A Different Sky
Meira Chand
London: Harvill Secker, 2010
ISBN: 9781846553431

Singapore - a trading post where different lives jostle and mix. It is 1927, and three young people are starting to question whether this in-between island can ever truly be their home. Mei Lan comes from a famous Chinese dynasty but yearns to free herself from its stifling traditions; ten-year-old Howard seethes at the indignities heaped on his fellow Eurasians by the colonial British; Raj, fresh off the boat from India, wants only to work hard and become a successful businessman. As the years pass, and the Second World War sweeps through the east, with the Japanese occupying Singapore, the three are thrown together in unexpected ways, and tested to breaking point.

Richly evocative, A Different Sky paints a scintillating panorama of thirty tumultuous years in Singapore's history through the passions and struggles of characters the reader will find it hard to forget.

Collected Plays One: The Optic Trilogy / Fugitives / Homesick / sex.violence.blood.gore
Alfian Sa'at
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2010
ISBN: 9789810860653

This collection of four plays by Alfian Sa'at explores the themes that have become a hallmark of the playwright's work: national identity, racial relations, and the resistance of individuals against authoritarian systems. In The Optic Trilogy, the surfacing of buried secrets and repressed memories profoundly alters the way a man and woman see each other. In Fugitives, the members of a family discover that their self-definition relies on their interactions with 'outsiders' who exist beyond their comfort zones. In Homesick, a diasporic Singaporean family, quarantined during the SARS crisis, evaluate the meanings of home. And in sex.violence.blood.gore, the facade of a rigid, orderly society is peeled away to reveal chaotic passions.

Wetlands in a City: The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Chua Ee Kiam
Singapore: Simply Green, 2010
ISBN: 9789814270243

Wetlands in a City is a collaboration between National Parks Singapore (NParks) and Dr Chua Ee Kiam, a prolific nature photographer cum writer, to highlight the often-hidden wonders of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR), a mangrove ecosystem located in the north-western part of Singapore. Over the years, much work has been done by NParks to develop and maintain it as a safe haven for several species of birds on their annual migration.

In this volume, the author documents the development of Sungei Buloh from its days as an agglomeration of prawn farms, fruit orchards and mangrove habitat to a gazetted Nature Park in 1989. He piques the reader's interest in this little-known area with stunning images of the migratory birds and other denizens of the mangrove swamp. Vivid colours of the flora and fauna, captured in the more than 360 photographs through various times of the day starting in the pre-dawn hours, bring a seemingly dull mangrove habitat to life.

Dr Chua Ee Kiam is one of Singapore's most passionate writer-photographer. A dentist by profession, he devotes many weekends to capturing the flora and fauna of Singapore's wetlands and nature reserves on photographs. Driven by the motivation to advance green consciousness among Singaporeans, he has committed countless hours to documenting the wildlife of urban Singapore and its environs. Readers of his books are frequently amazed at the variety of birds, insects and plants that can be found in developed Singapore.

Beyond the Blue Gate: Recollections of a Political Prisoner
Teo Soh Lung
Petaling Jaya: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2010
ISBN: 9789675832017


"Lawyer Teo Soh Lung's memoir of her 21 May 1987 arrest and framing by the Singapore authorities as part of the so-called 'Marxist Conspiracy' is a remarkable document. Not only does it show how a person of courage and integrity can speak truth to power, but it also illustrates how that power corrupts and destroys the souls of those who wield it unscrupulously. One day a Singaporean Truth and Reconciliation Commission will determine the truth of the PAP years. Until this happens, this memoir will serve as an essential benchmark."
- Peter Carey, Fellow Emeritus, Trinity College, Oxford

"Teo Soh Lung's book should be read by all people who are interested in democracy and the rule of law. Not only is it a poignant personal account of official ill treatment, but it is a brilliant testimony to the cruelty of authoritarianism, even, indeed especially - when it comes in the guise of legal due process. This is perhaps the most shocking aspect of her story: the abuse of the law in a republic which is democratic in theory, but sacrifice its most democratic citizens to the whims of the rulers."
- Ian Buruma, Henry R. Luce Professor of Democracy, Human Rights and Journalism, Bard College

"Behind the Blue Gate documents vividly Soh Lung's intellectual and emotional awareness and reflections of a person in captivity. How power blinds justice is nothing new in the world of politics. But Soh Lung's account impressively details and transmits viscerally her physical and psychological journey whilst in detention.

This book is a must-read. It not only gives the reader insights to the human condition, but it also enables one to reflect on one's moral capacity when facing the hurdles and challenges in standing up for one's beliefs.

It's so very important to have this literature. Thanks, Soh Lung, for taking the trouble to write it all down. Reading the accounts amazes me how sharp your memory was. It is testimony of how human cruelty can be etched so deeply in the human psyche."
- Alvin Tan, Founder and Artistic Director, The Necessary Stage

Peranakan Chinese in a Globalizing Southeast Asia
Leo Suryadinata (ed.)
Singapore: Chinese Heritage Centre and Baba House, 2010
ISBN: 9789810852627

Peranakan Chinese communities and their "hybrid" culture have fascinated many observers. Some argue that they are still alive while others maintain that they have become a museum topic. Such arguments have sprung from different perspectives. Based on the papers presented at a recent conference on the Peranakan Chinese, this publication aims at addressing some of the questions revolving around these communities in a globalizing Southeast Asia.

Goh Keng Swee: A Portrait
Tan Siok Sun
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2010
ISBN: 9789814260398

Dr Goh Keng Swee's public career spanned two eventful decades. He was a founding and key member of Singapore's ruling political party, and played a significant role in creating and shaping the destiny of Singapore today. His areas of responsibility were wide-ranging, including finance, defence, and education. Yet for all his accomplishments, he was a private man and few were fully aware of all the influences that shaped his thoughts and actions.

During his periods of service as Minister for Finance, Defence and Education during the 1960s and 1970s, Dr Goh oversaw Singapore's achievement of Independence, the creation of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the start of National Service, and the establishment of the Jurong Industrial Estate.

Based on extensive research, including interviews with family members, friends and colleagues, this is an anecdotal account of Dr Goh's life-story told by the author, his daughter-in-law. The author traces Dr Goh's footsteps from his humble beginnings in Melaka, to his days at Raffles College and the London School of Economics, to his service in the Singapore Government, and finally, to his eventual retirement.

The book traces the evolution of Dr Goh's thought, as he moved on in life: a top student in school, a civil servant under colonial rule, a young Nationalist, and finally one of the key architects of post-independent Singapore. Dr Goh's story is one of daring, of moral courage, and of friendships forged over many years. Above all, his achievements in helping to create the modern landscape of institutions, environments and values that constitute Singapore today represent a vital legacy for the nation's present and future generations.

Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock
Alan Shadrake
Petaling Jaya: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2010
ISBN: 9789675832000

Over the past few decades, investigative journalism has come to mean the kind of brave reporting that exposes injustice, wrongdoing and, above all, the abuse of power. Alan Shadrake's hard-hitting new book cuts through the façade of official silence to reveal disturbing truths about Singapore's use of the death penalty. From in-depth interviews with Darshan Singh, Singapore’s chief executioner for nearly fifty years, to meticulously researched accounts of numerous high profile cases, Once a Jolly Hangman reveals the cruelty and imprudence of an entire judicial system. At the same time he displays a touching empathy with the anguish of the victims and their families. This important book should be required reading for human rights activists everywhere.