{"title":"Cultural Medallion by Epigram Books (Fiction)","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"durians-are-not-the-only-fruit","title":"Durians Are Not the Only Fruit: Notes from the Tropics","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePraise\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Author \u0026amp; Translator\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Series\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTranslated from the Chinese by Jeremy Tiang\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/CM-Durians-Sample.pdf?560\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/CM-Durians-Sample.pdf?560\"\u003eLook inside the book\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eI\u003c\/span\u003e   \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/98\/Durians-Are-Not-the-Only-Fruit\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/98\/Durians-Are-Not-the-Only-Fruit\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet the E-book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this mix of memoir, essay and nature writing, Wong Yoon Wah evokes the beauty and seduction of the tropical rainforest and rubber plantations of his childhood in Malaya. He examines what surrounds us: the fruits we grow, the food we eat, the trees and animals that thrive in our midst. Along the way, we gain fascinating insights: how thunder tea rice acquired its name; how early settlers used the rain tree to tell time; how the behaviour of ants can tell us when a monsoon is about to arrive. Both personal and informative, this selection of Wong’s essays is a stunning re-addition to the creative non-fiction landscape.\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eDurians Are Not the Only Fruit\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a delightfully atypical publication to find in English...\u003c\/span\u003eJeremy Tiang smoothly renders Wong’s musings and reminiscences, whetting the appetite for the translator’s own writing...while Wong is chronicling his expulsion from the world of his youth, this volume sets that same world as a monument.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Josh Stenberg, Nanjing University, \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.worldliteraturetoday.org\/2014\/september\/durians-are-not-only-fruit-wong-yoon-wah\" data-mce-href=\"http:\/\/www.worldliteraturetoday.org\/2014\/september\/durians-are-not-only-fruit-wong-yoon-wah\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWorld Literature Today\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“[A] truly valuable collection…To read this collection, is to gain a new perspective towards nature…I thoroughly enjoyed the reading of Wong’s fantastic, nuanced writing and the vividness of his expression. Wong Yoon Wah makes the rainforest, the kampung, the villagers and the animals come alive in an educational yet interesting read.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Daniel Chan, \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/nptribune.com\/?p=1229\" data-mce-href=\"http:\/\/nptribune.com\/?p=1229\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003enpTribune\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWong Yoon Wah\u003c\/strong\u003e grew up on a rubber plantation against the tumultuous backdrop of the Malayan Emergency and spent most of his childhood in a New Village set up by the British. A writer, poet and scholar specialising in comparative and post-colonial Chinese literature, with an international following, Dr Wong studied English literature at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University, and pursued his PhD in Chinese literature at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He was a former head of the Department of Chinese Studies at the National University of Singapore. He also served as Dean and Faculty Professor at Taiwan’s Yuan Ze University before becoming senior vice president of Southern University College, Malaysia. His awards include the China Times Literary Award for non-fiction, The Epoch Poetry Award, the S.E.A. Write Award, the ASEAN Cultural Award and Singapore’s Cultural Medallion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJeremy Tiang\u003c\/strong\u003e is the translator of the novels \u003cem\u003eThe Promise Bird\u003c\/em\u003e by Zhang Yueran, \u003cem\u003eUnrest\u003c\/em\u003e by Yeng Pway Ngon and \u003cem\u003eIsland of Silence\u003c\/em\u003e by Su Wei-chen, as well as many short stories and plays. His short fiction has won the Golden Point Award, and has been published in \u003cem\u003eFleurs des Lettres\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cem\u003eQuarterly Literary Review Singapore\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLitro\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003ePhilippines Free Press\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Istanbul Review\u003c\/em\u003e. He was also a participant of the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program. In 2013, he was awarded a PEN\/Heim translation grant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Cultural Medallion is Singapore’s highest cultural award, given to those who have achieved artistic excellence in the areas of literature, dance, music, theatre and art. It was instituted in 1979 to recognise individuals whose artistic excellence and commitment to the arts have enriched and made a distinction to Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape. Epigram Books’ Cultural Medallion series seeks to translate the works of Cultural Medallion winners writing in Tamil, Malay and Chinese into English. Matching writers with some of the best translators working in the field today, these books are being made available to an English-language audience for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Epigram Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":804150227,"sku":"9789810766702","price":26.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/products\/CM-Durians-CVF-100.jpg?v=1409040675"},{"product_id":"the-tower","title":"The Tower","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Author \u0026amp; Translator\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/CM-Tower-Sample.pdf?560\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eLook inside the book\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e   I   \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/121\/The-Tower\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet the E-book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom Isa Kamari comes a masterful tale of success and failure, which has been translated for the first time into English by Alfian Sa’at, his debut work of translation. