閱讀雨天

Advocates and activists in Singapore contribute to policy discussions and positive change through a combination of deft manoeuvres and patient politics. Yet civil society is often unacknowledged, their skill and labour instead frequently misunderstood, even earning them the label of “troublemakers” or “enemies of the state.”

This collection of essays and interviews is a candid reflection on the intentions, beliefs and strategies behind the practice of advocacy across a spectrum of causes. The contributors come from varying backgrounds and include academics, artists, lawyers, journalists, non-profit and advocacy organisations, student and community organisers. They share practical insights into their aims and community-building work, and the tactics they employ to overcome obstacles, shedding light on how to navigate a city-state with shifting socio-political fault lines and out-of-bound markers.

With an introduction, “It is Time to Trim the Banyan Tree”, by Constance Singam, and a conclusion, “Their Struggle is Ours to Continue”, by Suraendher Kumarr.

Ethos Books has also partnered with the Community for Advocacy and Political Education (CAPE) to produce The CAPE Handbook to Advocacy in Singapore. Authored by CAPE and produced by Ethos Books, this concise guide dispels misconceptions and offers practical action steps, easing readers into strategies for effective advocacy and activism in the city-state.

Contributors: Alex Au, Alfian Sa’at, The Community for Advocacy and Political Education (CAPE), Cherian George, Corinna Lim, Disabled People’s Association, Irie Aman, Kenneth Paul Tan, Kirsten Han, Ng Kok Hoe, Pink Dot, Reetaza Chatterjee, Remy Choo, SG Climate Rally, Suraendher Kumarr, Thirunalan Sasitharan, Walid Jumblatt Bin Abdullah

Disability is all around us—among people we meet, the media, sports, our own family and friends. Undeniably, all of us have or will one day come to experience or encounter disability. But how can we reckon with the realities of those who live with disability, or its reality in our own lives? In a city-state slowly moving towards inclusion, how do those meant to be 'included' feel about such efforts? Not Without Us: perspectives on disability and inclusion in Singapore is a groundbreaking collection of essays that takes a creative and critical disability studies approach to centre disability, and rethink the ways in which we research, analyse, think and know about disability in our lives. Across multiple domains and perspectives, the writings in this volume consider what it means to live with disability in a purportedly inclusive and accessible Singapore.

(Book cover description: The central visual of the cover is a photo. This photo, taken by photographer Isabelle Lim, is of two performers in the centre of a spacious room, where the wall and floor are both decorated with brown and gold patterns. The foreground is lit by a bright yet warm light, which illuminates the side profiles of the two men against the blackness behind them. Closer to the camera is the rapper Wheelsmith. Clad in a mustard  yellow cap and blue denim jacket, he is riding his wheelchair toward the left of the picture. At a slight distance behind him, and in the midst of walking in the opposite direction, is fellow rapper ShiGGa Shay, sporting an orange, white, and blue puffer jacket and a bun of electric blue hair."

On the book cover, this photo is accompanied by the Book title "Not Without Us" in all-capitals, beige text against the black background on the top of the photo. The subtitle in small caps "perspectives on disability and inclusion in Singapore" is printed in the center-right of the book cover. In the black background of the photo are light blue lines in the shape of Wheelsmith's and Shigga Shay's silhouettes, layered and expanding towards the top of the book cover to amplify their poses in the photo. The editors' byline is at the bottom of the book cover in black text.)

“This is a pathbreaking book. Not Without Us weaves together a rich fabric of voices exploring the politics and poetics of disability in Singapore. Moving between lived reality, representation and struggles for social transformation, the collection excavates hidden or forgotten pasts, documents struggles and community formation in the present, and hints at possible futures. The essay collection challenges contemporary discourses of and scholarship on disability in Singapore by centring disabled subjectivities. In the process, it opens up new spaces of empathy, praxis and critique.” —Philip Holden, Independent Scholar and Counsellor 

"It warms my heart to see another book on disability through the Asian lens. Not just any book or author, but a plethora of contributors who are leaders in the Singaporean disability scene. The tapestry of all the essays inspires the imagination to how we can truly create a place that all of us can call home. Inclusion isn’t just keeping the token seat available, or inviting someone disabled to the party, but truly paving the way forward for all of us to celebrate each other as individuals in all our different shapes, sizes and colours. Thank you Not Without Us for so eloquently celebrating ‘Nothing about us, without us’!" —Cassandra Chiu, Psychotherapist; Social Advocate and Author of A Place For Us

