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Singaporeans love animals, but only selectively. Otters, Ah Meng the orangutan, and Inuka the polar bear are among the beloved. Less favoured are monkeys in the Botanic Gardens, many of which were culled before WWII, and pesky Aedes mosquitoes. Environmental historian Timothy Barnard tells us how some of these migrant animals came to be here, how they’ve been treated, and what makes them Singaporean.
Timothy P. Barnard is an associate professor in the Department of History at the National University of Singapore, where he specialises in the environmental and cultural history of island Southeast Asia. He is the author of Imperial Creatures and Nature's Colony, and the editor of Nature Contained and Singaporean Creatures.
What Timothy Talked About
02:26 – Monkeys in the Botanic Gardens before WWII07:15 – Understanding Singapore’s history through its animals08:41 – What makes a creature Singaporean?10:10 – How the Garden City concept shaped human-animal relationships in Singapore12:34 – Why some recognisable Singaporean animals were left out of the book14:31 – Otters as returning migrants16:33 – Singaporeans’ fondness for the zoo and its creatures20:31 – How Tim came to be interested in environmental history23:37 – Challenges in teaching environmental history 26:01 – The animal he would like to interview 27:13 – The profession he would pick if he weren't a historianTranscript and Resources
Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/what-makes-an-animal-singaporean-timothy-barnard/transcript/Check out the book: Singaporean Creatures: Histories of Humans and Other Animals in the Garden City.Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Tim for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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To write a book about 60 Asian port cities, ex–ACM director Kennie Ting travelled as far as the Middle East and Africa. He tells us how port cities can tell a different history of Asia, and what his "eat, pray, love" cities and his favourite ACM artefacts are.
A writer and museum professional fascinated by the history, heritage and culture of Asian port cities, Kennie Ting is the former director of the Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum in Singapore. He has written The Romance of the Grand Tour: 100 Years of Travel in South East Asia (2015) and Singapore 1819: A Living Legacy (2019). His recent book, The Great Port Cities of Asia in History (2024), re-examines Asian history from the perspective of 60 port cities across the region.
What Kennie Talked About
02:00 – How Kennie found time to write his book The Great Port Cities of Asia in History while heading two museums04:17 – Kennie’s travel experiences 05:37 – How his fascination with port cities began 06:57 – His writing approach and themes of the book 10:09 – How he categorised port cities into six eras in his book 13:18 – The hardest thing about writing this book 14:36 – His favourite artefacts in the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) 16:00 – Wuhan’s significance as a historic port city 18:23 – Kennie’s research process 18:59 – His “eat, pray, love” port cities 22:19 – The port cities Kennie would pick to live in 26:32 – What he misses about ACM 27:14 – What’s next for Kennie TingTranscript and Resources
Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/asian-port-cities-with-ex-acm-director-kennie-ting/transcriptCheck out Kennie's book: The Great Port Cities of Asia in HistorySubscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Kennie for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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A journalist turned politician turned diplomat, S. Rajaratnam (1915–2006) wore many hats in the service of Singapore. His contribution to Singapore is so great that to cover his life adequately required 20 years of research and over 1,200 pages of writing. Irene Ng, his authorised biographer, tells us little-known facets of the man, his legacy as Singapore’s founding foreign and culture minister, and his relationship with Lee Kuan Yew.
Irene Ng is the authorised biographer of S. Rajaratnam and writer-in-residence at the Institute of ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. She was formerly an award-winning senior political correspondent and a Member of Parliament in Singapore.
