The Epigram Books Collection of Best New Singaporean Short Stories: Volume Two
Jason Erik Lundberg (ed.)
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789814615921

Singaporean literature has begun experiencing a sea change, with the short story form enjoying a renaissance. As a result, an explosion of short fiction with a Singaporean flavour has been produced to incredible effect, both by emerging and established writers. For the prose enthusiast, it is a very exciting time.

The Epigram Books Collection of Best New Singaporean Short Stories: Volume Two curates the finest short fiction from Singaporean writers published in 2013 and 2014. This ground-breaking and unique anthology showcases stories that examine various facets of the human condition and the truths that we tell ourselves in order to exist in the everyday. The styles are as varied as the authors, and no two pieces are alike. Here are twenty unique and breathtaking literary insights into the Singaporean psyche, which examine what it means to live in this particular part of the world at this particular time.

Not Born in Singapore: Fifty Personalities Who Shaped the Nation
Tng Ying Hui
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789814655415

Did you know that we owe the iconic Singapore Girl to a British-born adman? Or that the founder of the much-beloved Mustafa Centre hails from India? This year as we celebrate our local heroes, it's also time to put the spotlight on other unsung contributors who have contributed to our nation. They may have come from other shores, but these 50 foreigners have left their mark in building Singapore into the nation we know it to be today. Most of us are aware of the talented athletes who have put our little red dot on the sporting map, but what of those who have made a difference in the arts, our society and our economy? This book pays homage to the names, faces, and stories behind familiar national treasures such as our Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Keppel Shipyard and A*STAR.

A Hakka Woman's Singapore Stories
Lee Wei Ling
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642477

Dr Lee Wei Ling, scion of Singapore's first family, writes about her life as a daughter, doctor and diehard Singaporean. This book addresses a range of matters affecting Singaporeans in a personal way. It reflects her personality, profession, relationships, passions and perspective of life, Singapore and the world, and her loved ones. The chapters are grouped thematically and are capped by an epilogue of six articles which encapsulate the two events that had a major impact on the writer, and resonated deeply with Singaporeans: the passing of her parents.

A White Rose at Midnight: A Play
Lim Chor Pee
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789814615488

On the cusp of independence, cultures collide in a bedroom in Singapore. As the Vietnam War rages on, the English-educated scholar Lee Hua Min -- "the finest product of the University" -- finds himself hopelessly disillusioned. Enter Wong Ching Mei, a Chinese-educated former nightclub singer seeking to enrol in Nanyang University. Mirroring the intense tussles between the English- and Chinese-speaking during Singapore's formative years, Hua Min and Ching Mei trade ferocious barbs even as they are inexplicably drawn to each other. When Su-Ling, Hua Min's ex-classmate, returns from London, Hua Min is torn between their advances and the extremely different worlds they inhabit. Humorous, witty and prescient, A White Rose At Midnight is a pithy portrait of a soul -- and nation -- divided.

A White Rose At Midnight was first staged to critical acclaim by the Experimental Theatre Club in 1964. It was pioneer playwright Lim Chor Pee's second and final play after the landmark Mimi Fan (1962). In 2014, Centre 42 mounted a partial dramatised reading of the play.

It's Easy to Cry
Subhas Anandan
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2015
ISBN: 9789814561525

Subhas Anandan passed away on 7 January 2015 at the age of 68. He was Singapore's the best-known criminal lawyer, having led several landmark cases that shaped the face of criminal law in Singapore.

In this volume It's Easy to Cry, this foremost champion of pro bono work moves away from depicting gruesome murders and delves instead into the emotions behind the crimes. He writes about cases where deep and complex emotions are displayed, like the mother who lied and pleaded guilty to save her son. He also shares his thoughts on the many people who have affected him in one way of the other and the legal system in Singapore.

LKY on Governance, Management, Life: A Collection of Quotes from Lee Kuan Yew
Janice Tay (ed.)
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642347

Politician, prime minister, statesman, husband, father: Lee Kuan Yew was all these things and more in a life spanning 91 years and a political career that lasted more than half a century. In that time, he and the other first-generation leaders of Singapore catapulted the country from the backwaters of the Third World into the ranks of the First.

This three-volume set brings together quotations from Lee's speeches, books and interviews that sum up his views on subjects ranging from the political to the personal.

Little White Books: Quotations From Lee Kuan Yew serves both as an introduction to the man widely regarded as Singapore's founding father, as well as a reminder of what he stood and fought for. It aims to be most accessible compendium ever published on the man, capturing his most piquant aphorisms and views on governance, management and life. For every section, relevant photographs of Mr Lee are also featured alongside the quotes.

