Big Mole
Ming Cher
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789814655354

In the fight for independence, one girl seeks freedom for herself. Born an orphan with an unlucky blemish under her eye, Big Mole is stuck running a fish shop with her roguish boyfriend Hong. When their friend is killed in cold blood on his first day as a secret society gangster, Hong forms a band of brothers and swears ruthless revenge. Big Mole finds herself reeled into a brutal mass murder and tumultuous opposition politics, with the colonial police and local investigators hot on their heels.

This thrilling sequel to the seminal Spider Boys marks Ming Cher's long-awaited return after two decades. Crackling with the seedy spirit of 1950s Singapore, rife with possibilities, Big Mole will transport and invigorate you as, with the tenacity of an exotic fighting fish, one blemish turns to beauty spot.

Caring for Our People: 50 Years of Healthcare in Singapore
Ministry of Health
Singapore: Ministry of Health, 2015
ISBN: 9789810962102

Commemorating the advances in Singapore's public healthcare across 50 years since Independence, the book chronicles the transformation of our healthcare system, from one that was focused on basic issues such as health education, personal hygiene and sanitation, to one where we have gained international recognition as a biomedical research and innovation hub and a leader in the delivery of healthcare services. Over 50 interviews are featured in the book spanning seven chapters.

Key thought leaders and healthcare providers share their personal experiences of their profession and how the Singapore healthcare landscape has transformed. The stories and experiences of patients and volunteers are also captured in this book. Besides paying tribute to the men and women who have built up Singapore's healthcare system, the SG50 Healthcare Commemorative Book also takes a look at the way forward, in terms of the transformation of care that is needed to meet the healthcare needs of Singaporeans.

Singapore: A Portrait in Diversity
Tom Soper
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810977177

Singapore is a melting pot of nations: people from all over the world come to this small island to live and work. Tom Soper captures 50 stunning portraits of people from 50 different countries, where they and Soper share their thoughts and feelings about Singapore, their home countries, photography and portraiture. A beautiful parting gift to the city-state on her 50th birthday, Singapore: A Portrait In Diversity is a photography project celebrating the incredible diversity within this pulsing, red dot.

Food, Foodways and Foodscapes: Culture, Community and Consumption in Post-Colonial Singapore
Lily Kong (ed.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814641210 / 9789814641227

This fascinating and insightful volume introduces readers to food as a window to the social and cultural history and geography of Singapore. It demonstrates how the food we consume, the ways in which we acquire and prepare it, the company we keep as we cook and eat, and our preferences and practices are all revealing of a larger economic, social, cultural and political world, both historically and in contemporary times. Readers will be captivated by chapters that deal with the intersections of food and ethnicity, gender and class, food hybridity, innovations and creativity, heritage and change, globalization and localization, and more.

50 Years of the Chinese Community in Singapore
Pang Cheng Lian (ed.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814675406 / 9789814678780

Singapore's success story is essentially a "people" story. Singaporeans have good reason to celebrate the nation's golden jubilee with pride. In the short space of five decades the country has moved from Third World to First, and its real GDP has grown by 40 times! For this phenomenal progress, credit must go to its people, the Republic's primary resource.

Against all odds and amidst dire predictions, Singaporeans proved that a united and resourceful community could build a nation from scratch. This book is dedicated to one segment of these Singaporeans -- the Chinese community. In particular, this collection of essays focuses on the Chinese speaking members of the community whose many contributions are less familiar to those brought up on a strict diet of the English language.

This celebratory book is divided into four broad categories. The first section examines the major Chinese organisations and their contributions in the past five decades. These include the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, the Chinese Development Assistance Council and the Chinese Heritage Centre. In addition, it looks at the history and work of some of the social clubs and charitable organisations in the Chinese community.

The second section examines some community issues that have engaged the Chinese community in Singapore's first 50 years. Two senior journalists and two academics review the evolution of the Chinese language, the integration of new immigrants from China and the influence of Chinese religions. The five essays in the third section trace the development of Chinese visual and performing art in the Republic. The last section looks at the interactions between Singapore's Chinese community and China on the one hand, and with the regional Chinese communities on the other.