What Irene Talked About02:29 – Irene’s first meeting with S. Rajaratnam and her impressions of him04:17 – How a journalistic background helped Irene connect with him06:10 – Rajaratnam's personality07:55 – Main themes of the second volume of Rajaratnam biography, The Lion’s Roar10:24 – Why young Singaporeans should read the biography14:49 – How Singapore’s pledge came from Rajaratnam’s ideals19:07 – Rajaratnam's relationship with Lee Kuan Yew24:41 – Rajaratnam’s legacy in shaping Singapore’s foreign policy26:11 – Qualities that made Rajaratnam the ideal founding foreign minister28:04 – Rajaratnam’s impact as the culture minister 30:51 – His forgotten achievements as the labour minister35:10 – What inspired Irene to write Rajaratnam’s biography37:30 – Challenges in writing the second volume of the biography39:40 – Irene’s take on criticisms about the book based on her history as a politician44:58 – What Irene reads for leisure46:06 – Biographies that inspired Irene49:00 – What’s next for Irene 49:38 – Irene’s Singapore dream
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/s-rajaratnam-singapores-first-foreign-minister/transcript/Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-20/issue-3/oct-dec-2024/rajaratnam-biography-lions-roar/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Irene for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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Stella Kon is known for creating the beloved Emily of Emerald Hill – possibly the most frequently staged play in Singapore. She is also a novelist and musical theatre writer, and she has adapted her landmark play into a musical after falling in love with the genre. In this episode, Stella talks about the difference between writing plays and musicals, her favourite actor who played Emily, and her writing process.
What Stella Talked About02:15 – How Stella felt watching the first version of the play Emily of Emerald Hill come to life04:13 – Why the character of Emily resonated with many and inspired countless adaptations05:25 – Her favourite portrayal of Emily06:10 – How the play evolved from draft to final product 07:07 – About creating Emily the Musical08:26 – How Stella wrote “Love Was All I Wanted” for Emily the Musical09:19 – What draws Stella to the musical genre11:21 – Her musical Lim Boon Keng, which is based on the life of her great-grandfather 13:03 – Her new novel, 4 Pax to Emptiness14:37 – Common themes in her work16:33 – Her writing process, practices and rituals18:45 – Her writing influences20:10 – What’s next for Stella Kon20:49 – Her advice to writers22:17 – Writing is…22:39 – Stella’s proudest moments
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/stella-kon-beyond-emily-of-emerald-hill/transcript/Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-20/issue-2/jul-sep-2024/emily-of-emerald-hill-stella-kon/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Stella for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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MasterChef Singapore judge Damian D’Silva grew up by the sea and spent many happy hours foraging for horseshoe crabs, shellfish and sea snails that would end up in the cooking pot. In this episode, he talks about how his childhood and grandfather influenced his cooking philosophy, when he found his calling in the kitchen (later than you'd expect), and what's left for him after winning the prestigious culinary award La Liste.
Chef Damian D’Silva is a judge on MasterChef Singapore and the first Singaporean to be awarded the prestigious culinary prize Artisan & Authenticity Award 2024 from La Liste, a French ranking and restaurants guide. An advocate for local culinary heritage, he helms Rempapa, a multicultural restaurant serving dishes from the ethnicities in Singapore.
What Damian Talked About02:15 – Why Damian chose to cook sea snail and papaya curry on From Book to Cook04:26 – Foraging in the sea and on land07:46 – His fascination with Western culture and food as a teenager08:28 – The Malay and Peranakan version of the sea snail and papaya curry dish08:50 – His experience of growing up in a community with different ethnicities10:09 – Foraging for horseshoe crabs and cooking them12:32 – About his grandfather, who had the greatest influence on Damian’s cooking journey14:20 – The difference between a cook and a chief18:01 – When Damian found out that cooking is his calling 20:26 – Why heritage cuisine is important22:45 – How Eurasian cuisine is unique25:23 – What’s next for Damian D’Silva after winning the Artisan & Authenticity Award 2024 from La Liste27:53 – Why he has not written a cookbook29:18 – The hardest thing about being a chef32:28 – The one thing Damian would rather buy than make on his own34:06 – Food is…
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/sea-foraging-eurasian-cuisine/transcriptWatch Damian make sea snail and papaya curry: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/videos/sea-snail-papaya-curry/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79b
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Damian for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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Growing up as a Chetti Melaka (Peranakan Indian), Tanya realised her family was different when she was seven or eight years old. Her family spoke Malay at home, ate sambal belacan, and had huge parties with a lot of unusual food. In this episode, Tanya talks with pride about the rituals of the ancestor worship known parachu and the cookbook containing traditional recipes of the Chetti Melaka community.
