Literature - Singapore Chronicles

Koh Tai Ann, Tan Chee Lay, Hadijah Rahmat, Arun Mahizhnan
Paperback, 120 pages
9789814747370

Singapore has not one national literature but four literatures, in the official languages of Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English. Each thus differs in origin, literary tradition and development, and they reach disparate reading publics both nationally and internationally. This book attempts to bridge these differences by introducing to the reading public in English within one volume for the first time, the literary history, development and significant writers of each literature. By situating these in their shared common historical context, the book reveals how the literatures are each unique yet ultimately, Singaporean. Lists of translations and digital resources enable readers, moreover, to explore the literatures on their own.