The Life and Times of Gerald de Cruz: A Singaporean of Many Worlds
Asad-ul Iqbal Latif
Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2015
ISBN: 9789814620680

Gerald de Cruz's life overlapped many of the spheres of Singapore's history after World War II. As a Eurasian, a nationalist, a communist and then a democratic socialist, as a journalist and a writer, he represents the insurgent energies of a truculent time when a nascent nation was seeking the basis of statehood. His commitment to progressive ideas and movements reveals a man of integrity in search of himself in a better world. This book seeks to portray his place in time, particularly for younger Singaporeans who did not live in an era that has inaugurated the history of independent Singapore.

Peranakan Tiles: Singapore
Anne Pinto Rodrigues & Victor Lim
Singapore: Aster by Kyra, 2015
ISBN: 9789810955298

In the early part of the 20th century, decorative tiles popularly known as 'maiolica' or 'majolica' tiles across the world, found favour with the affluent Peranakan Community of Singapore.

The Peranakans decorated their houses, furniture and other surfaces with these colourful tiles. Soon enough, these tiles became a distinctive feature of this community and they began to be referred to as 'Peranakan Tiles'. This book attempts to showcase some of these exquisite tiles seen across Singapore today. It also aims to create awareness about this fragile legacy that needs to be conserved for the generations to come.

It Changed My Life: Inspirational Stories
Wong Kim Hoh
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642286

Inspiring real-life stories by The Straits Times Senior Writer Wong Kim Hoh about lives that have been dramatically changed by events, people or circumstances.

The story of turning the other cheek: Her nose was hacked off 25 years ago by a man wielding a cleaver. Her attacker also chopped off her ears, hewed her cheeks and blinded her in the right eye by pouring boiling water onto her face. "The nurses had to cover all mirrors and reflective glass in my ward. I was hysterical. When my son saw me for the first time after the attack, he screamed and ran away and said I was a ghost," she recalls.

The story of piloting a nasi lemak business: He was unhappy when his dad asked him to give up his aviation dream. He relented after his father said: "If you go and pilot aeroplanes, who is going to pilot my stall?" Today, his nasi lemak is famous. The Sultan of Brunei requests his nasi lemak for breakfast each time he visits Singapore. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong served it to Indonesian President Joko Widodo when the latter visited the Istana.

The story of the girl with something special: Isabelle Lim weighs only 30kg, is deaf and has has just four fingers on each hand. She has Nager Syndrome -- of which there are only 200 documented cases worldwide -- and has undergone multiple operations.

... and many more stories that celebrate the human spirit, broaden the mind, encourage the weak and downtrodden, and instil greater hope and faith in the inner strength of humanity.

From Kilts to Sarongs: Scottish Pioneers of Singapore
Graham Berry
Singapore: Landmark Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789814189651

Farquhar, Crawford, Cavenagh, Thomson, Anderson, Napier, Fullerton, Henderson, MacRitchie, MacPherson, Outram, Purvis, Spottiswoode. These are some of the Scots who have played a part in making Singapore.

Guthrie, Fraser & Neave, Rodyk & Davidson, Sime Darby, Swan & Maclaren, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Straits Trading Company. These are just a few of the numerous companies with Scottish founders who continue to play an active role in the economy of Singapore.

The old Parliament House, Raffles Institution, Raffles Hotel, Stamford House, Goodwood Park Hotel, Cairnhill, Horsburgh Lighthouse, MacDonald House. All these places and more have Scottish connections in one way or another.

Written in a popular style, this book tells the story of the Scots -- administrators, engineers, traders and various professionals -- who helped to develop early Singapore and lay some of the foundations for its undoubted growth and success.

The first book on the subject, it appeals to not only the large Scottish community in Singapore, but also all who are interested in the history and heritage of Singapore.

Singapore Chronicles: Law
Goh Yihan
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814747066

This book tells the story of the Singapore legal system. Beginning with the British years, it moves on to the post-independence period, when a new Singapore had to grapple with the judicious mix of legacy laws and new laws that the new environment demanded. That was followed by the years of expansion as the complexity of the local environment deepened. The legal system had to be further refined as Singapore embraced technological advances and globalisation. This is a story of a fast changing and yet remarkably stable legal system that has been the cornerstone of Singapore's commitment to the rule of law.

