Epigram

Sequel to There Is No Such Thing as a Skinny Bibik, longlisted for the 2021 Epigram Books Fiction Prize.

Nonya Charlie has found love, or so she thinks.

Rebel that she is, Charlie Neo has chosen love over her family when she decides to leave Singapore and move to Penang to be with her ex-spy boyfriend. Charlie struggles to build a new life, working various jobs, including the role as assistant for a TV news anchor, and reuniting with a grandaunt who is her own brand of hot-blooded bibik. She becomes embroiled in a kidnapping of two genius hackers and gets into trouble involving money laundering, sending her running back to her Peranakan roots.

Longlisted for the 2021 Epigram Books Fiction Prize

Charlie has always been too tall, too skinny and too wild to ever be considered a proper nyonya. Her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are always looking on in disapproval, yet Charlie knows she must follow her heart in career and in love. That becomes complicated when three men fight for her affection, a major smuggling ring must be investigated and the paparazzi cannot get enough of her!

A pair of twins tries desperately to survive their education. A sentient oyster ponders the concept of making time. An unemployed man devises a social experiment with ants. A runaway sees a vision. From the 1990’s to a future where people access information through chips implanted in their heads, from the Singaporean heartland to London, San Francisco and the moon, these stories hold in tension the strangeness of displacement and a deep yearning for connection in their relentless search for who and what to call home.

Those Who Can’t, Teach turns the spotlight on the madcap lives of teachers and students in a typical secondary school in Singapore. As the teachers struggle daily to nurture and groom, the students prefer to hang out and “chillax”. With upskirting and Facebooking, griping and politicking, school takes on a whole new meaning as the colourful characters struggle to prove that those who can, teach. 

Written by Singapore’s most prolific playwright Haresh Sharma, Those Who Can’t, Teach was first staged by The Necessary Stage in 1990 to critical acclaim. Twenty years later, Sharma revisits this classic to revitalise it for the Singapore Arts Festival 2010, transforming it into a powerful portrayal of the pressures and challenges facing teachers (and students) in schools in the 21st century.

🎁 Recommended for ages 3 and above

Tiko and his toy lizard are inseparable, until he chances upon a real lizard. Tiko traps it, names it Dragon and convinces his parents that he’s responsible enough to look after it. But keeping an outdoor lizard as an indoor pet requires dedication, and Tiko is too distracted by computer games. Now, what is to become of poor Dragon?

A vibrantly illustrated portrayal of childhood antics and a reminder of pet responsibility.

A new whimsical series puts an imaginative spin on age-old idioms.

In this first book of our new series, I Love Idioms, Tilly’s friends pay her a visit, only to find her under the weather—literally! Poor Tilly, she’s in bed, miserable under the dark, brooding clouds and cold, menacing rain. Her friends rally to rescue her. But can they weather the storm to help?

A fun and creative story with quirky illustrations that teaches children the meaning of the idiom “under the weather”.

Winner of Singapore Book Awards 2022 (Best Audiobook)

Timothy Pong has enough trouble at home without throwing his first year of secondary school into the mix. The Pong family only interact with each other through digital machines rather than human contact. Twelve-year-old Timothy is too young to own a phone, according to his mum, so he hasn’t actually spoken to his family in years as he can’t WhatsApp his parents or Snapchat his older sister.

Even worse, the most menacing bully in school, who also just happens to be the prettiest girl Timothy has ever seen, has plucked him out as her new favourite target. Luckily, Timothy has a few ideas up his sleeve to survive Secondary One, as well as the help of his undernourished friend Rudy, who, when not helping Timothy, can be found eating grass in the school field.

When their first plan goes horribly wrong and Timothy is caught on camera with his pants down – the most embarrassing three minutes of fame ever, the two friends must up their game if they’re to expose the conniving Bella, ace their Science project, and learn how an old-fashioned camera they first mistook for a hairdryer might be the answer to their prayers.

Longlisted for the Epigram Books Fiction Prize 2020

In this dystopian KL, a faceless corporation manages the city and hope is as toxic as the air.