50+ Things to Love About Singapore
Susan Long (ed.)
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642521

Hot on the heels of the success of 50 Things To Love About Singapore, which sold over 10,000 copies, comes this updated and abridged version in paperback.

50+ Things To Love About Singapore, edited by Susan Long and abridged by Linda Collins, welcomes you to a new view of Singapore, at 50.

It tells the quirky story of Singapore 50 years on, celebrating all its offbeat, unexpected and unheralded sides.

Prepare to be surprised as the best Straits Times writers such as political correspondent Rachel Chang and sports correspondent Rohit Brijnath give their fresh, witty insider takes on a country you thought you thought you knew so well.

Like Singapore's love for acronyms, world records and valiant-in-defeat footballers. Like its reverence for all things green, including the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which has been inscribed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like its peculiar brand of multi-racialism that is legislated, and trade unionism minus the strikes. Like its dubious honour of being the reigning world No. 1 for the highest obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) rates.

Be moved as a nation collectively mourns the death of its founding father and first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

The ending? Not at all predictable.

It's an open invitation to scribble your own chapters and shape your very own Singapore story.

50 Years of Singapore and the United Nations
Tommy Koh, Li Lin Chang, & Joanna Koh (eds.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814713047 / 9789814713030

In 2015, Singapore marks the 50th anniversary of its independence, and the United Nations (UN) the 70th anniversary of its founding. This book celebrates 50 years of a mutually beneficial relationship between Singapore and the UN.

In the early years of Singapore's independence, the UN system provided Singapore with many benefits which were helpful in Singapore's journey from the Third World to the First. As Singapore has made progress in its developmental journey, it is now able to give back to the international community through programmes such as the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP), under which officials from developing countries are offered training in areas which are beneficial to their countries. Singapore has actively contributed to improving global governance and strengthening institutions that are important to the management of global issues at the UN, IMF, World Bank, IMO, etc. The Singapore Government has also sent its soldiers and police officers to participate in UN's peace-keeping and peace-making operations.

This volume brings together 45 essays by Singaporeans who have made or are making important contributions to the work of the UN system. The reader will be able to learn about the UN as seen through the eyes of Singaporeans who have served as Ambassadors to the United Nations in New York and Geneva, the World Trade Organization, or as professional staff in the various specialised agencies, programmes and funds that are part of the UN. We hope that the life stories and experiences shared by the essayists will remind readers that although Singapore is a very small country, we are a good global citizen and have tried to make this a better world..

Sam Leong: A Family Cookbook: Cooking Across Three Generations
Sam Leong
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2015
ISBN: 9789814677462

Cooking runs in the Leong family. Sam's late father was a renowned Cantonese chef and his mother used to run her own chicken rice stall. His wife, Forest, is herself a Thai chef and his son, Joe Leong, is a budding pastry chef.

Sam Leong: A Family Cookbook is as much a celebration of food that has kept the Leong family cooking together, as a collection of Chinese family favourites.

Put together by Sam and his family, this treasury features recipes for time-tested dishes such as stir-fried chicken with basil leaves, everyday staples such as winter melon soup, and contemporary favourites such as salted egg crab, which Sam himself enjoys preparing and eating together with his family. Bonus recipes include sweet treats such as tiramisu and vanilla panna cotta, which would not be out of place on any modern Chinese table today.

Singapore 2065: Leading Insights on Economy and Environment from 50 Singapore Icons and Beyond
Euston Quah (ed.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814663373 / 9789814663366

As Singapore enters its 50th year of independence, it is a time for introspection to look back at the successes and challenges of the past, but is also a crucial time to consider what the future holds for the nation.

Singapore 2065: Leading Insights on Economy and Environment from 50 Singapore Icons and Beyond is one such key contribution to the endeavour of thinking about what lies ahead. While many forthcoming projects and books take a more retrospective approach reflecting upon Singapore's past, this book adopts a forward-looking perspective, contemplating Singapore's distant future, which is important for posterity. This book is a collection of key insights from 50 iconic individuals of Singapore and beyond, and contains reasoned arguments, speculations and visionary expectations of Singapore's future in 50 years' time.

The book discusses the distant future of Singapore's economy and the environment. What will Singapore's economic and environment landscape be like 50 years from now? Are there trends or scenarios common to the various discussions contained in this book? If there are, how big would be the impact of some of these trends? What and how should the government respond to these projections, expectations and informed visions of tomorrow? In sum, what would Singapore's economy and environment be like in 2065? The book explores a range of possible answers to these questions and more.