Singapore Chronicles: Colonial Singapore
Nicholas Tarling
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814747042

This book is a history of Singapore from the founding of a settlement by Raffles in 1819, to the post-imperial phase inaugurated by World War II and the Japanese invasion. It shows how colonial Singapore matured as an economy and developed as a society even as it grew into a commercial centre that was also a centre for the movement of people and ideas. The book captures the essence of the island-city's place in the Asian economic and political scheme of things as European imperialism reached its zenith before giving way to Japan's military advance. The fall of Singapore to the Japanese in February 1942 embodied the new times. The return of the British after the Japanese defeat in 1945 set the stage for a fresh phase of Singapore's political development as the anti-colonial movement grew in strength.

Singapore Chronicles: Diplomacy
Evelyn Goh & Daniel Chua
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814747080

Diplomacy has been crucial for Singapore's success abroad over the past 50 years. This book describes the many daunting challenges Singapore faced: separation from Malaysia; uncertain independence; tensions with its immediate neighbours; wars in Southeast Asia; oil shocks and financial crises; the waxing and waning power of the United States and China; and new security threats, including global terrorism, pandemics and trans-boundary pollution. The book demonstrates that Singapore's diplomacy has distinctively combined the characteristics of overcoming vulnerability; linking national security with economic development; playing a proactive role in international affairs; and emphasising cooperation with multiple partners. International events will continue to be unpredictable, and this book derives lessons from the past that can help Singapore develop even more agile diplomatic responses and far-sighted strategic planning.

Singapore Chronicles: Presidency
Thio Li-Ann
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814747011

The Elected Presidency represents one of the most distinctive institutional innovations that Singapore has made to the constitutional order in the first 50 years of its existence. Its original primary intention was to serve as a check on a powerful Parliament that could bankrupt the national reserves either through buying votes, fraud or sheer incompetence. However, experience has shown that the elected President has evolved in ways unanticipated by its original design. This book traces the fascinating twists and turns of the relatively short history of the Elected Presidency in Singapore and how it has reached a new equilibrium.

25 Years of The Substation: Reflections on Singapore's First Independent Art Centre
The Substation
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810967987

INDEPENDENCE. OPPORTUNITY. RAW. EXPERIMENTAL. FRINGE. PROGRESS. RESPONSIVE. EMPATHY. FEARLESS. IMAGINATION. PERSEVERANCE. CHALLENGE. INCUBATOR. SUPPORTIVE. CONTEMPORARY. MULTIDISCIPLINARY. SOCIOPOLITICAL. CRITICALITY. OPENNESS. DIVERSITY. COMMUNITY. POSSIBILITIES. PASSIONATE. PROCESS. HOME.

25 Years of The Substation features the accounts of 25 artists and people who have been associated with The Substation since its founding in 1990. The book is organised around 25 words, which serve as entry points for an extended conversation about The Substation, its stakeholders, and Singaporean society and the arts.

SG100?: Leading Thinkers Envision Singapore in 2065
Chua Mui Hoong (ed.)
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642514

Compiled into one exciting volume by Chua Mui Hoong, Opinion Editor of The Straits Times, leading thinkers give their take on trends that will shape Singapore in the next 50 years.

Will there even be a Singapore?
A Lee Kuan Yew-inspired New World Order?
How to face the 'Chinese dilemma' as China rises?
Politics in 2065: Primal or pragmatic?
Do you still need cows, if you can 3D print beef slices?
Can robot chefs serve quality char kway teow?
Cereal made from good bacteria, for your gut’s sake?
Will driverless cars become a reality?

Futurist guru Peter Schwart, leading "global city" sociologist Saskia Sassen, Prof Tommy Koh, Prof Wang Gungwu, diplomat Bilahari Kausikan, business guru Ho Kwon Ping and other opinion leaders explore the answers to these questions with thought-provoking musings that thrill, inspire and amuse.

It Never Rains on National Day: Stories
Jeremy Tiang
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789814655644

A woman fleeing her previous existence meets a fellow Singaporean on an overnight train in Norway. A foreign worker is decapitated in an HDB building site accident. A Singaporean wife must negotiate Beijing as her British husband awaits a heart transplant. And in different corners of the world, Singaporeans and exiles mark National Day in their own ways.

Jeremy Tiang's debut collection weaves together the lives of its characters across the world—from Switzerland, Norway, Germany, China, Canada, Thailand, New York City and back to Singapore. These wry, unsettling stories ask how we decide where we belong, and what happens to those who don't.

