Mel & Joe: I Play & Sing: Celebrating a Musical Journey in Singapore Spanning 40 Years
Mel & Joe Ferdinands
Singapore: Candid Creation Publishing, 2011
ISBN: 9789810891374

Stalwarts of the local music scene, Mel & Joe have played, sung and done it all. Household names since they first appeared on television in 1971, Mel & Joe are not only two of Singapore's best-loved musical talents, they are living proof of our rich musical past and vibrant present. From the early days of Talentime and the black-and-white broadcasts of RTS (Radio Television Singapore) to their glorious heydays with one of Singapore's top bands, Gypsy, they continue to rock on with passion.

Moving Words 2011: A Poetry Anthology
Alvin Pang (ed.)
Singapore: The Literary Centre, 2011
ISBN: 9789810703561

This anthology is culled from almost 2,000 poems submitted by the Singapore public in an open poetry competition Moving Words 2011 in Singapore. Moving Words 2011 used the SMRT train network as its media platform. It was conceived to share some of the many gems that were contributed by Singaporeans in this competition and is an introduction to contemporary Singaporean verse written by aspiring poets, young and old.

Any of these poems can be enjoyed on its own, in no particular reading order. Nevertheless, many of the poems share common themes, images or techniques and resonate with each other, almost as if they were in conversation.

The poets may be housewives, students, professors or professionals. They are also our fellow travellers, citizens, friends and neighbours. The poems speak for and among themselves; all of them have an equal voice, regardless of where they come from. Like the city we call our home, this book is a tribute to the music that can happen when we put all our shared voices together - each speaking from our own deep, authentic experiences, all of us singing of home.

These moving words are the heartfelt, courageous gifts of our fellow Singaporeans.

Nightingale Songs: Survival Stories From Domestic Violence
Kendra
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2011
ISBN: 9789814328890

In Nightingale Songs: Survival Stories From Domestic Violence, Singapore-based counsellor and mental healthcare professional, Kendra, speaks to survivors of abuse and the professionals who help those impacted by violence in the home. The diversity of stories reflects Singaporean society, illustrating that this social problem is not limited to one class or ethnic group but crosses all boundaries of race, religion, education and socio-economic background.

Private stories are revealed for the purpose of raising public awareness about violence in the home. Kendra presents domestic violence as a social issue needing to be understood and addressed at the community level.

This book provides useful information for those considering working in the field of domestic violence, especially the importance of self-care, and will resonate with anyone whose life has been personally touched by this issue.

Prime: Pride of Passage: The Story of Ocean Financial Centre
K.K. Seet
Singapore: Keppel Land Limited, 2011
ISBN: 9789812481894

Every building tells a story or two. Few, however, can do it from the vantage of a hundred and fifty years.

The Ocean Financial Centre is a history-making landmark. It has had three incarnations: the 1864, 1923 and 1974 Ocean Building, the latter two designed by Swan & Maclaren. Now, at the very same confluence of Raffles Place and the new business and financial district at Marina Bay, stands the 21st century development designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli.

The narrative begins at the present building, then retraces its steps to the previous three incarnations. Throughout, Dr KK Seet reinforces the notion that Ocean Building has remained prime with each incarnation. Highlighting the architectural features and the position of the building within the business, cultural and geographical landscape, he lets its tenants through the ages, from 1864 to 2011, relate how each edifice, in its own time, contributed to Singapore's skyline and commercial hub.

Singapore Correspondent: Political Dispatches From Singapore (1958-1962)
Leon Comber
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2012
ISBN: 9789814361200

Singapore Correspondent covers five years of Singapore's colourful political past - a period of living turbulently and sometimes dangerously.

The collection of eye-witness dispatches, sent from Singapore to London, spans a time when Singapore was emerging from British colonial rule and moving forward to self-government and independence. Many of the early struggles of the People's Action Party (PAP) are described, as the focus is on the political struggle taking place in which the PAP played a major part. Many important events which have long been forgotten are brought to life by the writer.

These dispatches prove that political history need not be dull, and indeed they can sometimes be entertaining and lively if Singaporeans want to learn something about the beginnings of the present-day Republic of Singapore.

Eight Plays [The Woman in a Tree on the Hill / Three Fat Virgins / Playing Mothers / Love Calls / Breastissues / Life Choices / The Silence of the Kittens / Hitting (On) Women]
Ovidia Yu
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2011
ISBN: 9789810884680

Celebrated playwright Yu dissects all things female - from breasts, to virginity, to lesbian love. This collection of her finest works includes The Woman in a Tree on the Hill, which won the Edinburgh Fringe First Award.

The Immolation
Goh Poh Seng
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2011
ISBN: 9789810899356

Regarded as one of the pioneers of Singapore literature, Goh Poh Seng takes on larger-than-life themes in his most ambitious novel, which is set in post-war Vietnam. In The Immolation, Goh's take on issues of national identity, war, and self-discovery has contemporary relevance not just to Asian readers, but an international audience.

