English literature When Singapore gained full independence in 1965, the first generation of writers in English were already well established. However, a younger generation felt the need for its own voice, and began to undermine and even subvert accepted parameters of style and content. The work by the pioneer writers, including those who had been writing sporadically before World War II, contained both personal and nationalistic themes, but they did not fully break out of colonial literary frameworks. The power of colonial education to impress itself upon the local imagination should not be underestimated; having been taught that the best writers in the English language came from the United Kingdom, it was inevitable that early writers tried their best to imitate the canon. Developments in America, let alone Africa, India and the West Indies, were left largely unnoticed.

Edwin Thumboo was among the local writers who sought his own personal voice, but the profound impact of poets such as W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot and W.H. Auden is evident throughout his work. It was his exploration of post- colonial literatures, however, which led him to assert that Singaporeans should consider the idea of ‘literatures in English’, as opposed to ‘English literature’.

This concept opened up a realm of possibilities for local writing, as Singaporean authors realized that writing in English did not necessarily mean that one had to imitate the canon of English literary works. The pioneer generation of authors such as Lim Thean Soo, Goh Poh Seng, Goh Sin Tub and Nalla Tan, in addition to Thumboo himself, paved the way for a burst of creative energy from the following generation. Writers such as Robert Yeo, Arthur Yap, Lee Tzu Pheng, Chandran Nair, Mervin Mirapuri, Catherine Lim, Sng Boh Khim, Yeo Bock Cheng, Ho Poh Fun, Ho Min Fong, Suchen Christine Lim, Tan Mei Ching, Philip Jeyaretnam, Simon Tay, Kirpal Singh, Chiung Yee Chong, Boey Kim Cheng, Lim Li, Rosaly Puthucheary, Tan Jwee Song, Geraldine Heng and Heng Siok Tian, among others, were freer in their quest for new modes of creative expression, especially in the use of ‘Singlish’ (the Singaporean version of spoken English), as well as their directness when it came to documenting their personal perspectives. The variety of this group’s output is remarkable, as they struggled to define a Singaporean identity which is constantly in flux.

In multicultural Singapore it has not been easy for writers in English to gain general acceptance. National awards are one sign of approval; others are community recognition, and also regional and international exposure. A younger generation of writers, which includes Felix Cheong, Paul Tan, Tan Hwee Hwee, Alvin Pang, Daren Shiau, Cyril Wong, Aaron Lee, Madeline Lee, Yong Shu Hoong, Koh Buck Song, Grace Chia and Alfian Sa’at, have each developed their distinct strengths and styles. A stronger, if still fluid, sense of identity informs their work, giving it greater depth. These younger writers attempt to give voice to their views of Singapore from both within and without.

Prejudices are still hard to overcome, and despite efforts to introduce local writing into the literature syllabus in schools, it is still true that for most Singaporeans, ‘English writers’ come from abroad. However, outreach programmes and other activities such as writing residencies, reading clubs and literary festivals are helping to create a wider awareness of Singaporean writing in English. In 1990, the Creative Arts Programme was jointly established by the Gifted Education Branch of the Ministry of Education and the Centre for the Arts at the National University of Singapore to give secondary school and junior college students greater exposure to the arts, and also to offer selected participants a mentorship programme through which students can hone their literary skills under the guidance of an established local writer. More research into local literature is also being undertaken, and an increasingly sophisticated body of literary criticism is finding its rightful position within the larger arena of Singaporean literature.