Books: Ratna Damayanti Taha’s debut novel ‘Mind the Gap’ awarded 2026 Epigram Books Fiction Prize

The Amara Hotel ballroom is not where literary glamour usually lives. On this January evening, there are no red carpets or flashing cameras, just round tables, polite applause, and the low hum of people who care deeply about books. Editors, writers, publishers, teachers, and industry figures fill the room. It feels, fittingly, like what Edmund Wee later calls “the book ecosystem”. “It is quiet, unglamorous … Continue reading Books: Ratna Damayanti Taha’s debut novel ‘Mind the Gap’ awarded 2026 Epigram Books Fiction Prize

Books: Epigram Books reveals lineup of children’s books and strong local voices in first half of 2026

Despite a shrinking local publishing scene, Epigram Books is doubling down on children’s literature and distinctive non-fiction in the first half of 2026, unveiling nine new titles that span picture books, middle-grade adventures, history, memoir and food culture. Speaking at a media engagement, Epigram founder Edmund Wee framed the new lineup against what he described as a sobering reality for Singapore publishing. With several presses … Continue reading Books: Epigram Books reveals lineup of children’s books and strong local voices in first half of 2026

By The Book: Epigram Books reveals longlist of authors for 2025 Epigram Books Fiction Prize; names and synopses of works to be revealed later on

When the Epigram Books Fiction Prize (EBFP) first opened its doors to Southeast Asian writers in 2019, few could have predicted how swiftly the region would rise to claim its space in English-language fiction. Now, six years later, the 2026 longlist tells a powerful story: half of the eight authors hail from beyond Singapore’s borders, from Brunei, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Thailand, marking a new chapter … Continue reading By The Book: Epigram Books reveals longlist of authors for 2025 Epigram Books Fiction Prize; names and synopses of works to be revealed later on

Arts of Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair 2023 – a haven for the independent publishing scene at a bigger venue with record 112 exhibitors

KUALA LUMPUR – The art book fair has slowly but surely grown into one of the most exciting festival circuits to get on board, expanding out from the West to Asia. Representing the fervent spirit of independent creation and innovation amidst an increasingly uniform world, there is a fierce passion that accompanies every regional variant of the fair, regardless of the city it’s held in, … Continue reading Arts of Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair 2023 – a haven for the independent publishing scene at a bigger venue with record 112 exhibitors

Arts of Malaysia: KL Art Book Fair 2023

KUALA LUMPUR – Returning for its third edition, the eagerly awaited Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair (KLABF) will bring a mammoth line-up of independent publishers, artists, rare art books, exclusive collectibles and programmes to the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) from 8 to 10 December 2023. Sprawling over 7,000 square feet of exhibition space, the three-day KLABF 2023 will transform KLSCAH into … Continue reading Arts of Malaysia: KL Art Book Fair 2023

A Boey and His Dogs: An Interview with Daniel Boey on writing and curating dog rescue stories with ‘We Adopted Too!’

Daniel Boey loves dogs. From growing up with his beloved Ah Hock, to adopting his first rescue dog Leia, Daniel is a proud paw-rent to all his fur children, and has dedicated his life to bettering theirs. Besides treating them like family, spending quality time with them and giving them well-deserved rewards, he’s also constantly advocating for animal rights across Singapore in the way he … Continue reading A Boey and His Dogs: An Interview with Daniel Boey on writing and curating dog rescue stories with ‘We Adopted Too!’

By The Book: An Interview with Karim Alwadi, co-author of new book ‘ChinaPhobia – A Wasted Opportunity’

Entrepreneur Karim Alwadi is a man of multiple cultures. Born in Damascus to a Syrian father and a Russian mother, he moved to Moscow in high school, and then to China when he was 18. Since then, he’s received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in International Relations, focusing on Sino Arab Relations, at Ren Min University, and a PhD in International Politics from China Foreign … Continue reading By The Book: An Interview with Karim Alwadi, co-author of new book ‘ChinaPhobia – A Wasted Opportunity’

By The Book: ChinaPhobia – A Wasted Opportunity by Karim Alwadi and Mohammad Kheir Alwadi

A lecture in book form by father-son experts in Sino relations. Dr Karim Alwadi is an entrepreneur and political scientist based in Beijing. His father, Dr Mohammed Kheir Alwadi, is an acclaimed journalist and former ambassador from Syria to China. Together, the two men’s shared knowledge and experiences span enough material to co-author a book, something they’ve done over the last three years, resulting in … Continue reading By The Book: ChinaPhobia – A Wasted Opportunity by Karim Alwadi and Mohammad Kheir Alwadi

By The Book: An Interview with Jeanette Winterson, author of ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit’, ‘Frankissstein’ and ’12 Bytes’ (Singapore Writers’ Festival 2022)

Jeanette Winterson is constantly upgrading. Snagging her claim to fame with her 1985 novel Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit (which she penned at just 25 years old), Winterson has gone on to write thirteen novels for adults, two collections of short stories, as well as children’s books, non-fiction and screenplays. Her latest work, 12 Bytes, sees the acclaimed author dive deeper into her latest pet … Continue reading By The Book: An Interview with Jeanette Winterson, author of ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit’, ‘Frankissstein’ and ’12 Bytes’ (Singapore Writers’ Festival 2022)

By The Book: An Interview with Jia Tolentino, author of bestselling essay collection ‘Trick Mirror’ (Singapore Writers’ Festival 2022)

A staff writer for The New Yorker, and former deputy editor of Jezebel and a contributing editor at The Hairpin, Jia Tolentino is something of a contemporary essayist superstar; her debut, award-winning essay collection Trick Mirror (2019), becoming an instant New York Times bestseller and named one of the best books of the year by the New York Public Library, the New York Times Book … Continue reading By The Book: An Interview with Jia Tolentino, author of bestselling essay collection ‘Trick Mirror’ (Singapore Writers’ Festival 2022)