Abandoned by his father, 19-year-old Zachary Ti learns to fend for himself in the new, gritty world of KL, a district overrun by tinheads that are issuing capital punishment for the slightest of offences. When he accidentally kills two of the cyborgs, Zach is forced to join an elite rebel faction whose methods are more than questionable. Soon he is sent back into the fray of KL—but this time he is a wanted man.

Winner for the 2024 Singapore Book Awards (Best Illustrated, Non-Fiction)

Explore Singapore’s identity presented on stage with this complete, detailed look at Wild Rice’s beginnings and canonical plays.

A true labour of love, Twenty Years of Wild Rice celebrates all the magic and mayhem, the joy and the passion that have gone into Wild Rice's past 20 years of making theatre for and about Singapore.

Packed with intimate insights, thought-provoking interviews, archival photographs, behind-the-scenes stories and more, this full colour visual journey is one book no theatre lover should do without.

🎁 Recommended for ages 3 and above

When Yusuf is told to do a show-and-tell activity on his family's favourite colours, he is unsure if he should ask Uncle Daniel, who is blind. But Yusuf soon learns that Uncle Daniel knows of many colours; he even has a favourite. Guess what it is!  An engaging story that helps to create awareness of the blind and visually impaired.

🎁Recommended for ages 7 and above

Winner of Singapore Book Awards 2018, Best Middle Grade/Young Adult Title

How can you tell if someone is Eurasian? What is Eurasian food? Is kaya a “Eurasian jam”? We provide the answers—and useful tips as well—to some of the most-asked questions young Singaporeans have about Eurasians, including why we don’t have a “Eurasiatown”.

Why Do Eurasians Love Sugee Cake? is part of a series of four illustrated handbooks, each with 20 questions and answers to promote understanding of the different races and cultures in Singapore. 

🎁Recommended for ages 7 and above

Winner of Singapore Book Awards 2018, Best Middle Grade/Young Adult Title

Why do Indians hang mango leaves in doorways? Why is it called a mama shop? Where does roti prata come from? We provide the answers—and useful tips as well—to some of the most-asked questions young Singaporeans have about the Indian community, including why some Indians wear turbans.

Why Do Indians Dot Their Foreheads? is part of a series of four illustrated handbooks, each with 20 questions and answers to promote understanding of the different races and cultures in Singapore.

🎁Recommended for ages 7 and above

Winner of Singapore Book Awards 2018, Best Middle Grade/Young Adult Title

Why do Malays use “bin” and “binte” in their names? Why are there two Hari Rayas? Why do women cover their heads? We provide the answers—and useful tips as well—to some of the most-asked questions young Singaporeans have about the Malay community, including why green is special to Malays.

Why Do Malays Avoid Pork? is part of a series of four illustrated handbooks, each with 20 questions and answers to promote understanding of the different races and cultures in Singapore.

🎁Recommended for ages 7 and above

Winner of Singapore Book Awards 2018, Best Middle Grade/Young Adult Title

Why do the Chinese eat noodles at wedding dinners? Why do they hang blankets around HDB void decks after a funeral? Why is Chinatown called “cow car water”? We provide the answers— and useful tips as well—to some of the most-asked questions young Singaporeans have about the Chinese, including what a “red tortoise cake” is.

Why Do the Chinese Shout “Yam Seng”? is part of a series of four illustrated handbooks, each with 20 questions and answers to promote understanding of the different races and cultures in Singapore.

Finalist for the 2025 Epigram Books Fiction Prize

A mythic historical novel by two-time Singapore Literature Prize winner.

Utama reimagines the rise of Sang Nila Utama through the eyes of those who shaped his path— exiles, warriors and queens. From the Chola invasion to a fateful sea crossing, ambition and betrayal forge an empire. As dragons fall and a sea goddess awakens, the Lion City is born.

🎁 Recommended for kids aged 6 and up!

Wei Wei can’t tie his shoelaces, or so he says. He just won’t do it until he is rewarded with cake! Now, tying shoelaces is easy; indeed, it’s a piece of cake—literally! But things get out of hand when Wei Wei gets everyone to do his chores in exchange for some cake.

