Last month was all about women in translation, and I highlighted three different independent book publishers that focus on publishing works in translation.
In a similar vein, I wanted to highlight Epigram Books, an independent publisher based in Singapore. However, since English is one of Singapore’s official languages, much of what they publish is originally written in English and does not need to be translated.
About Singapore
Singapore is so diverse, and Epigram Books focuses on publishing books both from Singaporean authors and writers from the Southeast Asian region. In order to showcase the diversity of the books published by Epigram Books, I’ve split this into two posts. This week I’ll be sharing books from Singaporean authors, and the next week will be from authors around the region.
As you’ll notice by taking a quick glance at the authors listed below, Singaporeans come from a range of ethnic backgrounds.
Singapore is a recently independent nation, becoming an independent republic on 9 August 1965. However, it’s long been an important trading port both within Asia and internationally as it’s located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, with an ocean on each side, the Pacific and Indian Ocean.
Singapore’s diversity
Singapore has four official languages, English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. You’ll often see each of the four languages on important signs in public. But English is considered the common language and used for public services, despite Malay being the local/indigenous language of the area.
I think it’s fascinating to see this kind of diversity in such a small nation. I know Singapore is not devoid of racial tension, but I find it interesting because it’s one of the few countries in Asia where ethnicity is not considered synonymous with their nationality.
Personally, I would consider most of Asia to be mono-cultural with pockets of diversity. With that I mean that there’s predominantly one language, one culture, one religion, etc. within each country. Sure, there are indigenous or minority groups, but they’re rarely given much attention or appreciation.
There are also big cities that seem diverse in the busiest areas, like Bangkok. But foreigners are rarely considered a genuine part of the country, except when seen solely as tourists and a way to boost the economy.
For instance, if you don’t have Thai family/heritage, you’ll likely never be considered Thai. It won’t matter how long you’ve been here, how good you speak Thai, or if you’ve become a citizen, for most Thais, you’ll never really be Thai.
I’ve been able to get a glimpse of Singapore on a few layovers, and it feels different than other parts of Asia. I don’t know if it’s the prevalence of English, the diversity, the economic progress, or the strict governing strategy. It almost felt like a more modern (and tropical) version of Toronto.
It’s a fascinating little nation, with so much development but so little land.
If you’ve ever been curious in Singapore, here are five books that will give you a glimpse into Singapore from the perspective of a local.
Five Singaporean books from Epigram Press
Here’s a list of five Singaporean books from Epigram Press.
- The Goddess in the Living Room / Nan Kolai Seyium Penkkal (The Women I Murder) by Latha (2007)
- Death of a Perm Sec by Wong Souk Yee (2016)
- Nimita’s Place by Akshita Nanda (2018)
- Impractical Uses of Cake by Yeoh Jo-Ann (2019)
- Kopi, Puffs & Dreams by Pallavi Gopinath Aney (2021)
Keep reading to find out more about each one. I’ve listed them in order of when they were published.
The Goddess in the Living Room / Nan Kolai Seyium Penkkal (The Women I Murder) (2007)
by Latha
Translated from the Tamil by Palaniappan Arumugum, Sulosana Karthigasu, Kavitha Karumbayeeram, Yamuna Murthi Raju, Ravi Shanker and Kokilavani Silvarathi
- Year Published: 2007
- Storygraph Categories:
fiction, emotional, reflective, slow-paced - Highlights Tamil women in Singapore
The voices of Tamil women in Singapore are given a powerful outlet by Latha in this collection of stories. Among them: a grandmother forced to move because of an en bloc sale; a daughter caring for her terminally ill mother; and the enigmatic Alyssa, who is left with her grandparents on Pulau Ubin as a child, and must deal with devastating loss as an adult. The Goddess in the Living Room chronicles these women’s domestic struggles and exposes the unyielding patriarchy in the Indian community.
Links:
- You can find out more on:
- You can buy the book here on Amazon.
Death of a Perm Sec (2016)
by Wong Souk Yee
- Year Published: 2016
- Storygraph Categories:
fiction, politics, challenging, dark, reflective, slow-paced
Shortlisted for the 2018 Singapore Literature Prize for Fiction
Finalist for the 2015 Epigram Books Fiction Prize
In 1980s Singapore, a top civil servant is found dead. It appears to be suicide, by a cocktail of morphine, alcohol and Valium. But upon investigation by a CID inspector, who might not be what he seems, the family discover there may be far more sinister circumstances behind his death, reaching the uppermost echelons of government.
Death of a Perm Sec exposes the dark heart of power politics, from the country’s tumultuous post-independence days to the socio-political landscape of the 1980s.
Links:
- You can find out more on:
- You can buy the book here on Amazon.
Nimita’s Place (2018)
by Akshita Nanda
- Year Published: 2018
- Storygraph Categories:
fiction, contemporary, historical, emotional, slow-paced
Shortlisted for the 2017 Epigram Books Fiction PrizeAn ELLE Singapore Recommended Read
It is 1944 in India and Nimita Khosla yearns to attend university to become an engineer, but her parents want a different life for her. As she accepts her fate and marries, religious upheaval is splitting the country and forcing her family to find a new home.
In 2014, her granddaughter, molecular biologist Nimita Sachdev, escapes India to run away from the prospect of an arranged marriage. Staking out a future in Singapore, she faces rising anger against immigrants and uncertainty about her new home.
Two generations apart, these two women walk divergent paths but face the same quandaries: who are we, and what is home?
Links:
- You can find out more on:
- You can buy the book here on Amazon.
Impractical Uses of Cake (2019)
by Yeoh Jo-Ann
- Year Published: 2019
- Storygraph Categories:
fiction, contemporary, romance, emotional, reflective, slow-paced
Winner of the 2018 Epigram Books Fiction Prize
Sukhin is a thirty-five-year-old teacher who lives alone. His life consists of reading, working and visiting his parents’ house to rearrange his piles of “collectibles”. He has only one friend, another teacher who has managed to force Sukhin into a friendship by sheer doggedness.
While on an errand one afternoon in Chinatown, he encounters a homeless person who recognises him. This chance reunion turns Sukhin’s well-planned life upside down, and the pair learns about love and sacrifice over their shared fondness for cake.
Links:
- You can find out more on:
- You can buy the book here on Amazon.
Kopi, Puffs & Dreams (2021)
by Pallavi Gopinath Aney
- Year Published: 2021
- Storygraph Categories:
fiction, historical, emotional, medium-paced
At the turn of the twentieth century, two young men from Palakkad, Puthu and Krishnan, meet aboard a ship bound for Malaya, and strike up an instant connection. Over the next two decades, they set up a restaurant in Singapore selling curry puffs and kopi, become successful, get married and start families. However, Krishnan harbours a dark secret that threatens to destroy the dreams he and Puthu have built together, a secret that only carelessness can reveal…
Links:
- You can find out more on:
- You can buy the book here on Amazon.
Final thoughts
I hope you found something of interest in this list of books published by Epigram Books.
Are you familiar with Epigram Books? If so, I’d love to hear which books you enjoyed from their collection or which books you are excited to read.
Do you know of any other independent publishers like Epigram Books? I’d love to hear all about them in a comment below!
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