"Not Without Us is a richly edited and profoundly written collection of essays about disability in Singapore. It is part of a new and fresh movement to provide local knowledges and global perspectives to a field that has been for too long grounded in the West, particularly the US and the UK. The book will be extremely valuable not only to readers in Singapore but also to those throughout the world who seek a broader perspective on significant issues in disability studies, arts, policy and activism." —Lennard J. Davis, Distinguished Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois in Chicago

A glittering, bold, darkly funny novel about two sisters—one in New York, one in Singapore—who are bound by an ancient secret.

Sisterhood is difficult for Su and Emerald. Su leads a sheltered, moneyed life as the picture-perfect wife of a conservative politician in Singapore. Emerald is a nihilistic sugar baby in New York, living from whim to whim and using her charms to make ends meet. But they share a secret: once, they were snakes, basking under a full moon in Tang dynasty China.

A thousand years later, their mysterious history is the only thing still binding them together. When Emerald experiences a violent encounter in Central Park and Su boards the next flight to New York, the two reach a tenuous reconciliation for the first time in decades. Su convinces Emerald to move to Singapore so she can keep an eye on her—but she soon begins to worry that Emerald’s irrepressible behaviour will out them both, in a sparkling, affluent city where everything runs like clockwork and any deviation from the norm is automatically suspect.

Razor-sharp, hilarious, and raw in emotion, Sister Snake, a reimagining of The Legend of the White Snake, is a novel about being seen for who you are—and, ultimately, how to live free.

“Amanda Lee Koe’s tale of serpentine sisterhood will wend its way into your heart. Drawing equally from folklore and current events, this fearless novel entertains and delights. Beneath its beguiling surface, Sister Snake explores fundamental questions: Are our destinies determined by our bodies? What forms can family take? And what, in the end, does it mean to be human?”
—Rajesh Parameswaran, author of I Am An Executioner

 “I have had nothing bad happen to me except my own doing. I have let this cowardice envelop me, and I can’t shake it off. I will commit the worst thing you can ever do to someone who loves you: killing yourself. The scary thing is, I’m okay with that.” —Victoria McLeod, Singapore, March 30, 2014

Loss Adjustment is a mother’s recount of her 17-year-old daughter’s suicide.

In the wake of Victoria McLeod’s passing, she left behind a remarkable journal in her laptop of the final four months of her life. Linda Collins, her mother, has woven these into her memoir, which is at once cohesive, yet fragmented, reflecting a survivor's state of mind after devastating loss.

Loss Adjustment involves the endless whys, the journey of Linda Collins and her husband in honouring Victoria, and the impossible question of what drove their daughter to this irretrievable act. A stunningly intimate portrait of loss and grief, Loss Adjustment is a breaking of silence—a book whose face society cannot turn away from.

　　2013年，於曉丹帶著年幼的女兒離開中國，遠渡重洋來到了陌生的國度，新加坡。這一年，她剛從職場退居，正式成為了眾多陪讀媽媽大軍中的一員。

　　每年八月，新加坡一年一度的重量級PSLE考試季陸續開始。看著一批又一批還稍顯稚嫩的孩童走出考場，你是否想過在備考時只有學習的枯燥日子中，他們走的每一步都是為了成為更好的自己？本書就是這樣一本以日記的形式，揭開媽媽與孩子從考試的一年前就「共同」備戰和經歷會考的書。

　　本書分為七輯：PSLE備戰、生活、興趣班、DSA、經典誦讀、電腦網絡和手機、情緒。文中記錄和描寫著媽媽和女兒親密陪伴的成長經歷，但也映射出千千萬萬對有著相似經歷的母女和家庭。在相同的社會時代背景下，孕育著許多看似不同卻又相似的家庭，而作為社會和家庭中梁砥柱的中年父母們，無法規避任何社會的浪潮，更無法迴避孩子的自然成長，父母和孩子只能勇往直前。然而，只要我們願意，就可以改變前路上的一點點。

　　作者記錄了快兩年的日記中，都是和女兒在小六生活、學習中經歷的點點滴滴，有奮鬥，有焦慮，有矛盾，有吵鬧，有親情，也有友情，有天下父母對子女共通的愛和關懷，這些都如實地譜寫成一段深刻難忘的成長歲月。

作者簡介

　　於曉丹，2002年畢業於大連工業大學化學工程專業，2013年來到新加坡工作、學習和生活。自2009年開始關注並熱愛兒童教育和家庭教育，堅信每個孩子都是好孩子，每個父母都可以成為更好的父母。熱愛中國書法，是2021年新加坡書法協會第35屆「陳景昭書法獎」獲獎者， 「王才貴讀經教育」的踐行者和推廣者。

In This Together: Singapore’s Covid-19 Story is a dramatic insider account of the first two years of the pandemic.