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA successful architect visits the new skyscraper he designed. As he climbs the tower with Ilham, his clerk of works, he reflects upon his life and spiritual journey in an increasingly materialistic world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMemories of a dark past plague him as he struggles to reach the top, which are woven into the narrative as a series of fables and elliptical digressions, mirroring his own increasingly fractured state of mind.\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Cultural Medallion is Singapore’s highest cultural award, given to those who have achieved artistic excellence in the areas of literature, dance, music, theatre and art. It was instituted in 1979 to recognise individuals whose artistic excellence and commitment to the arts have enriched and made a distinction to Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape. Epigram Books’ Cultural Medallion series seeks to translate the works of Cultural Medallion winners writing in Tamil, Malay and Chinese into English. Matching writers with some of the best translators working in the field today, these books are being made available to an English-language audience for the first time.\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIsa Kamari\u003c\/strong\u003e has written eight novels in Malay, many of which have been translated into English. He has published collections of poems, short stories and plays. He also writes drama serials and documentaries for television. His awards include the S.E.A. Write Award, Singapore’s Cultural Medallion and the Anugerah Tun Seri Lanang. He has a degree in Architecture from the National University of Singapore, and a Master of Philosophy in Malay Letters from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlfian Sa’at\u003c\/strong\u003e is the resident playwright of Wild Rice. He is a two-time winner of \u003cem\u003eThe Straits Times Life!\u003c\/em\u003e Theatre Award for Best Original Script, and a recipient of the Golden Point Award for Poetry and the Young Artist Award for Literature. His works include collections of plays, the poetry collections \u003cem\u003eOne Fierce Hour\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eA History of Amnesia\u003c\/em\u003e, and the short story collections \u003cem\u003eCorridor\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eMalay Sketches\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Epigram Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":804154715,"sku":"9789810767822","price":26.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/products\/CM-Tower-CVF-100.jpg?v=1409040966"},{"product_id":"under-the-bed-confusion","title":"Under the Bed, Confusion","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Author \u0026amp; Translator\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/CM-Confusion-Sample.pdf?560\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eLook inside the book\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eI\u003c\/span\u003e   \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/99\/Under-the-Bed-Confusion\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet the E-book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stories in \u003cem\u003eUnder the Bed, Confusion\u003c\/em\u003e sketch a vast array of characters: from an aging coffee shop assistant struggling on her first day at work to a multimillionaire obsessed with crossing the fourth hurdle; from a dissident doctor exiled on the island of Pulau Tekong to a pampered, carefree mutt. Using elements of the fantastical and the satirical, this collection of mini-fiction probes Singapore’s underbelly with sarcastic wit, revealing darkly humorous and philosophical insights into the many facets of her people’s collective psyche.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Cultural Medallion is Singapore’s highest cultural award, given to those who have achieved artistic excellence in the areas of literature, dance, music, theatre and art. It was instituted in 1979 to recognise individuals whose artistic excellence and commitment to the arts have enriched and made a distinction to Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape. Epigram Books’ Cultural Medallion series seeks to translate the works of Cultural Medallion winners writing in Tamil, Malay and Chinese into English. Matching writers with some of the best translators working in the field today, these books are being made available to an English-language audience for the first time. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWong Meng Voon\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer, editor and academic who has published eleven collections of short stories and mini-fiction. An accomplished translator, Dr. Wong has been awarded the Translation Prize by the National Book Development Council of Singapore. For his contribution to Singaporean Literature and the Chinese mini-fiction form, he has been awarded Singapore’s Cultural Medallion, the S.E.A. Write Award and China’s Life-long Achievement for World Chinese Mini-Fiction Award.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHoward Goldblatt\u003c\/strong\u003e is Research Professor at the University of Notre Dame and has taught modern Chinese literature and culture for over twenty-five years. He has published English translations of more than thirty novels and story collections by writers from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. His translations have been awarded the Translation of the Year Prize from the American Literary Translators Association, and the Man Asian Literary Prize three times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Epigram Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":804158571,"sku":"9789810736613","price":26.