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Stories from this volume offer a rare glimpse into the lives of a diverse cross-section of the island-state’s residents, and invite us into their most intimate space—home.  Immigrants, migrants, expats, settled generations bring us into their bedrooms, balconies, kitchens and other spaces, their heartaches, traumas, dreams and desires. In so doing, they reshape their life experiences and their relationships with those whom they share their home.

The writers featured in this anthology include Isha B., Azeena Badarudeen, Ilya Katrinnada Binte Zubaidi, Arathi Devandran, Dia Feng-Lowe, Surinder Kaur, Ken Lye, Cecilia Mahendran, Gargi Mehra, Kalpana Mohan, Clara Mok, Payal Morankar, Vanessa Ng Q.R., Rolinda Onates Española, Anna Onni, Anjali Patil, Ranjani Rao, Aparna Das Sadhukhan, Euginia Tan, Audrey Tay and Phyllis Wong.

“A rare glimpse behind the politely but firmly closed doors of the Singaporean heartland, distinguished by its gathering of resident voices across nationalities, ethnicities and creeds,” said Alvin Pang, Ph.D., Poet and Editor, praising this remarkable anthology.

“These stories pack a punch by unpacking familiar themes through intimate scenes and surprising scenarios, regularly hitting too close to home,” remarked Cyril Wong, PhD, Poet & Fictionist, in appreciation of this this volume.

Felix Cheong, Poet and 2000 Young Artist Award (Literature), National Arts Council Singapore, found the anthology “a delightful mix of stories about home, homecoming, homing in on distances that build and separate us.”

About the Editors

Pallavi Narayan has worked in academia and book publishing in Singapore and India. She is a PhD in Literature and holds a Diploma in Creative Writing.

Iman Fahim Hameed has worked in academia in Singapore, is pursuing her MSc in Public Health, reports on global health issues for a UK-based charity, and writes poetry and vignettes.

Singapore At Home

Singapore At Home: Life Across Lines

Pre-order: Singapore At Home: Life Across Lines

Like any proper anthology of short fiction, Asian or not, this one is a celebration of, indeed a valentine to, the short story. One way we know we have read a great short story, as you will here again and again, is the recurrent, delicious mistake of feeling like we have actually just read an entire novel. Short stories are dense and compact; novels are, by definition, loose and baggy. To read a short story in one sitting, as we are so tempted to do here, is to have the artistic equivalent of expanding a compressed computer file: so much life comes pouring out, jack-in-the-box or clown-car style, of these meticulously crafted sentences and scenes. These brave, talented, unforgetable writers from the Philippines, Afghanistan, India, Japan and Singapore have compressed so much life, so much hard-fought wisdom, battered grace, and sweet delight, into these seventeen moving stories in alluring voices.


TBASS2022

The Best Asian Short Stories 2022 (Editor: Professor Darryl Whetter)

Brevity is the soul of wit, as William Shakespeare wrote in one of his longer plays, Hamlet. Flash Fiction, brief stories, have become one of the most exciting sub-genres of contemporary fiction. In This Will Only Take a Minute: Canadian Flash Fiction, Guernica Editions features short short stories by Canadian writers from six words to 500 words in length, short stories from across the entire spectrum of Canadian writing. and anything from stark realism to speculative fiction.

This Will Only Take A Minute: 100 Canadian Flashes (Edited by Bruce Meyer & Michael Mirolla)

This first-of-its-kind anthology showcases an array of the top poets (130 contributors) of this vast Asian region. The book contains the stylistically diverse Chinese poets Lian Yang, Liu Hongbin, Wang Ping and others who share a perspective on their homeland; the oriental touch of the Korean Chung Hee Moon and the Japanese Yosuke Tanaka; Maram al-Masri’s Franco- Syrian metaphors; Sholeh Wolpe’s Iranian-Americanisms, Rosa Jamali’s postcolonial lens on the Middle East; Nese Yasin’s bipolar/ binary Cypriot-Turk registers; politically urgent poetry from the Israeli-Palestinian region by Amir Or, Hava Pinhas-Cohen, Gili Haimovich and others; Paul Hetherington and Cassandra Atherton’s supple art of prose poetry lending a unique Australian colour and diction; the exploration of the rich American and British South Asian diaspora by Moniza Alvi, Vidyan Ravinthiran, Indran Amirthanayagam and Ahilan Packiyanathan; the irony of Kaiser Haq and romanticism of Aminur Rahman from Bangladesh; the magic of the Urdu/Hindustani cadence by India’s Gulzar and Javed Akhtar; Kunwar Narain’s wise philosophical Hindi diction; Adil Jussawalla’s ironic and sparse Mumbai cosmopolitanism and Jayanta Mahapatra deeply-rooted Oriyan metaphors. The signposts are just the tip of the iceberg, acting as a teaser and taste of what you will find inside this volume — in addition to the new/upcoming voices that make the book balanced and truly contemporary. Enjoy the rich and vibrant poetic landscape of Asia.