It is a story of suffering and resilience, of miscalculation and foresight, and of grumbling yet cooperation.

The book is written by journalists of The Straits Times who have been in the thick of covering the ongoing crisis.

More than 300 people were interviewed, including the President of Singapore, the Prime Minister, business owners and survivors of the disease.

Through their recollections, the book chronicles how the country came together to fight the virus, even as everyone has had to stay resolutely apart while doing so.

　　尤今不喜歡板著面孔說教，她愛說故事，《親愛的青蛙》一書便說了數十則趣然盎然的故事。這些以糖霜為外衣的小故事，每一則都是別有用心地包裹著“教育”這餡料的。

　　生活對於她來說，不是複印似的刻板、不是錄音似的單調。每天一睜開眼，心里便有了憧憬、期盼、嚮往，因為在屋里屋外，在或許陰暗或許明亮的角落裡，有著無數無數的驚喜在靜靜地等待著，等待她去發現、去發掘。

　　全書共分四輯。

　　第一輯〈青蛙的話〉，敘述了16則有關家庭教育的小故事；第二輯〈人生隧道〉，收錄了16則別具深意的勵志小品；第三輯〈織字成衣〉，給讀者編織了18襲有關教學與創作的彩衣；第四輯〈犛牛精神〉開了17個窗口，讓讀者窺探外面繽紛的世界。趣味盎然的故事中，含著寓意深刻的啟示。別具深意的啟示裡，藏著面目斑斕的故事。

　　《左左和右右》是新加坡著名繪本作家餘廣達的最新作品，也是他特地為愛讀華文書的少年讀者創作的華文繪本。

　　繪本通過既有趣又動人的故事，講述兩個好玩伴、好同學、好朋友的友情故事。在繪本中，一個女孩叫左左，一個男孩叫右右，左左和右右是同班同學，也是鄰居，但是因為家中大人不和睦，媽媽們常常吵架，放學後他們無法快樂地在一起玩耍、一起學習。右右只能在右邊玩，往右邊上學、回家，在右邊活動；左左只能在左邊玩，往左邊上學、回家，在左邊活動。

　　後來，因為家庭變故，兩家人匆匆搬走，他們失散了。十多年後，, 是什麼原因讓他們重逢呢？本書通過美麗的圖畫和文字，帶你進入溫馨的左左和右右的世界。

　　好問、好學的小女孩寧寧，帶著她心愛的「魔術」小青蛙，和家人一起去看一個展覽。在小青蛙的引領下，寧寧「回到從前」，通過與甘榜居民的交流，體驗新加坡建國初期鄉村人以務農為主的生活，以及可貴的甘榜精神。這段奇異的時光旅程使在城市長大的寧寧更加貼近鄉野，在菜園、果園、膠林裡認識農產品與食物、用品之間的關係，並在“重返現實”後，向媽媽了解獅城甘榜的新模式。

　　且讓我們通過悅目的圖畫、清新的文字，走進《寧寧遊甘榜》奇異、溫馨的故事，感受甘榜的魅力。

作者簡介

　　虎威原名黃虛懷，在牛車水長大，從小喜歡畫畫和寫作。曾領獎學金到英國劍橋大學唸書，畢業後回新加坡當建築師。後來又得獎學金，再次到英國留學，並獲約克大學古蹟保留碩士學位。曾負責我國多項公共建築的保留與修復工程。

　　多年來勤於寫作，是《聯合早報》專欄作者。著作包括獲選為 2012 年「讀吧！新加坡」讀物的散文攝影集《飛來飛去》。自 2015 年起創作繪本，作品有由《外公的小房間》《三輪車跑得快》《小熊的新衣》所組成的「牛車水三部曲」，以及《寧寧遊甘榜》。