With a clever twist and memorable illustrations, Book 3 in the series I Love Idioms teaches children the meaning of “a piece of cake”.

Two teenagers become Earth's only hope to save it from alien domination.

Classmates Wen and Giri find themselves on the planet Ghaert, waiting to stand trial for Earth’s war and climate atrocities. But as the teens hope for an honest hearing, the conniving councillor Nickeolo schemes to enslave the human race and take over the universe! Saving humanity is now in Wen and Giri's hands.

Celtuce? Fingerroot? Tatsoi? If you've never heard of these produce names, local chef Pamelia Chia is here to help.

Wet markets promise charm and authenticity that supermarkets and online grocers cannot replicate. Local chef Pamelia Chia explores uncommonly used vegetables, fruits and herbs found in Singapore wet markets, using over 80 recipes to bring out their unique flavours and textures. Writing in a frank and easy-to-read manner, Pamelia shares stories from wet-market vendors, memories of grocery shopping with her mother and how each ingredient inspires her to push the boundaries of local cooking.

Shortlisted for Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2022

Recommended for ages 3 and above

A little boy’s life is filled with wonder with his new-found kite. Worried that the wind might blow his kite away, he keeps it close. But kites are meant to fly, so the boy flies his kite...only to have the wind carry it away. Will the boy ever be the same again? A beautifully illustrated book about the what-ifs in life.

Three Singaporean university students in London, as unalike as can be, become roommates and then fast friends. Over three winters in the mid-2010s, Gigi, Yi-En and Clare rely on each other in the face of trauma and big, scary life changes. When news comes of Clare’s disappearance, Gigi and En take a road trip to the countryside to retrace the path of her final days. What We Learned from Driving in Winter explores how we are able to live with tragedy with a little help from our friends.

🎁Recommended for ages 3 and above

Winner, Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2013
Selected for the National Library Board's READ! Singapore 2012

Luke is a little different from other boys his age. His best friend is his Grandma. They would do everything together—walking to school, strolling in the park, and playing in the playground. That was before Grandma’s fall. Everything changed after that. She lost her way in the neighbourhood she has lived in for over twenty years. She even forgot Luke’s name. Edmund Lim tells a poignant story of how one boy copes with losing his beloved Grandma to Alzheimer’s disease only to discover something more powerful. Tan Zi Xi’s sensitive illustrations capture the pathos brilliantly.

All her life, Audrey has done what is expected of her, following her father’s footsteps into the civil service, the “iron rice bowl” of Singapore. When a chance opportunity arises to attend a writing retreat in the Wonju mountains of South Korea, she grabs it, not knowing what to expect. Unexplainable things soon start happening to her, while a long-buried memory surfaces, threatening to unravel her calm and carefully-orchestrated world.

What does it take to be a doctor?

Divya, Yao Quan, Paul, Samantha and Shafia come from vastly different backgrounds but are aiming for the same goal: to graduate from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in NUS as doctors. They hear it's not easy. It's not just difficult tests and a substantial syllabus they have to face; they're learning every day that the things they deal with are quite literally a matter of life and death.

Written for both prospective students and the public, White Coat Tales is a fresh, honest look at the struggles they face as they earn their white coats and take on the mantle of doctor.

*With a foreword by Founder, Chairman and CEO Lei Jun on Xiaomi's tenth anniversary.

Since 2010, Xiaomi has taken the world by storm, going from a smartphone startup to a consumer electronics giant that became the youngest company to make the Fortune Global 500 list. Xiaomi: From Ten to Infinity goes behind the scenes to uncover the company's unique approach to management and business strategy, and how it leveraged the changes in the Chinese domestic consumer market to build a large, loyal following among the youths. Award winning biographer and financial journalist Fan Haitao takes us through the never-before-revealed triumphs and struggles that Xiaomi underwent along the way.

A bestseller in the original Chinese, now translated into English for the first time, the book is an illuminating look at one of the biggest names in tech to watch today.