The Best Asian Poetry 2021-22 (Edited by Sudeep Sen)

In this collection of short stories, strangers waiting at a bus stop take off on a magical journey.  Going home in the rain can mean taking unlikely detours.  A mother and son’s tour through a royal city becomes a journey of rediscovering each other. A lovely young mother crosses into the twilight zone beyond sweetness and light. Food becomes an instrument of torture in ‘Breakfast.’ Everyday situations and people reveal extraordinary facets. These radiant images range from warm and humane to poignant and chilling. They reveal the whimsy and playfulness, the raw edges, the heartbreak, and all things in-between that comprise what it means to be human.

Monideepa Sahu is a former banker who had a wonderful time writing her fantasy adventure novel for young people, Riddle of the Seventh Stone. She has also authored Rabindranath Tagore: The Renaissance Man. Her short fiction has been widely anthologized in India and abroad. She writes opinion pieces and feature stories on literature, art and culture forDeccan Herald and other reputed publications. She lives in Bangalore, India, with her extended family of people, a vintage PC, and countless arthropods. Connect with her at www.monideepa.blogspot.in.

Going Home in The Rain and Other Stories by Monideepa Sahu

Born in the ancient city of Munger, in the state of Bihar, Kalamul Haq, better known by his pen name, Kalam Haidri, was an Urdu short story writer, journalist, and literary critic, and is widely regarded as one of the important literary figures of twentieth century Urdu literature.

One of the most out-spoken writers of his time, Haidri started his career as a journalist but soon accompanied his journalism withcreative writing. He was deeply influenced by socialist ideologies, and wrote extensively against the politics of sectarianism and religion.

A full translation of his selected works into English has been long overdue. We hope that this anthology will fill that gap, affording further inspiration to young writers.

Twelve from a Taluk Town: Selected Short Stories by Kalam Haidri

Written in the early 1990s and published in 1996, Tabish Khair’s first novel strangely evokes the India and the world of the 2010s: rape in a public bus in Delhi, hyperventilating media, war against terror, an aggressive ‘Hindu’ right, intolerant Islamism, growing social differences, etc. But along with all that, it remains a novel teeming with life, angels, dead poets, humour, history, memorable characters, and the joyous sadness of our world that Khair always captures so well and ironically in his fiction.

An Angel in Pyjamas by Tabish Khair

The Best Asian Short Stories 2021, the latest in the annual TBASS series of anthologies, presents the Asian short story as a constantly evolving, innovative and vibrant mode of literary expression. Edited by Malachi Edwin Vethamani, Professor Emeritus, Nottingham University, this collection brings together the works of twenty Asian writers and writers residing in Asia, namely from Canada, India, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, United Kingdom and United States of America. The broad theme for this collection is the new normal, revolving around the Covid-19 pandemic, with the inclusion of other stories set in the Asian region. The stories on the new normal theme explore how this world-wide pandemic has impinged on private lives and the public world.

The authors whose stories have been selected for TBASS 2021 include Cyril Wong, Sudeep Sen, Elaine Chew, Danton Remoto, Ivy Ngeow, Bella Negi, Terence Toh, Roy Tristan B. Agustin, Bhaswati Gosh, Kiran Bhat, Christina Yin, Gankhu Sumnyan, Parvathi Nayar, Smita P Mukherjee, Susheela Menon, Andrew Innes, Vicky Chong, Donna Abraham Tijo, Namrata Singh, and Jose Varghese.

TBASS2021

The Best Asian Short Stories 2021

In mainstream literature, it is not unusual to find a great novel whose themes are simultaneously universal and local. humanity and the human condition can be represented through characters and events that reflect the environment of an author living in a specific time and place. In the case of The Scorpion, the 13th novel by Kim Won-il, one of Korea's most acclaimed contemporary writers, the crippling repercussions of childhood trauma- trauma that has occured and still occurs today in every culture across the globe- are shown against the setting of Korea's tortured history. The Scorpion, can be read both as historical fiction and as a contemporary crime novel.

