Alfian bin Sa’at

Alfian bin Sa’at (b. 18 July 1977, Singapore–), commonly known as Alfian Sa’at, is a prominent English- and Malay-language playwright, poet and writer in Singapore and Malaysia. Known for his bold works that explore themes of race, sexuality and politics, Alfian is a three-time winner of Best Original Script at The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards, and the recipient of the Young Artist Award for Literature in 2001. He is currently the resident playwright of renowned theatre company Wild Rice.

Early life and education
Born the eldest of three children in Singapore to a police sergeant and a factory worker-turned-housewife, Alfian was educated at Tampines Primary School, Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College.¹ At all three institutions, he graduated as the top Malay student nationally, winning a Mendaki scholarship and the Prime Minister’s Book Prize thrice.² Alfian attributed his academic success to his late mother, Rohani Jaffar, who encouraged him to mix with his non-Malay classmates to improve his English-language skills.³

Alfian started writing creatively in primary school after his mother brought home a typewriter from work. He would churn out 10-page compositions with horror or fantasy themes when the requirement was for one page.⁴ In both secondary school and junior college, Alfian was the chairman of the drama societies, where he began acting, writing poetry and plays, and contributing to literary anthologies.⁵  At the ages of 15 and 17, he was selected to participate in the esteemed Creative Arts Programme run by the Gifted Education Branch and the National University of Singapore, where he was mentored by The Necessary Stage’s resident playwright Haresh Sharma. One of Alfian’s early plays, Black Boards, White Walls, was subsequently staged by The Necessary Stage. At RJC, he was awarded the Kripalani Award for Outstanding Contribution to Creative Arts.⁶

In 1996, Alfian enrolled in the School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) but left in his final year of study in order to pursue writing fulltime and to avoid the six-year medical training bond.⁷

Literary career
In 1998, Alfian released his debut poetry collection, One Fierce Hour, which featured the poem “Singapore You Are Not My Country”. The poem fierily lists what he saw as the country’s shortcomings and seeks an alternative historical narrative and beginning – by invoking the legendary Sang Nila Utama instead of Stamford Raffles.⁸ His debut book of short stories, Corridor: 12 Short Stories, won the Commendation Award of the 1998 Singapore Literature Prize.⁹

Alfian’s next poetry collection, A History of Amnesia (2001), saw him deliberately adopting a more mellow and coherent writing style to explore the gaps in official Singapore history.¹⁰ A History of Amnesia was shortlisted for the 2001 Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize’s list of notable fiction,¹¹ and Alfian was awarded the Golden Point Award for Poetry in English that same year.¹²

Theatre career
Alfian’s Asian Boys trilogy of plays Dreamplay, Landmarks and Happy Endings – debuted in 2000 and concluded in 2007. In the trilogy, Alfian shifted from self-consciously camp to outrightly political in its tracing of Singapore gay history.¹³ Landmarks won Best Original Script at the Life! Theatre Awards in 2005.¹⁴ His subsequent plays Nadirah and Kakak Kau Punya Laki (Your Sister’s Husband) earned him the same accolade in 2010 and 2014 respectively.¹⁵

Alfian was appointed resident playwright of professional theatre company Wild Rice in 2004 and has held the position since then.¹⁶ He was the focus of the company’s 2013 retrospective, Alfian Sa’at – In the Spotlight, comprising revivals of The Optic Trilogy and Dreamplay: Asian Boys Vol. 1, the premiere of Cook a Pot of Curry, as well as various related workshops and discussions.¹⁷

As part of the 2015 Singapore International Festival of Arts, Alfian co-wrote Hotel, a five-hour, two-part play on Singapore’s alternative history that was heralded by The Straits Times as “the sort of play that declares to the world – we have arrived”.¹⁸

Contributions to Malay Literature and Theatre
While his impact on English literature and theatre is remarkable, his contributions to Malay works are equally profound. His collection of short stories, Malay Sketches (2012), explores the Malay experience in Singapore as “the narrative of displaced native people all over the world.”¹⁹

At the age of 21, Alfian penned Causeway, one of his earliest Malay-language works, which earned him a Commendation Award from the Malay Language Council in 1998. The play examines the relationship between Singaporeans and Malaysia, while also unpacking the intricate dynamics of race, gender and politics set primarily within Malay-Muslim households.²⁰