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/products\/CM-Confusion-CVF-100.jpg?v=1409041259"},{"product_id":"penghulu","title":"Penghulu","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePraise\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Author \u0026amp; Translator\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTranslated from the Malay by Solehah Ishak\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/CM-Penghulu-Sample.pdf?560\"\u003eLook inside the book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e   \u003cspan\u003eI\u003c\/span\u003e   \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/118\/Penghulu\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet the E-book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePak Suleh was the penghulu of Pulau Sebidang, one of the influential village headmen of the islands of the South. Forced to relocate to a small high-rise flat on mainland Singapore, he worries for the future of his family and yearns for his beloved island. A powerful meditation on loss, \u003cem\u003ePenghulu\u003c\/em\u003e is a portrait of a man struggling to return to his old way of life. But can Pak Suleh thwart the plans of his son-in-law, a newly elected member of parliament from the ruling party? Will the penghulu return to his island? \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Cultural Medallion is Singapore’s highest cultural award, given to those who have achieved artistic excellence in the areas of literature, dance, music, theatre and art. It was instituted in 1979 to recognise individuals whose artistic excellence and commitment to the arts have enriched and made a distinction to Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape. Epigram Books’ Cultural Medallion series seeks to translate the works of Cultural Medallion winners writing in Tamil, Malay and Chinese into English. Matching writers with some of the best translators working in the field today, these books are being made available to an English-language audience for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e“He is a writer critical of apathy, excessive individuality and a human life bereft of spirituality. Undoubtedly, he is today one of the leading Singaporean Malay writers whose works are well received both nationally and regionally.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003eDr Azhar Ibrahim, National University of Singapore\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003eBorn in 1930 in Pasir Panjang, Singapore, \u003cstrong\u003eSuratman Markasan \u003c\/strong\u003ecompleted his studies at Sultan Idris Training College in 1950, before joining the teaching service and enrolling in Nanyang University, where he majored in Malay and Indonesian Studies. He was appointed Assistant Director for Malay and Tamil studies at the Ministry of Education and lectured at the Institute of Education until 1995. He has received the S.E.A. Write Award, the Montblanc-NUS Centre for the Arts Literary Award, the Tun Seri Lanang Literary Award and Singapore’s Cultural Medallion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSolehah Ishak\u003c\/strong\u003e is Professor of Theatre Arts, specialising in traditional and modern Malay plays. Currently she teaches at the Faculty of Film, Theatre and Animation at the University Technology MARA. She has a Ph.D. in Theatre Arts from Cornell University and has translated more than 30 Malay plays into the English language, and has also translated English and German plays into Bahasa Melayu. A recipient of the Japan Foundation Fellowship and the Sumitomo Award, she has also translated Noh plays into Bahasa Melayu. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Epigram Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":804162839,"sku":"9789810735357","price":26.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/products\/CM-Penghulu-CVF-100.jpg?v=1409041481"},{"product_id":"flowers-at-dawn","title":"Flowers at Dawn","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Author \u0026amp; Translator\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/CM-Flowers-Sample.pdf?560\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLook inside the book \u003c\/a\u003e  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e   \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/119\/Flowers-at-Dawn\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet the E-book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWar is looming when Anbarasan arrives in Singapore from Tamil Nadu in the 1940s. Stirred by charismatic Indian National Army leader Subhas Chandra Bose to take up the struggle for India’s independence, he fights alongside the Japanese against the British in Southeast Asia. In this moving novel of an early immigrant’s political and sexual awakening during World War II, \u003cem\u003eFlowers at Dawn\u003c\/em\u003e uncovers a little-known period of Singapore’s history with drama and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Cultural Medallion is Singapore’s highest cultural award, given to those who have achieved artistic excellence in the areas of literature, dance, music, theatre and art. It was instituted in 1979 to recognise individuals whose artistic excellence and commitment to the arts have enriched and made a distinction to Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape. Epigram Books’ Cultural Medallion series seeks to translate the works of Cultural Medallion winners writing in Tamil, Malay and Chinese into English. Matching writers with some of the best translators working in the field today, these books are being made available to an English-language audience for the first time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnder the pen name \u003cstrong\u003eSingai Ma Elangkannan\u003c\/strong\u003e, M. Balakrishnan has written six collections of short stories and six novels. His work has previously been translated into English and Malay, telecast on Radio Singapore and made into a television drama. A winner of both local and international short story writing competitions, Balakrishnan was the first Tamil writer to receive the S.E.A. Write Award in 1982. He has won the Tamizhavel Award (Gold), the Singapore Literature Prize and Singapore’s Cultural Medallion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA.R. Venkatachalapathy\u003c\/strong\u003e is Professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai. He has taught at universities in Tirunelveli, Chennai, Chicago, and held the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies at the National University of Singapore, as well as fellowships in Paris, Cambridge, and Harvard. Published widely, both in English and Tamil, on the social, cultural and intellectual history of colonial Tamil Nadu, he translates between English and Tamil.