The Scorpion by Kim Won-il

SMART MICE IN THE LION CITY--A Guide to Hosting Events in Singapore by Kavita Raha

Did you know that the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions & Events) industry is one of the fastest growing businesses in the world today, estimated at over $1 trillion in value? Did you know that Singapore is now recognized as one of the leading international destinations for MICE, rapidly climbing to No. 6 in global rankings? Did you also know that there exists an organised ecosystem set-up to facilitate the development of MICE in Singapore and showcase its innovation, state of the art facilities, human capital as well as generous incentives?  Smart MICE in the Lion City is a must read for decision makers world wide looking at Singapore as their next destination for events. 

"Singapore has become a favoured destination for global and regional events within the financial services industry. Kavita Raha has done a great job elucidating how to leverage the country’s world-class facilities and infrastructure effectively, enabling you to make your next conference even more enjoyable and successful!"  Mr. Piyush Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, DBS Bank Group

"From a global MNC perspective, Singapore is a Smart and efficient city where the MICE sector indirectly plays a significant role in supporting the growth of business and enterprise in the region. Kavita Raha has created a pragmatic guide to hosting events in Singapore, elaborating on cutting edge services, service providers and meeting technology, along with valuable insights & tips on contracting and venues."  Dr. Armin Bruck, Chief Executive Officer, Siemens - Singapore and ASEAN

 

About the author:

 

Kavita Raha has had a multi-faceted career spanning 30 years in diverse fields such as banking, MICE and Event Management, Tourism and Hospitality, Community Leadership and as an independent Entrepreneur. 

Her drive, curiosity to learn and hunger for excellence has resulted in her outperforming in each of these roles while working for some of the biggest names in each of these industries. 

Kavita started her career in Indian in the hospitality industry where she worked in Sales and Marketing with The Oberoi Group of Hotels, the hospitality chain widely recognized for it’s luxury properties in India and overseas.  A successful stint here led her into the world of banking with Bank of America, in India. After a brief stint where she spent time understanding the nuances of finance she moved to Standard Chartered Bank as part of the pilot team entrusted with setting up the Bank’s countrywide retail business. Widely recognized for her marketing and organizational skills Kavita spent a total of 10 years assisting different divisions within the bank to coordinate their efforts and improve productivity significantly. 

Moving to Singapore in 2000, Kavita switched tracks again to become an entrepreneur focusing on event management and MICE. Setting up her own company, Phi Events in 2004, she specialized in the areas of high end visual, entertainment and entertainmentperforming arts, with a cross section of clients spanning dignitaries, corporate, government bodies and celebrities. 

Her MICE experience stems from her long association with two globally recognized leaders in the industry, Helms Briscoe and subsequently Global Cynergies.  Presently in her role as Senior Director she manages business responsibilities across the Asian region.  Dealing extensively with global organizations who, are looking towards Asia for their flagship events. 

Kavita lives in Singapore with her husband and is the mother of two adult children. In her spare time she volunteers as a community and grass root leader in Singapore, wherein she and her team’s objective is to work with the social enterprises and open communication channels between the citizens and the government and vice versa. 

SMART MICE IN THE LION CITY

This book will take you along a child’s journey from doodling, to drawing and then consolidating ideas. It will teach you how to plan possibilities in writing. This book is not only to entertain the readers but also to inspire young writers to chase their dreams without fear.

Rishav is 8 years old and he is in Grade 3. He lives in Singapore.

Dreamagination by Rishav Gupta

Horizon Afar is a collection of Tamil short stories written by Jayanthi Sankar and translator into English by P. Muralidharan.

This collection of short stories traverse beyond the contemporary life of Singapore on a quest to answer the eternal question, “What made life on this earth mechanical and devoid of meaning?” Presented here is a peek into the other side of modern life, opening new windows to the life and culture of various ethnicities of South East Asia.

Jayanthi Sankar is popular in the mainland just as amongst the writers of the diaspora. Her presence is totally absent in the stories themselves. The human side of Singapore, its students, the life of migrant workers and their aspirations to acquire resident status, interracial origins, lives of sex workers, cohabiting youth and many more such lucid narrations motivated me to translate them for English readers. The short story, “A Few Pages from Yuka Wong’s Diary”, on century-old cultural and political issues of China and Japan, is a unique work by any author of Indian origin.

Jayanthi Sankar has been creatively active for the past twenty-one years in short stories, novels, translation, transcreations and essays. Several of her books have been awarded by renowned organisations. Born and brought up in India, she has lived in Singapore since 1990. After Loss and Laws, Horizon Afar is the second collection of her Tamil short stories that have been translated into English.

Horizon Afar and Other Tamil Short Stories by Jayanthi Sankar