Alfian has brought several of his Malay plays across the border to Malaysia. In the early 2000s, he staged a double bill featuring Madu II, a feminist reinterpretation of the iconic Malay film Madu Tiga (Three Honeys; 1964) directed by P. Ramlee. Another notable work by Alfian, Anak Bulan di Kampung Wa’Hassan (The New Moon at the Village of Wa’Hassan), was also staged in Malaysia. This monodrama offers a poignant reflection on Singapore’s last surviving Malay village and its erasure in the name of modernisation. Premiering in Kuala Lumpur, the production went on to tour six rural towns across Peninsular Malaysia.²¹

Alfian has continually crafted works infused with the distinct essence of the Malay Singaporean experience. Nadirah (2009) explores the themes of faith, identity, and interfaith relationships, responding to religious orthodoxy and cultural conservatism regarding interracial marriage. The work resonated deeply in the local context and earned widespread acclaim. It was recognised with the Best Original Script accolade at the Life! Theatre Awards in 2010, further cementing Alfian’s reputation as a playwright who not only challenges societal norms but also gives voice to the complexities of the Malay-Muslim identity in Singapore.²²

Nadirah was followed by Kakak Kau Punya Laki (Your Sister’s Husband; 2013), an intellectual farcical theatrical play that challenges societal standards. The work also won Best Original Script at the Life! Theatre Awards.

In recent years, Alfian has translated a number of Malay-language novels written by local Malay writers so as to make them accessible to English-speaking readers. Meanwhile his plays have also been translated into other languages including German and Swedish, and have been read and performed in cities around the world such as Berlin, London and Zurich. ²³

Stylistic conventions
Alfian has been described as a “vigorous and energetic” poet who uses syntactic repetition and the listing technique in his poems.²⁴ His poetic technique often involves the creative use of simple language to depict everyday images as well as specific places such as a Housing and Development Board flat.²⁵ His poems typically feature subaltern voices, including those of former political detainee Chia Thye Poh and performance artist Josef Ng, in A History of Amnesia, in an attempt to write them into Singapore history.²⁶

Critics note that, unlike his poems, Alfian’s short stories are less political and more concerned with portraying the everyday lives of Singaporeans humanistically, with a focus on the disenfranchised segments of society.²⁷ Alfian himself has stated that he wanted to represent the “working-class secretary … hard luck, inarticulate people” in his debut short story collection, the Raymond Carver-inspired Corridor: 12 Short Stories.²⁸ His second collection of short stories, Malay Sketches, has been noted for its attempts at undermining negative racial stereotypes and drawing attention to the emotional and political implications of such stereotypes on individuals marked as minorities by the state.²⁹

His plays, such as Cook a Pot of Curry, elevate Singlish to a linguistic middle ground that bridges social divisions.³⁰ Its predecessor, Cooling-off Day, is significant for using the documentary theatre form to directly and immediately address the 2011 general election.³¹ In contrast, The Optic Trilogy, one of Alfian’s early plays, is acclaimed for his lyrical, droll and metaphor-driven writings about heterosexual relationships.³²

Controversies
In December 1999, three scenes from sex.violence.blood.gore, a play that Alfian wrote with fellow playwright Chong Tze Chien, were censored by the Public Entertainment Licensing Unit for what it deemed to be inflammatory content.³³

In 2003, the National Arts Council (NAC) withdrew its funding for the journal focas: Forum on Contemporary Art & Society three days before its next issue was due to be printed. One of the articles in the journal’s first issue – about the relationship between NAC and censorship, written by Alfian – had sparked a response from NAC. However, NAC maintained that its decision was purely based on “funding re-prioritisation”.³⁴

In June 2007, Alfian’s application to be a relief teacher was rejected by the Ministry of Education.³⁵ When questioned in parliament about the matter, then Minister of State for Education Lui Tuck Yew declined to be drawn into the debate, only stating that a minority of applicants were turned down each year for various reasons.³⁶

In August 2007, Alfian was questioned by the police after he sent a hate email to NUS law academic Thio Li-ann, then a nominated member of parliament, whom he believed to have fostered antigay sentiments in parliament, which was then reviewing the criminalisation of homosexual acts under section 377A of the Penal Code. Thio filed a police report but dropped her plans to sue him after he apologised to her via email.³⁷

