BiblioAsia Podcast
The BiblioAsia Podcast explores Singapore stories: some unfamiliar, others forgotten, all fascinating. Does Singapore have a stone age? What’s happened to the murals at the old Paya Lebar airport? Who were some local tennis greats? Find out in this original podcast by the National Library Singapore.
Episodes
A Layered Stewed Sweetness: Jackfruit Payasam Made Local
Cookbook author and former restaurateur Dhershini Winodan tells us how she has adapted jackfruit payasam, a common Malayalee dessert, by using local elements like gula melaka. She also talks about growing up in the Telecoms quarters in Yio Chu Kang and how the Malayalee community in Singapore has changed over time.Dhershini Govin Winodan is a former restaurateur who started Chat Masala along Upper
The Crisped, the Baked, the Spiralled: Curry Puffs and Their History
Award-winning writer Christopher Tan talks how the Indian samosa led to the curry puffs we know today, as well as the different types of curry puffs – baked, spiralled, made with mutton fat and fillings like otak-otak and taro.Christopher Tan is a food writer, culinary instructor and photographer. His articles, columns, recipes and photographs have appeared in many publications, including Singapor
Putting Together a Family Recipe of Abacus Seeds
When chef, filmmaker and writer Sarah Huang Benjamin wanted to make Hakka abacus seeds for Chinese New Year, her relatives were of little help. The exact recipe was something the older generation had not passed on. Armed with her childhood memories of helping to make the dish, Sarah spent hours doing research and conducting countless experiments before she came up with something she was happy with
The Untold Negotiations Behind Singapore's Independence in 1965
For decades, the conventional wisdom was that Singapore was “kicked out” of Malaysia. However, newly released documents in Dr Goh Keng Swee's Albatross file reveal a more complex history. In this episode, Janadas Devan, the coordinator for the Albatross File project, tells us more about the secret negotiations by Singapore’s leaders to separate from Malaysia, even as many of them still hoped to pr
A Tang Dynasty City in Singapore: Flying Swordsmen, Terracotta Warriors and Pagodas
A film studio and theme park in Jurong opened to grand fanfare in 1992. Named Tang Dynasty City, it was modelled after the ancient city of Chang’an. Despite its underground terracotta warriors and other attractions, it struggled to draw visitors, as Senior Librarian Lim Tin Seng tells us.Lim Tin Seng is a senior librarian with the National Library Singapore. He is the co-editor of of Roots: Tracin
The Italian Merchant and Lexicographer Who Once Owned Pulau Bukom
Giovanni Gaggino came to Singapore around 1874 and lived here for more than 40 years. During that time, he set up a successful business providing supplies to vessels passing through Singapore, he wrote an Italian-Malay dictionary and once owned the Pulau Bukom. Writer Alex Foo tells us about the life of Gaggino and his legacy.Formerly a literary arts librarian at the National Library Board, Alex F
Changing Times: Time Zone Changes in Singapore since 1905
Singapore's time zone has been changed at least seven times since 1905, including during the Japanese Occupation when it was synchronised to Tokyo time. Arts librarian Kenneth Tay explains the historical context for the time zone changes, the origins of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) system, and ways to measure time, including a rare atomic clock in a local laboratory.Kenneth Tay is a librarian wit
The First Local to Head the National Library: Hedwig Anuar
Hedwig Anuar was the first Malayan to head the National Library, a position she held for 23 years until 1988. She was also involved in the setting up the Singapore Book Council, National Archives of Singapore and Association of Women for Action and Research. Her daughter, Shirin Aroozoo, tells us about Anuar as a mother and a person, and about how her convictions about books, children's education
The Civil Servant in Charge of Clean and Green Singapore, Lee Ek Tieng
Lee Ek Tieng (1933–2025) was the civil servant who headed the clean-up of the Singapore River, had the foresight to modernise the sanitation system, and ensured water self-sufficiency for Singapore. Writer Samantha Boh tells us how he did it with his colleagues and earned their respect.Samantha Boh is a journalist and an author who covers the environment and science. She has written extensively on
The Days Before Air Conditioning
Before air conditioning was introduced in Singapore in the 1920s, temperature control was a matter of architectural design. Environmental historian Fiona Williamson tells us how people kept themselves cool before air conditioning arrived, why weather science was important to the colonial enterprise, and what environmental history can tell us about a city’s development.Fiona Williamson is an enviro
Searching for Family in the Shadows of War
Jan Beránek sets out to find out what happened to his granduncle, Silvestr Němec, who left his Czech village for Singapore in 1938 and died as a volunteer during WWII. He finds Silvestr’s story woven with that of the Bata Shoe Company, the Czechoslovak community and volunteer forces in Singapore.Jan Beránek is a Czech environmentalist and an energy expert. He was born and raised in the Czech city
Negotiating OB Markers When Running the Straits Times