Not only will the generations of today be able to gain much insight into Singapore's future by reading this book, but future generations, specifically 100 years after Singapore's independence, will be able to understand and affirm what and how today's generations think about their time. The book is a key contribution to envisioning Singapore's future, which is also vital for understanding what shapes Singapore's landscape today.

Battle for Hearts and Minds: New Media and Elections in Singapore
Tan Tarn How, Arun Mahizhnan, & Ang Peng Hwa (eds.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814730006 / 9789814713610

This book examines the nexus between old and new media use, political traits, political participation and voting behaviour in the Singapore 2011 elections. It analyses the impact of media and the role of different players (parties and candidates, opinion makers, ordinary voters, youths); the consequences to the voter (their political knowledge, their perception of what issues are important, the manner in which they reconcile conflicting information, the perception of candidates and parties; and their voting behaviour); and the role of technology (social media, mobile telephony).

This book is the outcome of a project led by Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), which brought together a dozen researchers from the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and foreign universities.

The book is a landmark study: Besides offering the first comprehensive survey of media's impact in a Singapore election, it also lays the groundwork for understanding the next election due in 2016 as well as serving as a valuable record of the state of affairs on the ground in the rapidly shifting dynamics of a Singapore political landscape that is undergoing a dramatic and unprecedented transformation.

My Friendship With Singapore's Greatest Painter
Ch'ng Poh Tiong
Singapore: Zhuang Productions, 2015
ISBN: 9789810952488

My Friendship with Singapore's Greatest Painter is the first English biography of Tan Swie Hian, who holds the record (at US$3.3 million) for the highest price for a painting by a living South-East Asian artist. Chinese art cognoscenti regard the Singaporean in the great tradition of scholar literati such as Tang Dynasty Wang Wei, Song Dynasty Su Shi and Yuan Dynasty Zhao Mengfu, men steeped in philosophy and incredibly talented in painting, calligraphy and poetry. Works by Su and Zhao from the collection of Taiwan’s Palace Museum are vividly reproduced.

The biography also reveals how Tan Chan Pok, the artist's father and the wealthiest man in Bagansiapiapi, Sumatra, escaped an assassination attempt. Drawings by the painter's beloved mother, Madam Lie Soie, are also published for the first time. So too the latest calligraphy by Tan Swie Hian, his only self-portrait, early works from the 1970s, and an extensive portfolio that includes "A Couple", a painting of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his wife Kwa Geok Choo when they were students at Cambridge University.

In January 2013, a fire broke out in Tan's studio. The first thing he saved were not his paintings (conservatively estimated to be worth US$10 million) but a stray cat. When asked why he did not salvage the artworks first, the great humanist replied "I chose life".

A Walk through History: A Guide to the Singapore Botanic Gardens
Singapore: NParks, 2015
ISBN: 9789810962777

A Walk Through History: A Guide to the Singapore Botanic Gardens is a succinct guide to Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is easily portable for visitors interested in exploring the heritage and modern features of the Gardens. Also included is a pull-out map marked with recommended routes to help visitors plan their visit.

The guide is separated into three parts, the first being an introduction to the 156-year history of the Gardens. The second part takes a closer look at the people, plants and buildings that are significant to its rich heritage. The third part focuses on the modern features of the Gardens, such as the world-famous National Orchid Garden, and also highlights some of the wildlife that can be spotted around the grounds

Singapore 60s: An Age of Discovery
George W. Porter
Singapore: John Wiley & Sons, 2015
ISBN: 9781119186830

Singapore 60s: An Age of Discovery provides a firsthand glimpse at the early days of the city-state, as told through the never-before-published photographs of an American diplomat.

Author George W. Porter served as a Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore from 1965 to 1970; as a former journalist and amateur photographer, he found himself in an ideal position to document the early days of the newly-independent city-state, and the promise and ambition that led to the Singapore we know today.

These photographs capture scenes of a bygone era, with Singaporeans young and old living and working in maritime surroundings so heavily dependent on the Singapore River. A far cry from the bustling metropolis Singapore has become, the scenes in these photos nevertheless capture the heart and soul of the Singaporean citizens, and the first tiny steps that birthed a model city-state and global economic powerhouse.

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first and founding Prime Minister, espoused a philosophy of transparent and pragmatic governance that turned a tiny, resource-poor city-state into one of history's greatest nation-building success stories. This book captures the spark of the early days, and presents a prescient view of what was to come.