--Co-Winner of the Singapore Literature Prize 2020 (English, Fiction)-- --Winner of the 2019 Singapore Book Awards Best Literary Work-- A man learns that all the animals at the Zoo are robots. A secret terminal in Changi Airport caters to the gods. A prince falls in love with a crocodile. A concubine is lost in time. The island of Singapore disappears. These are the exquisitely strange tales of Lion City, the first collection of short fiction by award-winning poet and playwright Ng Yi-Sheng. Infused with myth, magical realism and contemporary sci-fi, each of these tales invites the reader to see this city-state in a new and darkly fabulous light.

Bahshi, the King of Singapore! Nobody knows the origin of this indestructible monster or how he came to be. Some say he’s god-awoken to punish men for their pollution and destruction of the Earth. Others think he was created by men in an unforeseen event or came forth from another universe breaching through realities with his might! Could we truly destroy the King of Singapore?!

Lion City Narratives: Singapore Through Western Eyes fulfils four aims. First, it is a study of subjective Western impressions of Singapore's 145 years (1819-1963) of colonial history. The study is not meant to be an in-depth historical analysis of Singapore, but rather to give the reader an impressionistic account of how Western residents viewed Singapore over the decades. Second, this study could be seen as a short biography of Singapore's evolution as a city. The chapters on the imageability of Singapore and its urban morphology provide a holistic perspective of Singapore's urban dynamics. Third, this book provides a cultural insight into Singapore's population, both White residents and transient visitors, as well as the locals or Asians. Fourth, it opens a window into Singapore's development at a time when the West was at its cultural zenith and when Great Britain was the principal superpower of the 19th century. Hence Singapore carried twin colonial legacies — it was the archetype trading emporium between East and West, and it became, for the British, the major point d'appui for defence. Finally, the Singapore colonial narrative is set in a broader academic discourse that allows the reader to see a wider picture of Singapore's colonial development.The book does not attempt to make a definitive statement about the Western involvement in Singapore; it deals more with an association of many subjective Western perspectives that add colour to the liveability of the tropics, perceptions of the exotic Orient, and the myriad views of ethnic groups. Without the Western writings, paintings, and maps, academia would have minimal records of Singapore's development. As a new colony in the early 19th century however, Singapore's growth has been extremely well documented.This book will appeal to Singaporeans interested in understanding Singapore's colonial past, Westerners interested in the Western cultural persona in the development of Singapore, researchers dealing with the urban development of less-developed countries and colonial development in the tropical world, and lastly, academics who are interested in Singapore and the region's political and economic development as a case study.

Garry Wills's Venice: Lion City is a tour de force -- a rich, colorful, and provocative history of the world's most fascinating city in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when it was at the peak of its glory. This was not the city of decadence, carnival, and nostalgia familiar to us from later centuries. It was a ruthless imperial city, with a shrewd commercial base, like ancient Athens, which it resembled in its combination of art and sea empire. Venice: Lion City presents a new way of relating the history of the city through its art and, in turn, illuminates the art through the city's history. It is illustrated with more than 130 works of art, 30 in full color. Garry Wills gives us a unique view of Venice's rulers, merchants, clerics, laborers, its Jews, and its women as they created a city that is the greatest art museum in the world, a city whose allure remains undiminished after centuries. Like Simon Schama's The Embarrassment of Riches, on the Dutch culture in the Golden Age, Venice: Lion City will take its place as a classic work of history and criticism.

Two hundred years after Singapore’s foundation by Stamford Raffles in 1819, this book reflects on the historical development of the city, putting forward much new research and new thinking. It discusses Singapore’s emergence as a regional economic hub, explores its strategic importance and considers its place in the development of the British Empire. Subjects covered include the city’s initial role as a strategic centre to limit the resurgence of Dutch power in Southeast Asia after the Napoleonic Wars, the impact of the Japanese occupation, and the reasons for Singapore’s exit from the Malaysian Federation in 1965. The book concludes by examining how Singapore’s history is commemorated at present, reinforcing the image of the city as prosperous, peaceful and forward looking, and draws out the lessons which history can provide concerning the city’s likely future development.

British imperialism helped shaped the modern world order. This same imperialism created modern Singapore, controlling its colonial development and influencing its post-colonial orientation. Winston Churchill was British imperialism's most significant twentieth century statesman. He never visited Singapore, but his story and that of the city-state are deeply intertwined. Singapore became a symbol of British imperial power in Asia to Churchill, while Singaporeans came to see him as symbolizing that power. The fall of Singapore to Japanese conquest in 1942 was a low point in Churchill's war leadership, one he forever labeled by calling it 'the worst disaster in British military history.' It was also a tragedy for Singapore, ushering in three years of harsh military occupation. But the interplay between these three historical forces, Churchill, Empire, and Singapore, extended well beyond this dramatic conjuncture. The Last Lion and the Lion City provides a critical examination of that longer interplay through an analysis of Churchill's understanding of empire, his perceptions of Singapore and its imperial role, his direction of affairs regarding Singapore and the Empire, his influence on the subsequent relationship between Britain and Singapore.

Come discover art from the lion city in Awesome Art Singapore! This volume encourages children to appreciate art by revealing works by 10 artists which cover sculpture, photography and painting. Fully illustrated with stories and fun facts about each artwork, Awesome Art Singapore helps makes art concepts and ideas easy to enjoy and understand. Filled with activities exploring mediums, methods and motivations, this book teems with fun and engaging activities that inspire hours of creativity at home or in the classroom. Awesome Art Singapore is another title in the Awesome Art series, which seeks to make art accessible to the young and young at heart.

A compelling, illuminating and evocative history of Singapore—the world's most successful city-state. In 1965, Singapore's GDP per capita was on a par with Jordan. Now it has outstripped Japan. After the Second World War and a sudden rupture with newly formed Malaysia, Singapore found itself independent - and facing a crisis. It took the bloody-minded determination and vision of Lee Kuan Yew, its founding premier, to take a small island of diverse ethnic groups with a fragile economy and hostile neighbours and meld it into Asia's first globalised city. Lion City examines the different faces of Singaporean life - from education and health to art, politics and demographic challenges - and reveals how in just half a century, Lee forged a country with a buoyant economy and distinctive identity. It explores the darker side of how this was achieved too; through authoritarian control that led to it being dubbed 'Disneyland with the death penalty'. Jeevan Vasagar, former Singapore correspondent for the Financial Times, masterfully takes us through the intricate history, present and future of this unique diamond-shaped island one degree north of the equator, where new and old have remained connected. Lion City is a personal, insightful and definitive guide to the city, and how its extraordinary rise is shaping East Asia and the rest of the world.

Among Montana’s most enduring legacies are the names assigned to its geographic features and places found on the state map. As long as humans have inhabited Montana they have named places. While the past two centuries have changed the way people live in Montana, the names given to some rivers, mountain ranges, cities, and towns have persisted, while others have changed with time. Naming Montana explores the origins of more than 1,000 Montana place names, drawing upon the knowledge of Montana Historical Society historians and the expertise of local historians from across the state. This new publication includes both geographic features, selected historic sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, historic photographs, and maps. The authors’ extensive research illuminates the stories behind the names of places that we call home.