Works

Anthologies
1995: Tributaries: Convergence on an Afternoon of Poetry & Music³⁸
1996: First Words: A Selection of Works by Young Writers in Singapore³⁹
2000: No Other City: The Ethos Anthology of Urban Poetry⁴⁰
2000: Rhythms: A Singapore Millennial Anthology of Poetry⁴¹
2001: focas: Forum on Contemporary Arts & Society (Vol. 1)⁴²
2002: The Merlion and the Hibiscus: Contemporary Short Stories from Singapore and Malaysia⁴³
2002: Bisik – Antologi Drama Melayu Singapura (Whisper – An Anthology of Singapore Malay Drama) (Editor)⁴⁴
2002: Silverfish New Writing 2: An Anthology of Stories from Malaysia, Singapore and Beyond⁴⁵
2002: Love Gathers All: The Philippines-Singapore Anthology of Love Poetry⁴⁶
2002: focas: Forum on Contemporary Arts & Society (Vol. 4)⁴⁷
2004: focas: Forum on Contemporary Arts & Society (Vol. 5)⁴⁸
2004: Poetry International⁴⁹
2006: Asia Literary Review⁵⁰
2007: focas: Forum on Contemporary Arts & Society (Vol. 6)⁵¹
2007: Island Voices: A Collection of Short Stories from Singapore⁵²
2008: Sprouts from White Nights⁵³
2009: Reflecting on the Merlion: An Anthology of Poems⁵⁴
2009: Fifty on 50⁵⁵
2009: Tumasik: Contemporary Writing from Singapore⁵⁶
2009: Another Kind of Paradise: Short Stories from the New Asia-Pacific⁵⁷
2010: & Words: Poems Singapore and Beyond⁵⁸
2010: Telltale: 11 Stories⁵⁹
2010: Coast: A Mono-titular Anthology of Singapore Writing⁶⁰
2011: Man/Born/Free: Writings on the Human Spirit from Singapore⁶¹
2012: One: The Anthology⁶²
2013: Eastern Heathens: An Anthology of Subverted Asian Folklore⁶³
2013: Under One Sky⁶⁴
2013: The Epigram Books Collection of Best New Singaporean Short Stories: Volume One⁶⁵
2014: Starry Island: New Writing from Singapore⁶⁶
2014: A Luxury We Cannot Afford: An Anthology of Singapore Poetry⁶⁷
2014: SingPoWriMo⁶⁸
2015: Singathology: 50 New Works by Celebrated Singaporean Writers (Vol. 2)⁶⁹
2015: Union: 15 Years of Drunken Boat, 50 Years of Writing from Singapore⁷⁰
2015: Eye/Feel/Write: Experiments in Ekphrasis⁷¹

Plays
1994: Fighting
1997: Yesterday My Classmate Died
1997: Black Boards, White Walls
1998: Causeway⁷²
1998: Bulan Madu (Honeymoon)⁷³
1999: Sex.violence.blood.gore (with Chong Tze Chien)⁷⁴
2000: Asian Boys Vol. 1⁷⁵
2001: Kampung 2000⁷⁶
2001: Don’t Say I Say⁷⁷
2001: The Optic Trilogy⁷⁸
2001: poppy dot dream⁷⁹
2002: Causeway⁸⁰
2002: The Importance of Being Kaypoh⁸¹
2002: Fugitives⁸²
2004: Tekka Voices⁸³
2004: Landmarks: Asian Boys Vol. 2⁸⁴
2006: Homesick⁸⁵
2007: Happy Endings: Asian Boys Vol. 3⁸⁶
2008: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs⁸⁷
2009: Beauty & the Beast⁸⁸
2009: Nadirah⁸⁹
2011: The Secret Life of Nora⁹⁰
2011: Pariah⁹¹
2011: Cooling-off Day⁹²
2012: Hansel & Gretel⁹³
2013: Cook a Pot of Curry⁹⁴
2013: Kakak Kau Punya Laki (Your Sister’s Husband)⁹⁵
2014: 1987 (Australia)⁹⁶
2014: Monkey Goes West⁹⁷
2015: Hotel (with Marcia Vanderstraaten)⁹⁸
2015: Another Country (co-curator; Singapore and Malaysia)⁹⁹
2015: Geng Rebut Cabinet (GRC)¹⁰⁰