Glass Cathedral
Andrew Koh
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2011
ISBN: 9789810899325

Winner of the 1994 Singapore Literature Prize Commendation Award, Glass Cathedral's sensitive depiction of homosexuality in conservative Singapore is a landmark in local literature. This novella was part of a small wave of gay and lesbian-themed drama and fiction that appeared in Singapore in the early 1990s.

Scorpion Orchid
Lloyd Fernando
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2011
ISBN: 9789810899332

An exciting first novel set in pre-independence Singapore, Scorpion Orchid follows the lives of four young men - a Malay, an Eurasian, a Chinese and a Tamil - against a backdrop of racial violence and political factions struggling for dominance. Excerpts from classical Malay and colonial English sources appear throughout the narrative, illuminating the roots and significance of this period in history.

The Scholar and the Dragon
Stella Kon
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2011
ISBN: 9789810899318

As good as historical fiction gets - The Scholar and the Dragon immerses the reader in the Singapore of the 1910s, where overseas Chinese fought for revolution to bring down the Qing Dynasty. Stella Kon's tale is spell-binding, with turns and twists, and the feel of an epic movie.

The Adventures of Holden Heng
Robert Yeo
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2011
ISBN: 9789810899349

Enter the world of Holden Heng, the not-so-lucky-in-love protagonist of this comic realist novel that documents the social currents transforming the Lion City in the 1970s. Described as the most Singaporean of Singapore writers, Robert Yeo presents an immensely entertaining story of a typical Singaporean man's escapades with three very different women. Will he ever find true love?

The Eu Yan Sang Way: Renewing a Century of Heritage
William Koh
Singapore: Cengage Learning Asia, 2011
ISBN: 9789814369534

The Eu Yan Sang Way traces how one man, with a deep belief in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), embarked on a mission to transform the company set up by his forefathers, and make TCM relevant in the 21st century. Richard Eu took over the helm of Eu Yan Sang in 1989 and began the arduous journey of growing the company into a household name in Singapore and Asia.

This book provides insights into Richard Eu's leadership motivation and drive, and his courage and vision in turning Eu Yan Sang into a leading TCM company, and making its products relevant to modern day consumers. It also looks at the importance of effective human resource management and having the right organisational structure and culture to support business growth.

The key engine of growth at Eu Yan Sang is innovation, manifested in the form of its trusted health care products, the professional marketing of such products through the company's retail outlets and the provision of TCM clinical services at the same time.

The Devil's Garden: Love and War in Singapore Under the Japanese Flag
Nigel Barley
Singapore: Monsoon Books, 2011
ISBN: 9789814358422

Gardens are magical places - images of Nature and Culture, models of paradise, spaces where plants live in war and peace, co-operation and competition. It is 1942 and Singapore is Syonanto, part of the Japanese Empire, where violence and starvation stalk the streets, but in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a bizarre tranquility reigns between warring nations and even love awakes as old identities melt away in the heady atmosphere of the Orchid House.

From its unique perspective and with a mixture of humour and romance, The Devil's Garden pictures a formative moment in the emergence of Singapore, where loyalties are less secure than those of the official histories and truth is anything but simple.

Traveler's Tale and Other Poems
Damon Chua
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2011
ISBN: 9789810898793

Spanning time, geography and metaphysics, Traveler's Tale and Other Poems is a personal journey that is at once unique and universal. From a Singaporean childhood, through military service, to a life abroad, these poems open a window to an existence viscerally connected to nature and the world at large. Like all journeys, there are twists and turns, triumphs and setbacks, and unexpected, intimate moments. The spelling of "Traveler" offers a clue to the direction of the author's journey. Yet, sometimes, it is not the destination that matters; it is the act of getting there.

Singapore at Random: Facts, Figures, Quotes and Anecdotes on Singapore
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2011
ISBN: 9789814260374

An illustrated collection of Singapore trivia, Singapore at Random contains anecdotes, statistics, quotations, diagrams, facts, recipes, advice, folklore and other unusual and often useful tidbits. This veritable treasure trove of information on Singapore is arranged, as the title suggests, randomly, so that readers will come to expect the unexpected on each page. Designed in a charmingly classic style and peppered with attractive illustrations, Singapore at Random is a quirky and irresistible celebration of everything you didn't know about Singapore.

Singapore at Random has been researched and compiled by a dedicated team of writers, researchers and editors at Editions Didier Millet. Having unearthed an abundance of Singaporean trivia, the team has discerningly selected thousands of interesting nuggets of information into separate entries, producing an entertaining and revealing guide to the island. From taboos to outstanding individuals and the unique Singaporean linguistic (i.e. Singlish) landscape, the entries covered in Singapore at Random are as varied and boundless as the diversity that makes Singapore unique.