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Epigram Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":804163431,"sku":"9789810735364","price":26.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/products\/CM-Flowers-CVF-100.jpg?v=1409041587"},{"product_id":"the-earnest-mask","title":"The Earnest Mask","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePraise\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Author \u0026amp; Translators\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/CM-Earnest-Sample.pdf?560\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/CM-Earnest-Sample.pdf?560\"\u003eLook inside the book\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eI\u003c\/span\u003e   \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/107\/The-Earnest-Mask\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/107\/The-Earnest-Mask\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet the E-book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003eIn this Singapore Literature Prize-winning collection of stories, an aging Japanese ex-soldier, ignorant about the horrors of the Japanese Occupation, returns to Singapore for a nostalgic visit; a young boy’s sole contact with his father consists of a weekly meeting at McDonald’s; and a hopeful employee tries to win over his tumour-stricken boss with traditional Chinese medicine. Set against the backdrop of Singapore’s rapid development from the 1980s to the early 2000s, the poignant and witty stories in \u003cem\u003eThe Earnest Mask\u003c\/em\u003e peel back the veneer of official history, revealing flashes of the personal stories buried beneath.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003eThe Cultural Medallion is Singapore’s highest cultural award, given to those who have achieved artistic excellence in the areas of literature, dance, music, theatre and art. It was instituted in 1979 to recognise individuals whose artistic excellence and commitment to the arts have enriched and made a distinction to Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape. Epigram Books’ Cultural Medallion series seeks to translate the works of Cultural Medallion winners writing in Tamil, Malay and Chinese into English. Matching writers with some of the best translators working in the field today, these books are being made available to an English-language audience for the first time. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e“Extra thin, extra crisp and extraordinary...[the stories] are a good snapshot of a changing society and capture the essence of being a Singaporean.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003eRupali Karekar, \u003cem\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e“The author is a master craftsman in the experimentation of mini-fiction writing. Each work is a further expansion of the threshold of the art form. Besides being celebrated by readers for his keen observations, his stories astutely chronicle both the light moments as well as the difficult times in the forty over years of nation building. His works are like colourful mosaics that form the fabric of the Singaporean collective consciousness.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003eREAD! Singapore Programme Committee\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003eKnown by his pen name \u003cstrong\u003eXi Ni Er\u003c\/strong\u003e, Chia Hwee Pheng has received the National Book Development Council of Singapore’s Book Award, the Singapore Literature Prize, the S.E.A. Write Award and Singapore’s Cultural Medallion. He has published eight books, including the poetry collection Kidnapping Times and the fiction collection \u003cem\u003eThe\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eUnbearable Heaviness of Life\u003c\/em\u003e. He currently serves as President of the Singapore Association of Writers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHoward Goldblatt\u003c\/strong\u003e is Research Professor at the University of Notre Dame and has taught modern Chinese literature and culture for over twenty-five years. He has published English translations of more than thirty novels and story collections by writers from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. His translations have been awarded the Translation of the Year Prize from the American Literary Translators Association, and the Man Asian Literary Prize three times.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSylvia Li–chun Lin\u003c\/strong\u003e teaches modern and contemporary Chinese literature, film and culture at the University of Notre Dame. A winner of the Liang Shih–chiu Literary Translation Prize, she is the co–translator of Chu T’ien-wen’s \u003cem\u003eNotes of a Desolate Man\u003c\/em\u003e, which won the 1999 Translation of the Year Prize given by the American Literary Translators Association, as well as co-translator of Bi Feiyu’s \u003cem\u003eThree Sisters\u003c\/em\u003e, which won the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Epigram Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32206380171377,"sku":"9789810736590","price":26.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/products\/CM-Mask-CVF-100.jpg?v=1409041684"},{"product_id":"trivialities-about-me-and-myself","title":"Trivialities About Me and Myself","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePraise\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Author \u0026amp; Translator\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSelected by \u003cem\u003eAsiaweek \u003c\/em\u003eas one of the 10 Best Chinese Novels of 2006\u003cbr\u003eWinner, Singapore Literature Prize for Chinese 2008\u003cbr\u003eSelected by \u003cem\u003eThe Business Times \u003c\/em\u003eas one of the Best Books of 2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/CM-Trivialities_Sample.pdf?1240\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eLook inside the book\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e   \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/222\/Trivialities-About-Me-and-Myself\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet the E-book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Chinese protagonist of Cultural Medallion recipient Yeng Pway Ngon's novel, \u003cem\u003eTrivialities about Me and Myself\u003c\/em\u003e, is a journalist turned entrepreneur who possesses a split personality. “Me” is a figure consumed by greed and sexual desire, two impulses that undermine his careers, his two marriages, and his relationship with his son. Throughout the novel he engages in a dialogue with his other identity, the moralistic “Myself”, whose principled stances try but usually fail to win over his other half.