A Peranakan Indian, Tanya Pillay-Nair is the coordinator of the cookbook Heritage Food of the Peranakan Indians in a Chitty Melaka Kitchen (Peranakan Indian Association of Singapore, 2023). The book contains close to 100 Peranakan Indian recipes, from everyday dishes to festive fare.
What Tanya Talked About01:58 – Who the Chetti Melaka are, and where they are from04:32 – How the Chetti Melaka are different from and similar to other communities05:19 – The importance of food culture especially in ancestor worship known as parachu10:04 – The language spoken by Chetti Melaka10:37 – The musicality of the community and a version of the song Di Tanjong Katong commissioned by the Chetti Melaka (Peranakan Indians) Association (used with permission)12:10 – The local community in Singapore and origins of the Chetti Melaka Association 15:00 – How the book Heritage Food of the Peranakan Indians came about19:59 – Tanya’s background as a Chetti Melaka23:11 – Classic Chetti Melaka dishes24:44 – How the Chetti Melaka otak blangah is different from the usual otak-otak 26:29 – Reception of the book29:06 – A must-try and simple dish in the cookbook29:30 – The importance of preserving heritage food 30:11 – Food is…
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/food-peranakan-indians/transcript
Watch Tanya make otak blangah: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/videos/otak-blangah/
Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79b
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Tanya for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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Set up by five Buddhist women in 1946, Loke Woh Yuen was the first Chinese vegetarian restaurant in Singapore. It employed an all-female staff, was known for its popular shark’s fin made from maize, and was sometimes so packed that it had to set up dining tents that stretched to the main road. Its efforts to spread vegetarianism were complemented by other Buddhist women and nuns who wrote cookbooks and fundraised for charity.
Kelvin Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from the National University of Singapore. He was a research assistant for the project “Mapping Female Religious Heritage in Singapore: Chinese Temples as Sites of Regional Socio-cultural Linkage” funded by the National Heritage Board.
What Kelvin Talked About01:48 – The founders of Chinese vegetarian restaurants in 1940s–50s05:28 – The most popular dishes at the vegetarian restaurant Loke Woh Yuen06:26 – How Fut Sai Kai Vegetarian Restaurant differs from Loke Woh Yuen07:26 – Ko Tian-gu, the founder of Fut Sai Kai08:37 – Cookbooks that helped to spread vegetarianism10:57 – The famous vegetarian soon kueh recipe by Abbess Yang Qincai of the temple Hai Inn See12:24 – Legacy of early Chinese vegetarian restaurants in philanthropy and Buddhist education 13:55 – Resources Kelvin used in his research.16:40 – Why early Chinese vegetarian restaurants have Cantonese heritage 18:58 – The vegetarian dish that Kelvin wants to master next
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/chinese-vegetarian-foodscape/transcriptWatch Kelvin make soon kueh: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/videos/soon-kueh/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79b
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Gibson Analytics. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Kelvin for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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A tireless steward of Malay culture, Hajah Asfiah worked all her life to preserve and pass on Malay crafts. When she was just 10, she began teaching embroidery and flower arrangement in school. Later in life, she was a mak andam (wedding attendant) for more than 20 years and worked with more than 1,000 brides. At age 65, she got her cookbook Hidangan Warisan Kita (Our Heritage Dishes; 1986) published by Times Books International; it was the publisher’s first cookbook, written in Malay by a Malay person. The book had recipes for dishes that have since become extinct. Sadly, she died a year later, but thanks to the book she wrote and the many courses she taught, her memory lives on.