Poetry
1998: One Fierce Hour¹⁰¹
2001: A History of Amnesia¹⁰²
2012: The Invisible Manuscript¹⁰³

Short stories
1999: Corridor: 12 Short Stories¹⁰⁴
2012: Malay Sketches¹⁰⁵

Translations
1999: My Mother’s Wooden Chest (play)¹⁰⁶
2003: Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral (play)¹⁰⁷
2013: The Tower (novel)¹⁰⁸
2015: The Widower (novel)¹⁰⁹

Selected awards and achievements
1995: Kripalani Award for Outstanding Contribution to Creative Arts¹¹⁰
1998: Singapore Literature Prize Commendation Award for Corridor: 12 Short Stories¹¹¹
1999: Malay Language Council Anugerah Persuratan for Causeway¹¹²
2001: SPH-NAC Golden Point Award for Poetry (English)¹¹³
2001: Young Artist Award for Literature, National Arts Council¹¹⁴
2001: Shortlisted for Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize (Fiction) for A History of Amnesia
2005: Best Original Script for Landmarks: Asian Boys Vol. 2, 5th Life! Theatre Awards
2006: FRONT Award for Notable Contributions to the Arts, MediaCorp Arts Central¹¹⁵
2010: Best Original Script for Nadirah, 10th Life! Theatre Awards
2011: Best Original Book and/or Lyrics for a Musical for The Secret Life of Nora, 9th BOH Cameronian Award¹¹⁶
2013: Best Original Script for Parah, 10th BOH Cameronian Award¹¹⁷
2014: Best Original Script for Kakak Kau Punya Laki (Your Sister’s Husband), 14th Life! Theatre Awards

