Singapore's National Day falls on August 9 and commemorates independence from Malaysia in 1965. Most Singaporeans are familiar with the pomp of the National Day Parade (NDP) and accompanying fireworks. To celebrate this occasion, the library has curated some titles for your reading pleasure, along with links to external sites featuring interesting information about our little red dot.
Singapore Literature
Food Republic: A Singapore Literary Banquet by 
How we disappeared by
In the year 2000, twelve-year-old Kevin is sitting beside his ailing grandmother when he overhears a mumbled confession. He sets out to discover the truth, wherever it might lead, setting in motion a chain of events he never could have foreseen.
Ponti by
Seventeen years later, Circe is struggling through a divorce in fraught and ever-changing Singapore when a project comes up at work: a remake of the cult seventies horror film series 'Ponti', the very project that defined Amisa's short-lived film career. Suddenly Circe is knocked off balance: by memories of the two women she once knew, by guilt, and by a past that threatens her conscience.
Told from the perspectives of all three women, Ponti is about friendship and memory, about the things we do when we're on the cusp of adulthood that haunt us years later. Beautifully written by debut author Sharlene Teo, and enormously atmospheric, Ponti marks the launch of an exciting new literary voice in the vein of Zadie Smith.
Nimita's place: a novel by
It is 1944 in India and Nimita Khosla yearns to attend university to become an engineer, but her parents want a different life for her. As she accepts her fate and marries, religious upheaval is splitting the country and forcing her family to find a new home.
In 2014, her granddaughter, molecular biologist Nimita Sachdev, escapes India to run away from the prospect of an arranged marriage. Staking out a future in Singapore, she faces rising anger against immigrants and uncertainty about her new home.
Two generations apart, these two women walk divergent paths but face the same quandaries: who are we, and what is home?
Singapore Food
The Food of Singapore Malays by
This is not a cookbook. It is the unwritten story of a people.Between the vast Indian and Pacific oceans lies a realm of extraordinary natural abundance: the Malay Archipelago, known widely as the Nusantara. These islands of Southeast Asia have nourished the lives of indigenous Malays throughout the centuries and nurtured the diverse peoples that have set foot on their shores. Today, the Malays make up less than a fifth of the population in Singapore, a city with ancient ties to the Malay world. This book explores their food, not just as a means of sustenance but as a cultural activity. Inheriting the Nusantara's rich flavours, Singapore Malays have a grand culinary heritage reflecting their worldviews, social values and historical interactions with other cultures. Through close examination of their daily objects, customs, art and literature, these pages reveal how the food Malays enjoy is deeply embedded in different aspects of their identity.Following the broad sweep of Malay cuisine's evolution - from the 7th-century kingdom of Srivijaya to the 21st-century emporium of cosmopolitan Singapore - this book traces the continuity and dynamism of a shared cultural consciousness. Sumptuously served with stunning photographs, delicious recipes and diligent research, this is essential reading for anyone - gourmets and amateurs alike - hungry for a deeper understanding of the relationship between people and their food.
The way of kueh : savouring & saving Singapore's heritage desserts by
Much more than just a collection of recipes, The Way of Kueh delves into the topic with a lyrical, insightful and practical approach. It traverses kueh families and genres, key kueh-making techniques, the seasonality and social significance of kueh, and the importance of both tradition and innovation. Local kueh artisans from all walks of life share their stories and perspectives in interviews, while short essays muse on the histories, regional and colonial influences, science and symbolism behind this most diverse of food genres.
Early hawkers in Singapore, 1920s to 1930s by
The hawker centre is an integral part of Singapore's urban landscape. As they are now easily found all around the island, many may not be aware that the concept of housing hawkers within designated space was not common before Singapore's independence in 1965. Instead, hawkers plied the streets on foot, toting their wares in portable makeshift stalls. Illustrator Chang Yang captured the street hawkers from the 20s and 30s in a series titled "Our Vanishing Street Hawkers" (消失了的过街小贩), which ran in of the Singapore's Chinese evening dailies, the Lianhe Wanbao, from 1987 - 1988. Accompanying the illustrations were informative passages, describing in details how the hawkers conducted business, where they could be found, the types of customers they attracted and even the hawker's outfits. This book published by Focus Publishing and the National Heritage Board features the full series of 128 illustrations, with their accompanying text translated into English by Dr. Lai Chee Kien. Dr. Lai also writes in detail on the history of hawker centres in Singapore, and presents a visual and analysis of Chan Yang's illustrations.
Singapore heritage food by
This bestselling classic cookbook by Singaporean cookery doyen Sylvia Tan provides recipes for the well-loved dishes of Singapore and traces the development of the culinary heritage of the food paradise. Some 15,000 copies in multiple printings have been sold.
Singapore Hawker Classics Unveiled by
Produced as a celebration of Singapore's renowned culinary heritage, Singapore Hawker Classics Unveiled, tells you everything you ever needed to know--and more!--about 25 of our favourite dishes. The 25 delicious recipes featured will allow you to recreate your favourite classic hawker treats at home and inspire you to look at these familiar dishes in a new light--each dish includes its traditional presentation together with an additional interpretation with a modern twist. Moreover, every dish is covered in great detail, including information on its heritage, its aroma, taste and texture, its nutritional value, as well as clear step-by-step instructions and photographs.