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe protagonist’s lifetime, from childhood to his dying days in a rest home, parallels the modern history of Singapore itself and its evolution from a colonised city to a consumer-oriented nation, one in which an English-language educational system and commercial interests suppress indigenous languages and traditions. While the meticulously described action takes place in the city, the real setting is within the psyche of the narrator, whose two halves are engaged in an epic struggle for dominance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Cultural Medallion is Singapore’s highest cultural award, given to those who have achieved artistic excellence in the areas of literature, dance, music, theatre and art. It was instituted in 1979 to recognise individuals whose artistic excellence and commitment to the arts have enriched and made a distinction to Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape. Epigram Books’ Cultural Medallion series seeks to translate the works of Cultural Medallion winners writing in Tamil, Malay and Chinese into English. Matching writers with some of the best translators working in the field today, these books are being made available to an English-language audience for the first time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Translated into English for the first time, this complex and layered novel by Chinese language writer and Cultural Medallion recipient Yeng Pway Ngon centres on a protagonist whose lifelong struggles with his identity mirrors Singapore's own dilemmas\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Helmi Yusof, \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.businesstimes.com.sg\/lifestyle\/on-the-write-trek\"\u003eThe Business Times\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cspan\u003eAny struggle with morality and identity is a struggle with reality. Until now, the protagonist lives in me. It’s scary.\u003c\/span\u003e”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Anthony Waugh Koh, writer-bookseller, in “My Book of the Year”, \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/singaporepoetry.com\/2014\/12\/13\/my-book-of-the-year\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSingapore Poetry\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYeng Pway Ngon\u003c\/strong\u003e—Chinese language poet, novelist, playwright and critic—is one of Singapore's most prolific authors, having published over 25 volumes of poetry, essays, fiction, plays and literary criticism. His work is noted for its examination of the modern human condition, and has been translated into English, Malay and Dutch. Yeng received the National Book Development Council of Singapore's Book Award in 1988, and the Singapore Literature Prize in 2004, 2008 and 2012. He was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2003 for his contributions to literature in Singapore, and the SEA Write Award in 2013.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHoward Goldblatt\u003c\/strong\u003e was a Research Professor of Chinese at the University of Notre Dame from 2002-2011 and is a translator of numerous works of contemporary Chinese (mainland China \u0026amp; Taiwan) fiction, including \u003cem\u003eThe Taste of Apples\u003c\/em\u003e by Huang Chunming and \u003cem\u003eThe Execution of Mayor Yin\u003c\/em\u003e by Chen Ruoxi. Goldblatt has also translated works of Chinese novelist and 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature winner Mo Yan. Notably, his translation of six major novels and collections of stories by Mo Yan contributed to the Award granted without the knowledge of Chinese by the Committee members. His translation of \u003cem\u003eNotes of a Desolate Man\u003c\/em\u003e by Chu Tien-wen garnered a 2000 National Translation Award, and he was a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2009.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Epigram Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":877947515,"sku":"9789814615105","price":26.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/products\/CM-Trivialities-CVF-300.jpg?v=1627027813"},{"product_id":"in-time-out-of-place","title":"In Time, Out of Place","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Author \u0026amp; Translator\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for Singapore Literature Prize 2016 (English Non-Fiction)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTranslated from the Chinese by Shelly Byrant\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/YJ-InTime_SAMPLE.pdf?8287975852167376359\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/YJ-InTime_SAMPLE.pdf?8287975852167376359\"\u003eLook inside the book\u003c\/a\u003e  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e I   \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/219\/In-Time-Out-of-Place\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/219\/In-Time-Out-of-Place\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet the E-book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou Jin brings to her travel writing the same wit evident in her fiction. Whether she is trekking through the Amazon rainforest, exploring the caves of Granada with gypsy pickpockets, visiting a farm stay in Tasmania, or negotiating for a horsehair-lacquer cup in Myanmar, she is adept at weaving a whimsical incident into a compelling and amusing narrative. Her trademark spirited humour brings to life the vastness of the globe we inhabit, as well as more intimate encounters with the people she meets along the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eYou Jin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e has published more than 150 books in Chinese in Singapore, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Malaysia. These include novels, short story collections, travelogues and essays. She is the first recipient of both the Singapore Chinese Literary Award and the Montblanc-NUS Centre for the Arts Literary Award. She received the Zhong Shan Literary Award in 2010 and Singapore’s Cultural Medallion in 2009.