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Epigram Books Blog

  • October 6, 2025

    Book of the Week: The Last Immigrant by Lau Siew Mei

     

    The Last Immigrant is the latest novel from Lau Siew Mei, who was born and raised in Singapore before moving to Australia. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Playing Madame Mao, a story about an actress who finds her life unravelling after her husband is arrested and detained without trial. Time magazine called it “one of the best novels ever written about Singapore”.

    Siew Mei has also written another novel, The Dispeller of Worries, as well as several short stories and a children’s book, Yin’s Magic Dragon.

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  • October 6, 2025

    Book of the Week: Trivialities about Me and Myself

    What drives writers to conceive of – and readers to be fascinated with – Man in all his restless, confused and inherently paradoxical condition?

    This week's Book of the Week, Yeng Pway Ngon’s novel Trivialities About Me and Myself, weaves an unflinching narrative of Ah-hui, a Chinese-educated Singaporean entrepreneur, who struggles with a split personality condition.

    It is set against the backdrop of a newly independent Singapore which has thrown off its dusty cloak of indigenous traditions and practices to embrace the thrill and shine of a consumerist, English-speaking system.

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  • October 6, 2025

    Book of the Week: A Life in Words

    As we begin a new year with new resolutions that we aim to accomplish (hopefully/perhaps/fingers crossed), we could get some inspiration from a person who has, in her life, accomplished quite a bit.

    We're talking about Tham Yew Chin, better known by her pen name, You Jin. Among her achievements: receiving the Singapore Chinese Literary Award, the Montblanc-NUS Centre for the Arts Literary Award, and the biggie – the Cultural Medallion for her contributions to Singapore’s literary arts scene.

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