Toffa Abdul Wahed is an associate librarian with the National Library, Singapore, and works with the Singapore and Southeast Asia Collection. She has written about cookbook author Siti Radhiah and belacan in BiblioAsia.
What Toffa Talked About00:26 – About bunga kobis (flower of the cabbage), the dish Toffa made in Season Two of From Book to Cook03:57 – Why bunga kobis is a special dish04:30 – The complicated process of making the six-layer dish05:39 – Why Toffa chose to make this dish for the video06:39 – Toffa's special family connection to the dish07:36 – How Toffa practised making the dish for the video 09:43 – When bunga kobis was a trendy dish at Malay weddings10:16 – The secret to making bunga kobis12:00 – Garnish and presentation for the dish13:42 – Why Cikgu Asfiah is considered a guardian for Malay arts15:35 – Cikgu Asfiah's background18:07 – Why Cikgu Asfiah was invited to teach at age 1018:40 – The significance of her first cookbook Hidangan Warisan Kita20:01 – Why she decided to write a cookbook 23:00 – Why her cookbook had limited reach 24:08 – Her work as a mak andam (wedding attendant)26:15 – How her children helped her 28:43 – What a mak andam does33:21 – The resources Toffa used to research on Cikgu Asfiah35:42 – Why food history is important37:35 – Food is…
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/hajah-asfiah-guardian-traditional-malay-culture/transcriptWatch Toffa make bunga kobis: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/videos/bunga-kobis/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79b
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Gibson Analytics. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Toffa for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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You hear Malay, Javanese, Tamil and Punjabi as you wander the streets with shops selling colourful textiles and carpets, spices and flowers. Here you find different curries and bread, nasi padang, sup tulang, mee siam, a Javanese kitchen, Hainanese coffeeshops. Bookstores sell literature and newspapers as far away as Cairo. In this episode, Khir tells us about the Kampong Gelam he grew up in.
Khir Johari was born and raised in historic Kampong Gelam, Singapore. He studied mathematics at Santa Clara University in California, and completed a masters in education at Stanford University. Since returning to Singapore, Khir has focused on research into the food cultures of maritime Southeast Asia. He is the author of The Food of Singapore Malays: Gastronomic Travels through the Archipelago (Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2021).
What Khir Talked About02:32 – The origins of mee maidin, the dish that Khir cooked in From Book to Cook 07:18 – Kampong Gelam as the incubator for the Nusantara (Malay World) kitchen 09:19 – Four main streets in Kampong Gelam selling food, including the only place in Singapore that sells mee odong14:35 – The origins of mee siam17:46 – Three types of mee siam that came out of Kampong Gelam18:36 – Khir’s childhood in Kampong Gelam, where the Tamil Muslim community organized an annual commemoration of a Sufi saint 20:23 – Publishing houses in Kampong Gelam22:51 – Why Khir spent 10 years writing the book The Food of Singapore Malays27:12 – What Khir is working on now28:38 – Khir’s dream job if he lived in Kampong Gelam in the 19th century29:37 – The most maligned ingredient in Malay cooking 31:15 – The one recipe in his book Khir wants people to try 33:07 – Food is…
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/kampong-glam-kitchen-malay-world/transcript/Watch Khir make mee maidin: biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/videos/mee-maidin/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79b
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Khir for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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Kueh pie tee is not a pie that goes with tea. So where did the name (and dish) come from? Award-winning cookbook author Christopher Tan combs through old newspapers and cookbooks, in search of the origins of the dish.
PS: Dates back to 1570!
Christopher Tan is an award-winning writer, cooking instructor and photographer. His articles, columns, recipes and photographs have appeared in many publications, including Singapore's Sunday Times and Straits Times, The Peak magazine, and America's Saveur magazine. He has authored and co-authored many cookbooks, most recently Nerdbaker 2: Tales from the Yeast Indies (Epigram Books, 2024). He loves making meaning with words, images and food.