When a Flower Dies
Josephine Chia
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810963149

What can we recover after a life passes on? A novel about love, forgetting and remembering. Pansy Lim, a Peranakan girl, was brought up in a seaside village in colonial Singapore in the 1940s. She inherits her mother's love for flowers, nature, the sea, and their healing qualities. Educated by English nuns, she learns and grows to love English, literature and poetry. We see her at the start of the novel, aged, forgetful, and desperately clinging to memories of her recently deceased husband. Through her recollections, she remembers George Chan, the village life that they shared, and the communal past left behind by a nation always on the move.

Cherry Days
David Leo
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810964870

A coming-of-age story set in 1950s Singapore, written with photorealistic clarity. Skinny and his friends grow up in a self-sufficient kampong along an unnamed road. Reading about their lives, a distinctive character of their long-gone childhood and of Singapore emerges -- raw from a recently concluded war, alive with student riots and social movements.

Among the themes explored by the narrator is one of change, such as the transition from rural to urban living and the role of women in a developing society, as if inevitably the road must lead to it. Stories of love, death and forgiveness line the unnamed road at the heart of life in the kampong.

What's Inside the Red Box?
Phua San San
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642279

This is a story about a box that holds big dreams for a little country.

There is a man whose red box is always by his side. What's inside the red box? Three children are determined to find out.

This book is inspired by Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his red box, which he used while he was in political office. It contained his work -- papers, speech drafts, letters, readings, notes and cassette tapes with his recorded instructions.

Today, the red box has become a symbol of his unwavering passion for and dedication to Singapore.

What's Inside The Red Box? gives children a peek into the big dreams Mr Lee had for the nation.

Heart of Public Service: Our Institutions / Our People
Prime Minister's Office
Singapore: Prime Minister's Office, 2015
ISBN: 9789810946883

Heart of Public Service is a two-volume book-set that honours the institutions and officers of the Singapore Public Service. Touching on key milestones in our history, Heart of Public Service brings alive Singapore's development via 11 chapters on our institutions and 50 compelling human-interest stories. Featuring stellar archival and contemporary images, Heart of Public Service is an eloquent testament to the relentless effort to build the best Public Service for the nation.

Singapore's Health Care System: What 50 Years Have Achieved
Lee Chien Earn & K. Satku
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814696043 / 9789814696050

How did Singapore's health care system transform itself into one of the best in the world? It not only provides easy access, but its standards of health care, not only in curative medicine but also in prevention, are exemplary. Fifty years ago, the infant mortality rate (IMR) was 26 per thousand live births; today the IMR is 2. Life expectancy was 64 years then; today, it is 83. The Singapore Medicine brand is trusted internationally, and patients are drawn to Singapore from all over the world. And while many countries struggle to finance their health care, Singapore has developed a health care financing framework that makes health care affordable for its people and gives sustainability to the health care system. Reliability is provided by a professional workforce that seeks to continually learn, improve and become ever more proficient with cutting edge technology while emphasizing the relational aspects of health care by nurturing compassion and maintaining high standards of integrity. Convenience and safety are enhanced by a unifying IT system that enables the portability of medical records across health care institutions. All these have been achieved not by chance but by careful planning, strong leadership and dedicated people who are prepared to learn from Singapore's own experience while adapting best practices from around the world. But the system is not without challenges -- not least those of an aging population, and an increasing market influence.

This book provides a fascinating insight into the development of Singapore's health care system from the early days of fighting infections and providing nutrition supplementation for school children, to today's management of lifestyle diseases and high-end tertiary care. It also discusses how the system must adapt to help Singaporeans continue to "live well, live long, and with peace of mind."

Reflections: The Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew
Yang Razali Kassim (ed.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814723886 / 9789814723879

Reflections: The Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew is a collection of essays reflecting Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's immense contribution to nation-building and the idea of development, including its various models -- from government and statecraft, leadership and governance, to economic development and the management of plural societies. The essays are written by an array of authors who had worked closely with, for, or grew up under Lee Kuan Yew. As thinkers, scholars and researchers across generations, they provide different perspectives on the multifaceted and impressive legacy of Singapore's first Prime Minister. The insights offered will be of great value in future when scholars studying Singapore in particular, and nation-building in general, look back to assess what made modern Singapore so successful despite being a tiny polyglot nation-state.