Author
Dan Koh

Updated By
Dr Nuraini Ismail

References
1. Tom, K. (2006, March 20). Letter man. The Straits Times, p. 4; Yap, S. (2009, February 1). Writing over medicine. The Straits Times, p. 59. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. Chew, S. K. (1996, August 15). The winning ways that helped five outstanding students. The Straits Times, p. 21; Tom, K. (2006, March 20). Letter man. The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Klein, R. D. (Ed.). (2009). Interlogue: Vol. 8, Interviews II: Studies in Singapore literature. Singapore: Ethos Books, p. 16. (Call no.: RSING S820.9 INT)
3. Chew, S. K. (1996, August 15). The winning ways that helped five outstanding students. The Straits Times, p. 21; Tom, K. (2006, March 20). Letter man. The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. Tom, K. (2006, March 20). Letter man. The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. Klein, R. D. (Ed.). (2009). Interlogue: Vol. 8, Interviews II: Studies in Singapore literature. Singapore: Ethos Books, pp. 17–18. (Call no.: RSING S820.9 INT)
6. Klein, R. D. (Ed.). (2009). Interlogue: Vol. 8, Interviews II: Studies in Singapore literature. Singapore: Ethos Books, pp. 18–19. (Call no.: RSING S820.9 INT); Tan, Y. L. (1997, March 12). Hesitant pupil masters writing skill. (1997, March 12). The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
7. Tom, K. (2006, March 20). Letter man. The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Klein, R. D. (Ed.). (2009). Interlogue: Vol. 8, Interviews II: Studies in Singapore literature. Singapore: Ethos Books, p. 21. (Call no.: RSING S820.9 INT)
8. Poon, A., Holden, P., & Lim, S. G.-L. (Eds.). (2009). Writing Singapore: An historical anthology of Singapore literature. Singapore: NUS Press and National Arts Council, p. 365. (Call no.: RSING S820.8 WRI)
9. A bumper crop of 4 winners. (1998, November 28). The Straits Times, p. 22. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
10. Klein, R. D. (Ed.). (2009). Interlogue: Vol. 8, Interviews II: Studies in Singapore literature. Singapore: Ethos Books, pp. 27–28. (Call no.: RSING S820.9 INT)
11. Ong, S. F. (2001, October 16). Two S’porean books given recognition. The Straits Times, p. 3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
12. Chow, C. (2001, September 5). Tham is tops and Alfian is aces goes places. The Straits Times, p. L3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
13. Poon, A., Holden, P., & Lim, S. G.-L. (Eds.). (2009). Writing Singapore: An historical anthology of Singapore literature. Singapore: NUS Press and National Arts Council, p. 525. (Call no.: RSING S820.8 WRI); Klein, R. D. (Ed.). (2009). Interlogue: Vol. 8, Interviews II: Studies in Singapore literature. Singapore: Ethos Books, p. 31. (Call no.: RSING S820.9 INT)
14. Yap, S. (2009, February 1). Writing over medicine. The Straits Times, p. 59. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
15. Sophia Halim. (2012, October 3). Caught between love and faith. Malay Mail. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB’s eResources website: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/; Tan, C. (2014, March 12). Kindred spirits. The Straits Times, pp. 4/5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. 
16. Chow, C. (2004, May 12). Playwright Alfian harvests Wild Rice. The Straits Times, p. L10. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
17. Alfian in the spotlight. (2013, June 7). The Business Times. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB’s eResources website: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/
18. Tan, C. (2015, August 30). Wild Rice’s Hotel is a five-star experience. The Straits Times. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB’s eResources website: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/
19. https://www.asymptotejournal.com/interview/an-interview-alfian-saat/
20. https://www.timeout.com/singapore/theatre/baca-skrip-causeway
21. https://asiawa.jpf.go.jp/en/culture/features/asiahundred09/3/
22. Poon, Angelia. “Writing Home: Alfian Sa’at and the Politics of Malay Muslim Belonging in Global Multiracial Singapore.” Interventions: International Journal of Postcolonial Studies, vol. 18, no. 4 (2016): 498–511. Published by Taylor & Francis (Routledge). https://doi.org/10.1080/1369801X.2015.1126191
23. Alfian Sa’at / Bio. Poetry.sg. Retrieved from https://www.poetry.sg/alfian-saat-bio
24. Patke, R. S. (2000). Poetry in English from Singapore. World Literature Today, 74(2), 299. Retrieved from JSTOR via NLB’s eResources website: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/
25. Lizada, M. A. N. (2011). Gay poets and the urbanism of Manlia and Singapore. (Unpublished master’s thesis). Singapore: National University of Singapore, Department of English Language and Literature, p. 37. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from ScholarBank@NUS website: http://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/bitstream/handle/10635/27892/LizadaMaThesisBody.pdf?sequence=2