What Christopher Talked About02:11 – The origins of the dish kueh pie tee11:43 – Why make kueh pie tee shells when they can be bought13:29 – Christopher's tips for deep-frying13:54 – What's special about Susie Hing's 1956 cookbook In a Malayan Kitchen 16:39 – How Christopher connected with Hing's family18:03 – Hing's background18:55 – Different influences in Hing's recipes 21:36 – Why Christopher shares old recipes and cookbooks on his Instagram account23:48 – The value of local vintage cookbooks25:20 – Christopher's latest cookbook, Nerdbaker 2: Tales from the Yeast Indies 29:07 – Why toddy (fermented palm sap) is used in baking35:50 – Christopher's dream filling for kueh pie tee36:57 – The dish Christopher wishes he can master38:21 – How Christopher tests his recipes38:58 – What Christopher would rather buy than make on his own40:23 – Food is...
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/kueh-pie-tee/transcript/Watch Christopher make kueh pie tee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFO2cLUDagESubscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Christopher for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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Tan Teng Kee was the Mike Tyson of Singapore boxing in the 1920s. Known as Battling Key, the larger-than-life boxer attracted crowds wherever he went. Which makes his drastic downfall all the more tragic.
Abhishek Mehrotra is a researcher and writer whose interests include media and society in colonial Singapore, urban toponymy and post-independence India. He is working on his first book (HarperCollins, 2025) – a biography of T.N. Seshan, one of India’s most prominent bureaucrats. Abhishek is a former Lee Kong Chian Research Fellow (2021–22).
What Abhishek Talked About02:04 – How boxing came to Singapore04:44 – Why boxing has wide appeal among the masses06:43 – Who attended boxing matches in 1920s Singapore08:13 – Background and rise of Tan Teng Kee or Battling Key10:43 – Battling Key's matches with Yeo Choon Song 16:07 – Song's complaint about Battling Key's gloves 17:14 – What happened to Song after beating Key20:56 – Key's downfall22:31 – Boxing ecosystem and corruption 28:34 – Why professional boxing was more successful than professional tennis 31:27 – Abhishek's choice between being a boxer and tennis player31:50 – Abhishek's nickname if he were in combat sport32:09 – Fatherhood is...32:06 – Sports is...
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/singapores-first-boxing-superstar-tan-tang-kee/transcript/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Abhishek for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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Nicknamed “Twinkle Toes” for his agility, Chia Boon Leong (1925–2022) is widely regarded as one of Singapore‘s most talented football players. Academic and sports historian Nick Aplin talks about the footballer’s sporting achievements, his character and their friendship.
Dr Nick Aplin is Deputy Director (Sport Heritage) at Sport Singapore. He is the author of the Sport in Singapore series: The Colonial Legacy (2019), The Rocky Road to Kallang Park (2023) and Visions for Change (2023).
What Nick Talked About02:04 – How Boon Leong got his nickname, Twinkle Toes06:32 – How Boon Leong ended up in the Olympics playing for China 08:23 – Nick's meeting with Boon Leong, and their friendship12:28 – Nick's research process and his start in writing about local athletes15:58 – How Nick's first meeting with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam went19:01 – Nick's book launch with the president as the guest of honour22:31 – How chess and sport are similar25:53 – What sport and history are to Nick
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/chia-boon-leong-homegrown-football-olympian/transcript/Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-19/issue-4/jan-mar-2024/chia-boon-leong-football-soccer/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Nick for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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In the 1960s and ‘70s, lured by adventure and money, Singaporean musicians went to South Vietnam to perform for American troops during the war. They were met with cheers, bullets and assault.
Boon Lai is an author, an illustrator and a filmmaker based in Singapore. Inspired by the true accounts of the rockers who toured the Vietnam War, he created the three-book graphic novel series, The Once & Marvellous DKD.