　　是新加坡教育部推廣華文學習委員會「駐校作家計劃」的作家之一，於多所初級學院及中學指導學生寫散文。亦多次受邀在新加坡作家節、新加坡閱讀節、亞洲少兒讀物節中演講，並在國家藝術理事會的“文字出遊”計劃及出版社玲子傳媒的安排下，於多所中小學為學生們講故事，做活動，推廣其繪本的閱讀。

　　因為新冠疫情的影響，我期待已久的童子軍露營活動被取消了。

　　我心裡難過極了，更偷偷地哭了起來。

　　後來，經過爸爸和媽媽的解說，

　　我開始意識到這次疫情的由來與嚴重性。

　　我決定為這次的疫情做出一些力所能及的事情，

　　於是，我就和妹妹製作了一張海報，希望在防疫期間，能夠有助於同學們提高對正確洗手和個人衛生方面的意識。

　　沒想到，同學們的反應，又讓我落下淚來……

　　好問、好學的小女孩寧寧，和她心愛的魔術小青蛙坐駁船遊新加坡河時，穿越時空回到從前。她見識到駁船運貨到海上輪船的景象，也看見了河里和岸上不同於今日的風光。河水很髒，河上有很多船，岸上有許多苦力。從前的橋和建築物有些依然存在，有些已經消失，而寧寧去的大海，現在已變成了蓄水池。這一切到底是怎麼回事呢？請和寧寧一同探索新加坡母親河的現在和從前，了解它的歷史和轉變，認識它的橋樑和建築。

　　本書是本地建築師兼作家虎威（原名黃虛懷）的最新繪本。虎威（原名黃虛懷）於2006年開始創作繪本，至今已出版“牛車水三部曲”之《外公的小房間》《三輪車跑得快》《小熊的新衣》，以及“重新探索新加坡”之《寧寧遊甘榜》《寧寧遊新加坡河》。 《小熊的新衣》入選國際權威書目“白烏鴉書選 2020”。

作者簡介

　　本地建築師兼作家虎威（原名黃虛懷）於2006年開始創作繪本，至今已出版“牛車水三部曲”之《外公的小房間》《三輪車跑得快》《小熊的新衣》，以及“重新探索新加坡”之《寧寧遊甘榜》《寧寧遊新加坡河》。 《小熊的新衣》入選國際權威書目“白烏鴉書選 2020”。

　　虎威多年來為《聯合早報》《源》寫專欄，也是新加坡教育部推廣華文學習委員會「駐校作家計劃」的作家之一。他多次受邀在新加坡作家節、新加坡閱讀節、亞洲少兒讀物節中演講，並在國家藝術理事會的「文字出遊」計劃及出版社玲子傳媒的安排下，到多所中、小學為學生們分享其繪本豐富而有趣的內容，廣受歡迎。

　　虎威早年在英國劍橋大學攻讀建築學，獲榮譽學位。其後，又往英國約克大學深造，獲保留古蹟碩士學位。曾負責我國多座公共建築的保留與修復。

　　《放逐與追逐》以主角福良的成長為主線，以他的成長歷程帶出他身邊每一個人物或自我放逐或被社會環境放逐的故事，以及他們莊嚴可敬的追求。小說中的人物有不同的成長背景，當中有華校生（福良、小願、弟仔），有英校生（Eileen、Alan、Steven）、有印尼華僑（秋雲）、有流落新加坡的滿清皇族（傅渟）、有中國南來的移民（福良的父母、小願的父母），但不論是什麼背景，他們都不能幸免地或自我放逐，或被社會環境放逐；在放逐中，他們卻又努力不懈地追求各自的理想。

Filled with evocative archival photographs and vivid snapshots of the modern city, Singapore Trails: Singapore River Walk & Jubilee Walk uncovers the island’s rich past and vibrant present via two specially curated walking trails.

This handy guidebook brings together two trails in the heart of the city: the Singapore River Walk, which traces Singapore’s path from a bustling 19th-century port to a modern city, and the Jubilee Walk, created to mark key milestones in Singapore’s nation-building as it celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence in 2015.

These storied paths take readers on a journey not simply through Singapore’s civic district, but through her rich and multifaceted past.

With this guide in hand, tourists, foreign residents, and locals alike will enjoy finding out more about Singapore on foot.