26. Leow, J. (2010). The future of nostalgia: Reclaiming memory in Tan Pin Pin’s Invisible City and Alfian Sa’at’s A History of Amnesia. The Journal of Commonwealth Literature, 45(1), 118, 127. (Call no.: R 828.99171241 JCL)
27. Poon, A. (2005). Performing national service in Singapore: (Re)imagining nation in the poetry and short stories of Alfian Sa’at. The Journal of Commonwealth Literature, 40(118), 132–133. (Not available in NLB holdings); Wicks, P. (2004). Emergent voices in Singaporean fiction in English. Asian Profile, 32(1), 7. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from University of Southern Queensland website: http://eprints.usq.edu.au/2362/1/Wicks_Tham1.pdf
28. Klein, R. D. (Ed.). (2009). Interlogue: Vol. 8, Interviews II: Studies in Singapore literature. Singapore: Ethos Books, p. 26. (Call no.: RSING S820.9 INT)
29. Ow Yeong, W. K. (2014). The politics of race in Singaporean short stories: Alfian Sa’at and Wena Poon. Think Pieces: A Journal of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, 1(0), 52–55. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from website: http://media.wix.com/ugd/64c1dc_37554153226145018b60126b959a1837.pdf
30. Smith, P. (2015). The gaps between us: Multilingualism and immigration in Alfian Sa’at’s Cook a Pot of Curry. Asian Theatre Journal, 32(1), 273. (Call no.: RART 792.095 ATJ)
31. Oon, C. (2011, August 12). Relive the GE fever. The Straits Times, p. 18. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. 
32. Suhaila Sulaiman. (2001, November 17). A spectrum of brilliance. The Straits Times, p. 6; Oon, C. (2013, August 13). Playwright Alfian Sa’at’s passion play. The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Helmi Yusof. (2013, July 19). Cut and thrust of gender dynamics. The Business Times. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB’s eResources website: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/
33. Helmi Yusof. (1999, December 4). Three scenes cut from TNS’ play. The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
34. Tan, S. E. (2003, December 23). Focas in a fracas. The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
35. Paulo, D. A. (2007, June 12). Playwright’s relief teaching application rejected. Today, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Gwee, L. S. (Ed.). (2009). Sharing borders: Studies in contemporary Singaporean-Malaysian literature II. Singapore: National Library Board and National Arts Council, pp. 141–142. (Call no.: RSING S820.9 SHA)
36. Yong, J. A. (2007, August 28). MOE rejects about 100 relief teachers a year. The Straits Times, p. 25. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
37. Gwee, L. S. (Ed.). (2009). Sharing borders: Studies in contemporary Singaporean-Malaysian literature II. Singapore: National Library Board and National Arts Council, p. 140. (Call no.: RSING S820.9 SHA); Li, X. (2007, November 1). Poet sends ‘civil’ email apology so NMP drops plan to sue him. The Straits Times, p. 34. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
38. Ho, P. F. (Ed.). (1995). Tributaries: Convergence on an afternoon of poetry & music. Singapore: Creative Writing Club, Raffles Junior College. (Call no.: RSING S821 TRI)
39. Toh, H. M. (Ed.). (1996). First words: A selection of works by young writers in Singapore. Singapore: UniPress. (Call no.: RSING S820 FIR)
40. Pang, A., & Lee, A. (Eds.). (2000). No other city: The ethos anthology of urban poetry. Singapore: Ethos Books. (Call no.: RSING S821 NO)
41. Singh, K., & Wong, Y. W. (Eds.). (2000). Rhythms: A Singapore millennial anthology of poetry. Singapore: National Arts Council. (Call no.: RSING S821 RHY)
42. Davis, L. (Ed.). (2001). Focas: Forum on contemporary arts & society, Vol. 1. Singapore: The Necessary Stage. (Call no.: RSING 700.95957 F)
43. Mukherjee, D., Singh, K., & M. A. Quayum (Eds.). (2002). The Merlion and the hibiscus: Contemporary short stories from Singapore and Malaysia. New Delhi: Penguin Books. (Call no.: RSING S823 MER)
44. Alfian Sa’at, Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit & Noor Effendy Ibrahim. (Eds.). (2003). Bisik: Antologi drama Melayu Singapura. Singapore & Kuala Lumpur: Teater Ekamatra & Pustaka Cipta. (Call no.: Malay RSING 899.282 ALF)
45. Satendra Nandan. (Ed.). (2002). Silverfish new writing 2: An anthology of stories from Malaysia, Singapore and beyond. Kuala Lumpur: Silverfishbooks. (Call no.: RSING S823 SIL)
46. Sunico, R. C., et al. (Eds.). (2002). Love gathers all: The Philippines-Singapore anthology of love poetry. Singapore & Manila: Ethos Books & Anvil Pub. (Call no.: RSING 821.00803543 LOV)
47. Davis, L. (Ed.). (2002). Focas: Forum on contemporary arts & society, Vol. 4: Real life/beyond the event. Singapore: The Necessary Stage. (Call no.: RSING 700.95957 F)
48. Davis, L. (Ed.). (2002). Focas: Forum on contemporary arts & society Vol. 5: Second FRONT. Singapore: The Necessary Stage. (Call no.: RSING 700.95957 F)
49. Moramarco, F. S. (Ed.). (2004). Poetry international. San Diego, CA: SDSU Press. (Call no.: RSING 808.1 PI)
50. Alexander, M. (Ed.). (2006). Asia Literary Review. Hong Kong: Greater Talent Limited. (Not available in NLB holdings)