What Boon Lai Talked About02:01 – How Boon Lai came to know of local musicians who went to Vietnam during the 1960s and ’70s05:33 – When these musicians went to Vietnam 08:47 – Why these musicians decided to perform in the war zone11:30 – How these musicians were recruited 15:56 – How much they were paid16:44 – Nightly curfews 18:35 – Daily schedules of musicians 20:50 – Close call with bullets21:53 – Musician Veronica Young’s experience in Vietnam as a woman24:53 – How long Impian Bateks and other musicians played in Saigon27:12 – Boon Lai’s three-year research process 28:58 –Boon Lai’s DKD sequel 29:44 – Hardest thing about creating a historical graphic novel
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/singapore-band-wartime-vietnam/transcript/Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-20/issue-1/apr-jun-2024/singapore-bands-vietnam-war/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Boon Lai for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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Thanks to restoration, classic films like The Teenage Textbook Movie (1998) can still be shown on a big screen 20 years after its cinema run. On a mission to preserve Singapore’s film heritage, film archivist Chew Tee Pao saves important movies and gives them a second life.
Chew Tee Pao is an archivist with the Asian Film Archive. Since 2014, he has overseen the restoration of more than 30 films from the archive’s collection. He has written about film restoration in BiblioAsia.
What Tee Pao Talked About 2:23 – Challenges of restoring The Teenage Textbook Movie (1998)8:06 – How AFA restored They Call Her… Cleopatra Wong (1978) without the original negatives 13:26 – The sad fate of P. Ramlee’s Seniman Bujang Lapok (1961)16:20 – The restoration process for Sri Lankan film Bambaru Avith, which was selected for Cannes Film Festival in 202020:47 – Tee Pao’s experience at Venice Film Festival 22: 48 – The film that got away in terms of restoration 23:40 – A common misconception about film restoration 24:23 – Film restoration does not equate to preservation 26:41 – The importance of saving film heritage
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/saving-singapores-film-heritage/transcript/Read the BiblioAsia articles on restoring Singapore films and Asian films: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/saving-singapores-film-heritage/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Tee Pao for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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In the mid-19th century, two ancient gold coins were uncovered near present-day Keppel Harbour. Unfortunately, the Acehnese coins vanished before they could be studied carefully. The Jawi inscriptions on the coins were recorded, though they didn’t make sense. More than 180 years later, Foo Shu Tieng tries to solve the case.
Foo Shu Tieng is Associate Librarian with the National Library, Singapore, and works with the Singapore and Southeast Asia collections. She has written about stone age in Singapore and Ancient Gold in Southeast Asia in BiblioAsia.
What Shu Talked About02:11 – When and where the coins were found04:35 – Whether the coins were stolen05:48 – How common artefact theft is06:30 – What coins can tell us about Singapore’s history 08:53 – Why and how Shu reexamined the Jawi transcription on the coins10:43 – Response to Shu’s research on the coins 11:57 – Other ancient coins found in Singapore 12:49 – A common misconception of archaeology 13:21 — An archaeological mystery that Shu would like to solve15:26 – Shu’s favourite archaeological pop-culture moment 16:00 – Archaeology is…
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/lost-gold-coins/transcript/Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-19/issue-3/oct-dec-2023/acehnese-chinese-gold-coins/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Shu for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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A young German girl met an untimely end on Pulau Ubin in 1914. A shrine set up in her honour becomes Internet-famous. Following a deep search into the historical records, writer and researcher William Gibson discovers some inconvenient truths behind one of Singapore’s best-known shrines.
Dr William L. Gibson is a former Lee Kong Chian research fellow. Based in Southeast Asia since 2005, he is the author of Keramat, Sacred Relics and Forbidden Idols in Singapore (Routledge, September 2024) and Alfred Raquez and the French Experience of the Far East, 1898–1906 (Routledge, 2021). His articles have appeared in Signal to Noise, PopMatters.com, The Mekong Review, Archipel, History and Anthropology, Bulletin de l’École française d’Extrême-Orient and BiblioAsia, among others.