The Ocean in a Drop: Singapore: The Next Fifty Years
Ho Kwon Ping
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814730181 / 9789814730174

Ho Kwon Ping was the Institute of Policy Studies' (IPS) 2014/15 S.R. Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore. This book contains the five IPS-Nathan Lectures he gave between October 2014 and April 2015, and highlights of the accompanying dialogue with the audience. In his lectures, Ho looks forward to the next 50 years, offering innovative ideas and robust views on how governance and key institutions can evolve to ensure the sustainable continuation of Singapore, the "improbable nation". This book illuminates Ho's vision of a cohesively-diverse Singapore lasting beyond the lifespan of his generation and aims to get the young to ponder and discuss what kind of home, and future, they want.

Remains: A Singapore Journey
Kostas Ikonomopoulos
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810961817

The mausoleum of a Muslim saint stands next to an elevated coastal expressway. The Latin-inscribed tombstones of Christian missionaries lay half-buried and forgotten between bungalows and a childcare center. A quarantine station and detention facility is turned into a series of dormitories for tourists. And then there is the improbable shrine to a German girl turned goddess of luck.

Remains is an unorthodox travelogue, a journey through graveyards, stations, and assorted remnants of Singapore's past. It is also an effort to document locations and preserve stories in an island-city that shape-shifted from colonial backwater to glistening business hub at breakneck speed.

The book attempts a look at another Singapore, which is almost a neglected twin to the one everyone knows. It reconstructs a cultural past which is falling victim to a unique, if unavoidable, vanishing act; a past barely preserved in the form of faded gravestones, crumbling aluminum watchtowers, repainted barracks, barricaded hospitals, neglected theme parks and dismantled rail tracks.

At the same time, Remains is a meditation on the policies of development and heritage preservation and a deeply personal account of the history and the aesthetic appeal of the decayed, the forsaken and the bizarre in Singapore.

Under a Shadow
Rosaly Puthucheary
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810964566

When Singapore surrendered to Japan in 1942, Rosaly Puthucheary was only six years old. Under A Shadow offers her personal account of what it was like growing up during those precarious years under the Japanese occupation. Despite the hardships of war, her childhood, as seen through the eyes of a precocious child, was not entirely marred and remained a relatively happy one. She still enjoyed the fun of pretend play with her sister Hazie and the excitement of witnessing her father's latest procurement of a new farm animal.

Unfortunately, as the occupation dragged on, it became inevitable for her family's living conditions to deteriorate. After an unpleasant incident with a Japanese officer, her family sold off almost all the farm animals and moved to a different home.

The fortune of her family runs a similar parallel to the difficulties which the people experienced during the fall of Singapore. With this memoir, Rosaly shares intimate details of her childhood and how it was affected living under an ever looming and threatening shadow.

Clinical Psychology in Singapore: An Asian Casebook
Gregor Lange & John Davison (eds.)
Singapore: NUS Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789971698546

This casebook is a unique resource, offering never before documented insights into the practices and principles of clinical psychologists within local mental health services in Singapore. The 20 fascinating chapters provide comprehensive coverage of the assessment, formulation and treatment for clients across the lifespan. It includes accounts of clients with common mental health problems such as depression and panic disorder, as well as more unusual problems like pyromania, exhibitionism and frontal-lobe epilepsy. The authors describe their successes and challenges and share how they grapple with tensions in the therapy room and with cultural and ethical issues. This casebook is an ideal complement to abnormal, counselling or clinical psychology courses.

Singathology: 50 New Works by Singapore's Award-Winning Writers
Gwee Li Sui (ed.)
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2015
ISBN: 9789814561402

Singathology: 50 New Works by Singapore's Award-winning Writers is a stunning collection of original Singapore literature. The first of its kind, this two-volume anthology 50 comprises specially commissioned new works from past winners of the prestigious Cultural Medallion or Young Artist Award.

Conceived as a celebration of Singapore literature to launch on the year of the nation's jubilee, this anthology illustrates the richness and diversity of the island nation's creative spirit.

Traversing generations and genres, readers will encounter poetry, prose, comics and plays. Pieces written in mother tongue languages of Chinese, Tamil and Malay will be included in their original form, but will be accompanied by their English translations. These translations will ensure that, uniquely, many important literary voices will be heard in English for the first time.

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.