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShelly Bryant\u003c\/strong\u003e is the translator of Chew Kok Chang’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/epigrambookshop.xyz\/products\/other-cities-other-lives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eOther Cities, Other Lives\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, published by Epigram Books, and Sheng Keyi’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNorthern Girls\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, which was published by Penguin Books and longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize. She is also the author of four volumes of poetry and two travel guides on Suzhou and Shanghai. \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eHer translations of Sheng Keyi’s novel \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDeath Fugue\u003c\/em\u003e for Giramondo Press in Australia, and tennis player Li Na’s memoirs for Penguin Books, are forthcoming.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Epigram Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":1270899519,"sku":"9789814615044","price":26.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/products\/CM-YJ-InTime-CVF-300.jpg?v=1429863553"},{"product_id":"the-widower","title":"The Widower","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePraise\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/223\/The-Widower\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for Singapore Literature Prize 2016 (English Fiction)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/CM-Widower_sample.pdf?7422114515897709718\"\u003eLook inside the book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e   \u003cspan\u003eI\u003c\/span\u003e   \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/farisbooks.com\/book\/223\/The-Widower\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet the E-book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFormer political detainee and professor Pak Karman loses his wife in a car accident. The intensity of his mourning causes him to become untethered from his sanity. As reality, memory and fantasy become more and more blurred, he must come to terms with his past actions before his grief overwhelms him completely. Mohamed Latiff Mohamed’s novel, hailed as a landmark in modernist Malay fiction, is an unsettling tale of psychic disintegration and obsessive love. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e“Latiff’s writings are suffused with universal humanism and a rich lyricism. A powerful writer, he is also one of Singapore’s most distinguished and lauded writers. An outstanding literary talent.”\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—National Arts Council, \u003ci\u003eCultural Medallion \u0026amp; Young \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eArtist Award 2013\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“The novel is dense, feverish and emotional - and it probably speaks most clearly to someone who's suffered a similar loss... Latiff takes a slice of history and hops into the rabbit hole, that strange and wonderful place where creative imaginations are fed.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Helmi Yusof, \u003cem\u003eThe Business Times \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Widower\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e also effectively critiques present-day society - specifically (without getting overtly specific ...) in Singapore, but also in countries that have modernised (and not) in similar fashion. By making it a very personal tale, about loss at its most personal and intimate, Mohamed can unobtrusively stretch his subject-matter and make it a much more far-reaching tale. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStylistically impressive and compact, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Widower\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a striking little work.\u003c\/span\u003e”\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e M.A.Orthofer,\u003cem\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.complete-review.com\/reviews\/singapore\/mohamedml.htm\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Complete Review\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He is a writer committed to concrete and moral realism, yet very pronounced in playing with the imageries of satire and symbolism so as to create a literature worthy to be named as emblematic of human conscience against dehumanisation. His commitment to address the community’s spiritual, psychological, historical and moral needs is undisputed. To acknowledge this is the start of recognising a literature to build humanity, and Latiff is surely one of its master builders.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Dr Azhar Ibrahim, Lecturer in Malay Studies, National University of Singapore\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMohamed Latiff Mohamed\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of the most prolific writers to come after the first generation of writers in the Singapore Malay literary scene. His many accolades include the Montblanc-NUS Centre for the Arts Literary Award (1998), the SEA Write award (2002), the Tun Seri Lanang Award, Malay Language Council Singapore, Ministry of Communication, Information and Arts (2003), the National Arts Council Special Recognition Award (2009), the Cultural Medallion (2013), and the Singapore Literature Prize in 2004, 2006 and 2008. His works revolve around the life and struggles of the Malay community in post-independence Singapore, and have been translated into Chinese, English, German and Korean.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Epigram Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":1756451395,"sku":"9789814615129","price":26.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/products\/CM-widower-CVF-300.jpg?v=1627027004"}],"url":"https:\/\/epigrambookshop.xyz\/collections\/cultural-medallion-by-epigram-books-fiction.oembed","provider":"Epigram","version":"1.0","type":"link"}