What William Talked About02:23 – Whom the shrine is dedicated to04:07 – How William knew of the shrine and began research on it06:44 – Different versions of the story behind the shrine11:07 – Termite mounds as sites of worship16:13 – How the German girl shrine became well-known17:36 – Films inspired by the shrine21:45 – How the shrine changed after the 2015 renovation 24:51 – What William prays for at the shrine25:35 – What William is working on now28:27 – Most unexpected offering William has seen at shrines29:56 – The shrine William would make a film on, if he can30:49 – Historical memory and the importance of vernacular traditions
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/the-german-girl-shrine/transcript/Read the BiblioAsia article on biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/german-girl-shrine.Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to William for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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Yip Yew Chong’s 60-metre-long work, “I Paint my Singapore”, drew huge crowds when it went on display at the Raffles City Convention Centre. Comprising 27 scenes of 1970s–1980s Singapore, the painting merges history, memory and nostalgia. In this episode of BiblioAsia+, Yew Chong explains how he created this work and reveals what he would love to paint but has not.
Yip Yew Chong was an accountant till he became a full-time artist in 2018. His practice includes different visual mediums: murals, canvas, sketches, installations, videography and photography. His public murals may be seen in the streets of Singapore and other regional cities, including Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Phnom Penh, while his canvases have been shown in art galleries.
What Yew Chong Talked About01:53 – What “I Paint my Singapore” is about04:14 – What inspired Yew Chong to paint this 60-metre canvas08:31 – Yew Chong’s favourite scene in the painting, and his childhood in Kreta Ayer14:32 – His research process for the painting21:18 – Balancing historical research with creative licence23:56 – What he finds hard to paint24:49 – Painting alone in studio versus in public, and indoors versus outdoors26:54 – Recent books about Yew Chong and his art: The Art of Joy and I Paint my Singapore31:12 – What he is working on now34:11 – What he wants to paint but hasn’t34:58 – How he overcomes artist’s block35:24 – What he thinks about Banksy
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/yip-yew-chong/transcript/Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-20/issue-1/apr-jun-2024/yip-yew-chong-i-paint-my-singapore/Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Yew Chong for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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The Great Reclamation is a work of historical fiction set in Singapore that has received rave reviews from the New Yorker and the New York Times. A love story, it also took five years of serious research into a variety of topics, including land reclamation, the Japanese Occupation and postwar politics in Singapore. Listen to author Rachel Heng talk about her book and her fascinating research process.
Rachel Heng is the author of the novels The Great Reclamation and Suicide Club, which was a national bestseller in Singapore and has been translated into 10 languages.
Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript and the BiblioAsia article on land reclamation that Rachel referred to in her research at biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/about.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Soh Gek Han and produced by Jimmy Yap. Sound engineering was done by Gibson Analytics. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Rachel for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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Writer and educator Ilya Katrinnada interviewed the Orang Seletar who resettled in Johor to learn about their lives, and their links to Singapore.
Ilya Katrinnada is an educator and writer with a keen interest in the intersections of creativity, community and education. Having graduated with a major in anthropology, she currently works as a special education teacher.
Read the transcript and the original BiblioAsia article on biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/about.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Gibson Analytics. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Ilya for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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The Kranji War Cemetery and the Singapore Memorial commemorate those who died while fighting the Japanese during World War II. Librarian Janice Loo looks at the lives of the people who paid the ultimate price in the defence of Singapore.
Janice Loo is a librarian with the National Library, Singapore. Her responsibilities include collection management and content development as well as research and reference assistance on topics relating to Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Read the transcript and the original BiblioAsia article on biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/podcast/about.
This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Gibson Analytics. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Osman Ahmad and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Janice for coming on the show.
BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library of Singapore.
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