51. Davis, L. (Ed.). (2007). Focas: Forum on contemporary arts & society, Vol. 6: Regional animalities. Singapore: The Substation. Retrieved from PublicationSG.
52. Poon, A., & Sim, W. C. (Eds.). (2007). Island voices: A collection of short stories from Singapore. Singapore: Learners Publishing. (Call no.: RSING S823 ISL)
53. Zhang, W. (Ed.). (2008). Sprouts from white nights. Stockholm: Bonniers Konsthall & Vitamin Creative Space. (Not available in NLB holdings)
54. Thumboo, E., & Yeow, K. C. (Eds.). (2009). Reflecting on the Merlion: An anthology of poems. Singapore: National Arts Council. (Call no.: RSING 808.81 REF)
55. Thumboo, E. (Ed.). (2009). Fifty on 50. Singapore: National Arts Council. (Call no.: RSING 808.810095957 FIF)
56. Pang, A. (Ed.) (2009) Tumasik: Contemporary writing from Singapore. Singapore: National Arts Council. (Call no.: RSING 808.8995957 TUM)
57. Carolan, T. (Ed.) (2009) Another kind of paradise: Short stories from the new Asia-Pacific. Boston, MA: Cheng & Tsui. (Not available in NLB holdings)
58. Thumboo, E. (Ed.). (2010). & Words: Poems Singapore and beyond. Singapore: Ethos Books. (Call no.: YRSING S821 WOR)
59. Gwee, L. S. (Ed.). (2010). Telltale: 11 stories. Singapore: Ethos Books & National Arts Council. (Call no.: RSING S823 TEL)
60. Shiau, D., & Lee, W. F. (Eds.). (2011). Coast: A mono-titular anthology of Singapore writing. Singapore: Math Paper Press. (Call no.: RSING S820.8 COA)
61. Gwee, L. S. (Ed.). (2011). Man/born/free: Writings on the human spirit from Singapore. Singapore: Ethos Books. (Call no.: RSING 808.81 MAN)
62. Yeo, R. (Ed.). (2012). One: The anthology. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions. (Call no.: RSING S823 ONE)
63. Lee, A. K., & Ng, Y.-S. (Eds.). (2013). Eastern heathens: An anthology of subverted Asian folkore. Singapore: Ethos Books. (Call no.: RSING 398.2095 EAS)
64. National Library Board. (2013). Under one sky. Singapore: National Library Board. (Call no.: RSING 808.831 UND)
65. Lundberg, J. E. (Ed.). (2013). The epigram books collection of best new Singaporean short stories: Volume one. Singapore: Epigram Books. (Call no.: RSING EPI)
66. Stewart, F. & Sze-Lorrain, F. (Eds.). (2014). Starry island: New writing from Singapore. Hawaii: University of Hawai’i Press. (Call no.: RSING S828 STA)
67. Chia, C., & Ip, J. (Eds.). (2014). A luxury we cannot afford: An anthology of Singapore poetry. Singapore: Math Paper Press. (Call no.: RSING LUX)
68. Ang, A., Ip, J., & Nansi, P. (Eds.). (2014). SingPoWriMo. Singapore: Math Paper Press. (Call no.: RSING SIN)
69. Gwee, L. S., et al. (Eds.). (2015). Singathology: Volume two, Art: 50 new works by celebrated Singaporean writers. Singapore: National Arts Council & Marshall Cavendish Editions. (Call no.: RSING 808.880095957 SIN)
70. Pang, A., & Ravi Shankar (Eds.). (2015). Union: 15 years of Drunken Boat, 50 years of writing from Singapore. Singapore: Ethos Books & Drunken Boat. (Call no.: RSING S821 UNI)
71. Kon, D. Z.-M. (Ed.). (2015). Eye/feel/write: Experiments in Ekphrasis. Singapore: Squircle Line Press. (Not available in NLB holdings)
72. Post-colonial Web. (2002.) Alfian Bin Sa’at: Biography and brief introduction. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from Post-colonial Web website: http://www.postcolonialweb.org/singapore/literature/poetry/saat/bio1.html
73. Honeymoon double-bill. (1998, November 26). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
74. Oon, C. (1999, November 24). No sugar and spice and all things nice. The Straits Times, p. 9. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
75. Tan, J. (2000, October 11). Net and bush fantasies on stage. The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
76. Helmi Yusof. (2001, March 15). Malay arts on show. The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
77. James, J. (2001, July 24). Don’t Say I Say, history takes centrestage. The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
78. Suhaila Sulaiman. (2001, November 17). A spectrum of brilliance. The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
79. Suhaidah. (2012, March 7) Writer’s profile: Alfian Sa’at. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from 30 Days of Singapore Literature website: http://30daysofsingaporelit.blogspot.sg/2012/03/writers-profile-alfian-saat.html
80. Chia, A. (2002, June 22). Talking strait from both sides now. The Business Times, p. 13. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
81. Cheong, S-W. (2002, September 9). Void deck drama wasn’t kaypoh enough. The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
82. Chow, C. (2002, November 13). 3 English plays in Mandarin. The Straits Times, p. 15. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
83. Suhaidah. (2012, March 7) Writer’s profile: Alfian Sa’at. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from 30 Days of Singapore Literature website: http://30daysofsingaporelit.blogspot.sg/2012/03/writers-profile-alfian-saat.html
84. Oon, C. (2004, February 9). These boys get serious. The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
