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Fourteen stimulating literary works that shine a new light on Singapore’s first foreign minister and one of its most eloquent and farsighted leaders—the late S. Rajaratnam. Celebrated as one of Singapore’s founding fathers, very little has been said of his literary prowess. The seven short stories, which he wrote in London in the 1940s, were previously published in various collections alongside some of the most distinguished writers in the world. Impressed by his talent, George Orwell, who at the time worked for the BBC Eastern Service, recruited Rajaratnam to contribute scripts for the network. Upon his return from London, Rajaratnam stopped writing fiction and took to journalism. Excelling in political commentary and satire, he also wrote a number of politically-charged radio scripts. This anthology collects a six-part series titled “A Nation in the Making” and another titled “Looking Forward”. All seven scripts were broadcast on Radio Malaya in 1957.
“A treasure trove of timeless tales… they resonate with relevance for today’s readers.”
—Suchen Christine Lim, novelist and winner of the first Singapore Literature Prize in 1992

“For anyone wanting to understand the twists and turns of the history of ideas in Malaysia and Singapore, this book is indispensable.”
—Mohammad A. Quayum, Professor of English Language and Literature, International Islamic University Malaysia

“For the first time we have within the covers of one book the surprising, moving, fascinating literary antecedence of one of Singapore’s most beloved founding fathers.”
—Janadas Devan, Director of the Institute of Policy Studies, and Associate Editor of The Straits Times
S. Rajaratnam previously held key positions in government and has been High Commissioner to Malaysia as well as Ambassador to the United States. He is currently a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Institute of South East Asian Affairs.

Irene Ng is the author of The Singapore Lion: A Biography of S. Rajaratnam, the first volume of S. Rajaratnam's biography.

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The Short Stories And Radio Plays of S. Rajaratnam