The Politics of Defeat: Preliminary Chapters and the Secret Diary of Francis Thomas
Margaret Thomas (ed.)
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810961527

It was a diary that had first sat at the back of a locked steel cabinet for two decades and then in a taped box for close to another four decades.

A secret diary, kept by Cabinet Minister Francis Thomas, of the discussions and decisions that went on behind the scenes and determined the path of Singapore's political development during the late 1950s. It was a tumultuous time that saw the People's Action Party come into power because of the ineptitude -- or, in the words of Lee Kuan Yew, the corruption and stupidities -- of the Labour Front government.

The diary was kept by Francis Thomas, an Englishman who made Singapore his home and played a key role in the dying days of the Labour Front government. The Politics of Defeat is his inside story of those days.

Singapore: Sketches of the Lion City [New ed.]
Lorette E. Roberts
Hong Kong: Bridge House Design, 2015
ISBN: 9789889732868

Returning to update Singapore: Sketches of the Lion City, artist and illustrator Lorette E. Roberts was once again struck by the variety of flowers and trees and how naturally they bloom in modern Singapore. Now, Supertrees, Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands are part of the landscape, having "grown" since her last visit. In her inimitable and unmistakable style, Lorette has now included these along with the other famous sights in this exciting colourful new edition.

In addition to Raffles Hotel, Boat Quay, Orchard Road, Sentosa and the newly anointed UNESCO Botanic Gardens are all featured in this new edition. Roberts has captured all the varied architectural styles prevalent in the Lion City: Shophouses, Colonial Bungalows, 'Black and White' homes, the refurbished Fulerton Heritage by the Bay are also included along side the other classic civic buildings which make up Singapore today.

Lorette's sharp eye is trained to spot the unusual: ancient houses on stilts, a tree walk, organic gardens, the old-world charm of Tiong Bahru, Ang Mo Kio's Sunday Bird Club, a tiger-car replica, ethnic fabric designs, hedgehog pastries and vibrant street art. In this engaging book there is something for everyone to enjoy including her trademark snail hidden on every page!

My Life, My Story: Personal Narratives by Singapore's Seniors
Verena Tay (ed.)
Singapore: National Library Board, 2015
ISBN: 9789810960520

All of us have life stories to tell. But the elusive process by which those memories come together to produce a story that moves, entertains or provokes requires lots of hard work -- and the guidance of a good mentor!

The National Library Board is proud to bring you selected works from participants of a memoir writing workshop series it ran with author Verena Tay in 2015.

In this array of seven memoir pieces, you will get a glimpse into childhoods from bygone days, intriguing family histories, and brave personal journeys -- all of which, whether they make you laugh, cry or reminisce, show how unique our lives are in both their delightful and difficult moments, and yet how intertwined we are through the places and communities we share.

Faith in Architecture: 50 Houses of Worship in Singapore
Gül İnanç (ed.)
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810953737

Often we are not fully aware of the artistic, diverse and divine features of more than a thousand houses of worship, which surround us in this small, culturally diverse city-state. This semi-photobook is a humble attempt to give 50 of these sacred sands/stones the voice required to share their stories with us and for us to move a little closer to understanding and appreciating the art and culture of major faiths being practised both locally and globally. Complementing the reflections and photography in the book are astute sketches by renowned Singapore artist, Dr Ho Chee Lick.

Vintage Lee: Landmark Speeches Since 1955
Lydia Lim (ed.)
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642460

In his 60 years as a politician, 31 of them as Prime Minister, Mr Lee delivered thousands of speeches. This book contains 33 that stand out because they are the clearest and most hard-hitting on issues he considered of fundamental importance -- race, language, good government, defence, talent and succession. Some mark milestones on Singapore's journey to independence and success. Others are plain inspiring because Mr Lee speaks of facing life with courage and fighting for what one believes in. This selection was made after consulting SPH editors past and present, including Cheong Yip Seng, Patrick Daniel and Han Fook Kwang.

PM Lee Hsien Loong said his father was often "spoiling for a fight". Indeed, Lee Kuan Yew seemed energised by opposition and his election rally speeches make for compelling reading precisely because they showcase him at his combative best. In Parliament too, or during National Day Rallies, Mr Lee thrived on the challenge of winning people over on hard policies that most other politicians would have shied away from. He was always very clear about the message he wanted to get across and tailored his speeches to his audience, exploiting the power of words and stories, marshalling facts and figures and putting his own reputation on the line so as to win the argument.