85. Hong, X. (2006, August 4). Home sweet home. The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
86. Hong, X. (2007, June 28). Alfian’s last boot camp. The Straits Times, p. 59. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
87. Wild Rice. (2008) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from Wild Rice website: http://www.wildrice.com.sg/productions/103-snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs
88. Wild Rice. (2009) Beauty & the Beast. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from Wild Rice website: http://www.wildrice.com.sg/productions/100-beauty-the-beast
89. Tan, T. (2009, December 10). Breaking barriers. The Straits Times, p. 68. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
90. Bond with Nora the secret agent. (2011, June 14). New Straits Times. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB’s eResources website: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/
91. Chia, A. (2011, June 21). Racial vandals. The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. 
92.  Oon, C. (2011, August 12). Relive the GE fever. The Straits Times, p. 18. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
93. Wild Rice. (2012). Hansel & Gretel. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from Wild Rice website: http://www.wildrice.com.sg/productions/88-hansel-gretel
94. Martin, M. (2013, July 8). It’s all about taste. Today, p. 40. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
95. Tan, C. (2013, December 10). Outcast in a sister act. The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
96. S. M. (2014, October 20) Alfian Sa’at’s Play ‘1987’ feels the wrath of the censorship brigade. Retrieved from 2016, March 23 Must Share News website: http://mustsharenews.com/alfian-saats-play-rejected/
97. Wild Rice. (2014) Monkey Goes West. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from Wild Rice website: http://www.wildrice.com.sg/productions/56-monkey-goes-west
98. Sandhu, B. (2015, August 22). Welcome to Hotel Singapura. Today. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB’s eResources website: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/
99. Cheah, U.-H. (2015, June 12). Tales of two nations brought to life. The Business Times. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB’s eResources website: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/
100. Nanda, A. (2015, December 11). Funny play raises haunting questions. The Straits Times. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB’s eResources website: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/
101. Alfian Sa’at. (1998). One fierce hour. Singapore: Landmark Books. (Call no.: RSING S821 SAA)
102. Alfian Sa’at. (2001). A history of amnesia. Singapore: Ethos Books. (Call no.: RSING S821 ALF)
103. Alfian Sa’at. (2012). The invisible manuscript. Singapore: Math Paper Press. (Call no.: RSING S821 ALF)
104. Alfian Sa’at. (1999). Corridor: 12 short stories. Singapore: Raffles. (Call no.: RSING S823 SAA)
105. Alfian Sa’at. (2012). Malay sketches. Singapore: Ethos Books. (Call no.: RSING S823 ALF)
106. Helmi Yusof. (1999, September 23). Getting it off her chest – in Malay. The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
107. Oon, C. (2003, September 29). Kuo’s Descendants get two new lives. The Straits Times, p. L7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
108. Isa Kamari. (2013). The tower. Singapore: Epigram Books. (Call no.: RSING 899.283 ISA)
109. Mohamed Latiff Mohamed. (2015). The widower. Singapore: Epigram Books. (Call no.: RSING 899.283 MOH)
110. Post-colonial Web. (2002) Alfian Bin Sa’at: Biography and brief introduction. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from Post-colonial Web website: http://www.postcolonialweb.org/singapore/literature/poetry/saat/bio1.html
111. A bumper crop of 4 winners. (1998, November 28). The Straits Times, p. 22. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
112. Hadiah Penghargaan. (1999, July 25). Berita Harian, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
113. Chow, C. (2001, September 5). Tham is tops and Alfian is aces goes places. The Straits Times, p. L3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
114. Tan, S. E. (2001, September 20). China-born artists bag Cultural Medallion Awards. The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
115. Alchetron. (2016) Alfian Saat. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from Alchetron website: http://alchetron.com/Alfian-Saat-127561-W
116. Kakiseni. (2012). The 9th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards winners. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from Kakiseni website: http://awards.kakiseni.com/winners/9th-bcaa-winners/
117. Kakiseni. (2013). The 10^th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards winners. Retrieved 2016, March 23 from Kakiseni website: http://awards.kakiseni.com/2013-nominees

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The information in this article is valid as of October 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit it here.