Starry Island: New Writing from Singapore

In 2015, Singapore celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of its independence. From its founding as a British colony with no natural resources, the country has transformed itself into one of the most urbanized and prosperous nations in the world. Just as remarkable is the harmonious diversity of the people who identify themselves as Singaporeans—a fusion of ethnicities, languages, religions, and places of origin.Starry Island presents essays, fiction, and poetry by two dozen contemporary writers whose stories of Singapore express the complex tensions and interconnections of this anomalous, confounding, and paradoxical society. These fresh and accomplished works range from meditative essays to magical realist fiction and lyric poetry.Contributing writers include Yu-Mei Balasingamchow, Kim Cheng Boey, Grace Chua, Dan Ying, Jeffrey Greene, Philip Jeyaretnam, Khoo Seok Wan, Amanda Lee Koe, Jee Leong Koh, Desmond Kon, Karen Kwek, Shirley Geok-lin Lim, Nicholas Liu, Jason Erik Lundberg, Christopher Mooney-Singh, Eleanor Neo, Ng Yi-Sheng, O Thiam Chin, Wena Poon, Alfian Sa'at, Toh Hsien Min, Cyril Wong, Wong Yoon Wah, and Jerrold Yam.The volume includes photographs of Singapore's spectacular contemporary architecture and portraits of early twentieth-century Chinese and Peranakan families.