.qlrs.com/critique.asp?id=970 [review of Bilingual Love; see
Pang, Alvin “Olympic Honour for Pang” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 13 May [interview on his invitation to the London Olympics’ Poetry Parnassus Festival].
Sharma, Haresh “Cross-Cultural Theatre Lost in Translation” Adeline Chia Straits Times 18 August [review of performance of Sharma’s Crossings].
Tay, Jean “Boom Boon” Helmi Yusof Business Times (Singapore) 6 July [preview of Jean Tay’s Boom, which would be restaged by Sight Line Productions].
—– “Review Theatre; Much Sense in Dwelling on the Past” Corrie Tan Straits Times 2 July [review of Tay’s Boom].
—– “Theatre Review: Boom; Bang on Target” Karin Lai Today 2 July p41 [review of Tay’s Boom].
—– see Lee Chee Keng “Playing with Words”.
Tham, Claire “Melodic Hypertextuality: Use of Rock Songs Injects Work into Readers’ Experience” Lauren Mills Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 11(2) http://www.qlrs.com/essay.asp?id=911 [analysis of Tham’s “Driving Sideways”].
Toh, Patricia “Pretty Good Things” Nabilah Said Straits Times 24 September [review of performance of Toh’s Pretty Things].
Thumboo, Edwin “Best of Thumboo’s Works in One Book” Adeline Chia Straits Times 31 July [review of The Best of Edwin Thumboo, see
—– “Make Space for Scribes” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 13 October [two exhibitions that will pay tribute to two pioneer Singaporean writers: the Malay-language poet Masuri S.N. and the English-language poet Edwin Thumboo].
—– “Words with the Poet: Singaporean SEA Write Laureate Edwin Thumboo Remembers the Inspiration Bangkok Gave Him 60 Years Ago” Manote Tripathi The Nation 12 March.
Vadaketh, Sudhir Thomas “The Read Interview; Bicycle Diaries of Malaysia Trip” Akshita Nanda Straits Times 25 November [on his book, Floating on a Malayan Breeze; see
Yap, Angeline “All Ears: Spirit of Prayer Anchors a Quiet Rumination on Life” Miriam Lo Wei Wei Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 11(1) http://www.qlrs.com/critique.asp?id=906 [review of Yap’s closing my eyes to listen (2011), a religiously inspired volume of poems].
Yap, Stephanie “Small-Town Retreat for Inspiration” Stephanie Yap Straits Times 28 August [on her participation in the University of Iowa’s International.Writing Program].
Ye, Stephanie, see Cheong, Colin,
Yeo, Robert “Leaving Things Open: Established Author’s Autobiography a Detailed Exercise in Restraint” Cyril Wong Quarterly Literary Review Singapore 11(1) http://www.qlrs.com/critique.asp?id=907 [review of Yeo’s autobiographical Routes – A Singaporean Memoir 1940-75; see Journal of Commonwealth Literature 47(4) p544].
—– “Opera Set in 1960s” Adeline Chia Straits Times 3 August [preview of Fences, with libretto written by Yeo, and music by John Sharpley].
Yew, Chay “Gay Drama in Mandarin” Clarissa Oon Straits Times 17 May [preview of the Chinese translation of Chay Yew’s A Language of Their Own].
—– “It’s Love in Any Language” Aaron Justin and Cheah Ui-Hoon Business Times (Singapore) 21 May [review of the performance of the Chinese translation of Yew’s A Language of Their Own].
Yu, Ovidia “Book review: Miss Moorthy Investigates” Anjana Basu Deccan Chronicle 28 December 2012 [review of Miss Moorthy Investigates, see
—– “Teacher’s Day” Deepanjana Pal DNA Sunday 8 July [review of Miss Moorthy Investigates].
Zizi Azah “One Count Too Many” Corrie Tan Straits Times 22 December
—– “The Life! In Interview with Zizi Azah; Making Her Work Count” Corrie Tan Straits Times 17 December.
—– “The Measure of a Man” Corrie Tan Straits Times 11 December [interview with Zizi on her tri-lingual play, Not Counted, which would be staged in Singapore and Beijing].
—– “‘There’s Activism and There’s Art’” Alicia Wong Today (Singapore) 9 August p34 [interview on censorship and activism in Singapore theatre].
—– “Trascending Loss in a Labour Paean” Helmi Yusof Business Times 6 July (Singapore) [preview of the performance of Zizi’s play, Bleeding Grace].
Non-fiction
Malaysia
Cheah, Sharon Malaysia Bagus!: Travels From My Homeland 256pp Epigram Books (Singapore) S $22.90.
Singapore
Goh, Kagan Who Let in the Sky? A Son’s Tribute to His Father: Goh Poh Seng’s Courageous Struggle with Parkinson’s Disease 87pp Celestial (Singapore) S $20.
Lee Tzu Pheng Short Circuits: Through The Catchments of Faith and Writing 134pp Landmark Books S $18.
Lopez, Vernetta Memoirs of a DJ: Life in Progress 244pp Marshall Cavendish Editions (Singapore) US $15.99
Vadaketh, Sudhir Thomas Floating on A Malayan Breeze 312pp NUS Press (Singapore) S $32.