Rehearsal for Life: Singapore Youth Orchestra 1980-1990
Wong Sher Maine & Vivien Goh
Singapore: Vivien Goh, 2015
ISBN: 9789810955328

Youth Orchestras have had a checkered history in Singapore. This book traces Youth Orchestra activities from the 1930s when first glimpses of it appeared in the press in Singapore. It was only in 1980 that the Singapore Youth Orchestra was put on a firm footing with the full backing of the Singapore Government as represented by Dr Goh Keng Swee, known as the architect of Singapore's economic development. Goh was also instrumental to the founding of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra to which the Singapore Youth Orchestra was to act as a "feeder".

The authors have not only given an account of this initial period of the Singapore Youth Orchestra (1980-1990) but have also made it a very readable narrative by interspersing quotes from Orchestra members themselves. Their amusing anecdotes of their days in the top ensemble in Singapore, and reflections on how being part of the Youth Orchestra changed their lives, make for engaging reading. The book also contains evocative photos from the 1980s as well as updated photos of these youths, who are now in their 40s and 50s.

Images of Singapore Botanic Gardens
Alvin Loh
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2015
ISBN: 9789814677196

With more than 150 years of history, the 74-hectare Singapore Botanic Gardens holds a unique and significant place in the history of Singapore and the region. It was responsible in its early days for the introduction, experimentation and promotion of crop plants, including the rubber tree; it also spearheaded orchid breeding and started a world-renowned orchid hybridisation programme. Today, it not only continues to play a vital role in the horticultural and botanical fields, the Singapore Botanic Gardens has become a fixture of the cultural landscape and the national identity.

Images of Singapore Botanic Gardens takes the reader on an enchanting photographic tour of the gardens' varied landscapes. Highlights include the National Orchid Garden, home of the world's foremost collection of orchids; Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, the first children's garden in Asia; a lush Rainforest trail boasting rare tropical species; picture-perfect water features such as Swan Lake, Eco Lake and Symphony Lake; and some of the best-preserved specimens of colonial architecture in Singapore.

With the decision on its UNESCO World Heritage status due to be announced in 2015 Q3, interest in the Singapore Botanic Gardens will be at an all-time high. This compact volume, packed with over 250 photographs, vividly captures the spirit of Singapore Botanic Gardens in all its glory.

Singapore: 50 Constitutional Moments that Defined a Nation
Kevin Y.L. Tan & Thio Li-Ann
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2015
ISBN: 9789814677097

Singapore inherited a Westminster-style constitution from the British who ruled the island for 140 years. Since Singapore's independence in 1965, this constitution has been amended and augmented many times wherein unique institutions -- such as the Elected Presidency and Group Representation Constitutions -- were created. All these changes occurred against the backdrop of Singapore's special geographical local, multi-ethnic population and vulnerability to externalities.

This book features a collection of short essays describing and explaining 50 Constitutional Moments -- major inflexion points in the trajectory of Singapore's constitutional development. The authors have selected each of these 'moments' on the basis of their impact in the forging of the modern constitutional order. Starting in 1965, the book begins chronologically, from the 'moment' of Singapore's expulsion from the Federation of Malaysia through the establishment of the Wee Chong Jin Constitutional Commission (1966) to the entrenchment of the sovereignty clause in the Constitution (1972) right through to the 2000s, with the Presidential Elections of 2011.

In these easy-to-read essays, the reader is introduced to what the authors consider to be the most important episodes that have shaped the Singapore Constitution. These articles cover key events like President Ong Teng Cheong's 1999 Press Conference and the 2001 Tudung controversy; constitutional amendments like the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (1990) and the introduction of Nominated Members of Parliament (1990); and seminal cases like Chng Suan Tze v Minister for Home Affairs (1989) and Yong Vui Kong v PP (2010 & 2015) that have contributed to the sculpting of Singapore's constitutional landscape.

Lee's Legacy
Fiona Chan (ed.)
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642309

Compiled for the first time in Lee's Legacy, this selection of incisive viewpoints displays a wide range of perspectives on Mr Lee's contributions to Singapore and beyond, spanning the sustainability and applicability of the "Singapore model" to Mr Lee's influence on the policies of foreign countries. The result is a thought-provoking anthology that presents a balanced overview of the complex and far-reaching legacy of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.