Straits Times Articles
Newspapers are a very good source of current and reliable information, including on the NDP. You can read the latest NDP related articles from the Straits Times here, or browse some selected articles below:
Are you a more of a visual learner? Check out a a collection of current and historical NDP photos below!
NDP Songs
An annual NDP highlight since the 1980s are the NDP songs. Browse the entire list since 1985 here. Love them? Hate them? Have a favourite? Check out a selection of the best at the site below.
Kit Chan - Home (25th Anniversary Remake) (Official Music Video) by Banshee Empire
Kit Chan has re-recorded the classic song Home for its 25th anniversary this year.
Singapore Society
90 years in Singapore by
Irene Lim writes vividly about her life, family and friends over a period of 90 years. Except for a few years spent in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, during the Japanese Occupation, Irene's account is also a small Singapore Story.
Seven Hundred Years by
Assessments of Singapore's history invariably revolve around Sir Stamford Raffles' arrival in 1819. Before this date - we've been told - "nothing very much appears to have happened in Singapore". Pre-1819 Singapore was a sleepy, historically insignificant fishing village, little more than the "occasional resort of pirates". This ambitious book, co-written by four of Singapore's foremost historians, offers an assertive re-evaluation of that view, firmly situating Singapore's starting point seven hundred years ago. Drawing on a multi-disciplinary range of archival, textual and cartographical records, as well as the latest archaeological discoveries, the authors cast a singular historical trajectory for Singapore over the past seven centuries, animating its history like never before. Written in a compelling and accessible manner, and richly illustrated with more than 200 artefacts, photographs, maps, art works and ephemera, this volume builds upon the foundations of an earlier book, Singapore: A 700-Year History. Extensively rewritten to incorporate ground-breaking research findings, Seven Hundred Years: A History of Singapore widens the historical lens and offers a vital new perspective on the story of Singapore.
Leluhur: Singapore's Kampong Gelam by
Once the centre of trade and commerce connecting Singapore to the rest of the Malay Archipelago, Kampong Gelam served as a religious, intellectual, and social hub for the Malays in Singapore. It also functioned as a Pilgrim Hub for pilgrims bound for the Haj.
In 1989, the Singapore government gazetted Kampong Gelam and accorded it the status of a conservation area. At the heart of it all, Kampong Gelam was home to modern Singapore's pioneers, entrepreneurs, craftsmen, and residents.
200: points in Singapore's natural history by
200 : a natural history" is an exhibition at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum that is part of Singapore's Bicentennial.
In this together: Singapore's COVID-19 story by
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.
We Are Singaporeans by
Choosing to do unconventional work is hard work, especially in a society that values sticking to the norms. In We Are Singaporeans Volume 1, we meet ten people who have gone against the grain with their career paths to achieve success in their respective fields. They are:- Anthony Chen, filmmaker- Cai Yinzhou, tour guide & activist- Bjorn Low, urban farmer- Eugenia Ong, medical researcher- Eunice Olsen, TV presenter, actress, communications trainer- Joanna Dong, singer, actress and host- Kim Whye Kee, potter- Siti Khalijah Zainal, theatre actress- Shabir Tabare Alam, music composer, singer, songwriter, actor- Verleen Goh and Alan Phua, foodtech entrepreneursIn this collection of interviews featuring stunning and evocative illustrations by popular artist Lee Xinli, find out how these remarkable individuals hustle for their work goals, overcome challenges and discouragement, and stay true to their passions and visions.
Journal Articles
Art in Transit
Many of us take the MRT daily, but did you stop to notice the artworks on the walls, or even on the floor?
Many MRT stations actually contain public art. Under the Art in Transit (AIT) programme, individuals are commissioned by the LTA to create unique pieces for MRT stations and to celebrate Singapore history. Read more about the AIT programme and view samples of the works at the link below!
Interested to find out even more? There are published books with detailed information on the various artworks, thought processes and revisions that went into their creation. Find out more in the Art in Transit books, further below.
Art in transit : Downtown Line Singapore by
Art in transit Downtown Line Singapore introduce 32 artworks installed along the country's fifth MRT line, which connects Bukit Panjang to the city and Tampines.
Rally Speeches
An annual National Day highlight is the National Day Rally Speeches, delivered by the Prime Minister on a Sunday one or two weeks after National Day itself.
Listening to the speeches is very different from reading them, especially if the speaker is a good orator. You can watch or listen to all of the National Day Rally Speeches from 1966 to 2021 here.
The National Anthem
You may have sung it for years, but do you know what the National Anthem means, or who composed it? Read more below!
National Day Parade features participants from all walks of life, young and old by CNA
As the grand celebration approaches, the dedicated participants are leaving no stone unturned to ensure a visual spectacle at the Padang. Months of relentless preparation are unfolding behind the scenes, culminating in the upcoming National Day Parade on August 9th.
Crunch time comes long before showtime for NDP 2023 multimedia team by CNA
This year’s National Day Parade (NDP) will involve a high degree of audiovisual elements, and the multimedia team has been fine-tuning their work to wow the audience come Aug 9. Themed “Onward As One”, this year’s parade will take place at the Padang, after it was last held there in 2019.
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