Former Straits Times editor-in-chief Cheong Yip Seng tells us how he negotiated OB markers with the government during his tenure (1987–2006), how he balanced the interests of the paper’s stakeholders, and which news story he nearly went to jail for.Cheong Yip Seng is a veteran journalist. He was editor-in-chief of the Straits Times from 1987 to 2006 and editorial adviser to the South China Morning
25 Hawkins Road: Home to Vietnamese Refugees
The Hawkins Road camp in Sembawang was home to thousands of Vietnamese refugees until it closed in 1996. Researcher Rebecca Tan talks about how the refugees spent their days in the camp and their lives after Singapore.Rebecca Tan is Digital Preservation Archivist at the National Archives of Singapore. She was previously Children and Teens Librarian at Toa Payoh Public Library, and Digital Heritage
The Making of "Majulah Singapura" as We Know It
The national anthem that we know today wasn't the original version composed by Zubir Said. His first version was longer and was set at a higher key. Emeritus Professor Bernard Tan talks about how "Majulah Singapura" came about and how it changed over the decades, and illustrates how these versions differ on his piano.Emeritus Professor Bernard T. G. Tan is a retired professor of physics from the N
First Spy Chief of Independent Singapore, Tay Seow Huah
Tay Seow Huah, then Permanent Secretary for the Home Affairs Ministry, helmed Singapore’s response to the 1974 Laju hijacking incident. This was when four terrorists tried (but failed) to destroy Shell’s oil infrastructure on Pulau Bukom Besar and subsequently took five hostages. Little is known about the enigmatic spy chief, who was the founding Director of the Security and Intelligence Division.
Hawker Culture in Singapore
Hawkers traditionally sell their food on streets. Uniquely in Singapore though, they ply their trade in fixed stalls in hawker centres. Ryan Kueh, author of the bestselling From Streets to Stalls, tells us how the hawker culture has evolved in Singapore since the colonial period and what hawker centres have come to represent.Ryan Kueh holds a master’s degree from Tsinghua University under the Schw
Badang the Strongman: A Miracle-Working Grave, A Folk Tale and a Nation’s Mythology
Many people know of the story of Badang the strongman, an aboriginal slave who gains supernatural strength after eating the vomit of a spirit. He throws a stone, which might or might not be the Singapore Stone, and his miracle-working grave is believed to be on Pulau Buru in the Riau Archipelago. However, independent scholar William Gibson tells us the tale of Badang (and the location of his grave
Peng Tsu Ying: Singapore's Pioneering Deaf Educator
When Peng Tsu Ying came to Singapore from Shanghai in the late 1940s, he could not find a deaf person like him. Determined to improve the situation for the deaf community, he founded Singapore's first school for the deaf in 1954. Librarian Nathaniel Chew tells us about Peng's advocacy, his own journey learning the Singapore Sign Language and the different ways it has evolved.Nathaniel Chew is a li
The Misunderstood Trip That Led to the 1953 Landmark Art Exhibition
In 1952, four Singapore artists – Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Liu Kang – travelled to Java and Bali in search of artistic inspiration. The following year, they put up an exhibition showcasing art they had produced from the trip, an exhibition often hailed by art historians as a milestone in Singapore art history. Yet much of the trip has been shrouded in mystery, until Gret
More Than Mr Mari Kita: The Life and Legacy of Zubir Said
Zubir Said (1907–87) gave Singapore its national anthem, “Majulah Singapura”, and its official Children’s Day song, “Semoga Bahagia”. Working with theatre company Wild Rice, music director Julian Wong put together a critically acclaimed production on the life of Pak Zubir that mixed history, music and memory in a moving show, Don't Call Him Mr. Mari Kita. Performances were sold out in 2022 and 202
Somerset Maugham Scandalises 1920s Singapore
Sharing the literary landscape with contemporaries like D.H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf, W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) travelled to Singapore in 1921. Though he was already well-known as a writer then, it was his stay in Singapore that inspired some of his most celebrated short stories. Crime fiction writer Tracey Morton tells us how Singapore inspired his works, why they remain relevant, and w
What Makes An Animal Singaporean?
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 Singapore
A Tour of 60 Asian Port Cities with Ex–ACM Director Kennie Ting
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
He Wrote the National Pledge: S. Rajaratnam, Singapore's First Foreign Minister
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,
Stella Kon: Beyond Emily of Emerald Hill
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 w
Seaside Foraging and Eurasian Cuisine
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 prestigi
Food of the Peranakan Indians
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 commu
The Chinese Vegetarian Foodscape of the 1950s–60s
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 cookbook
Hajah Asfiah: A Guardian of Traditional Malay Culture
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) publis
Kampong Gelam: Kitchen of the Malay World
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
Kueh Pie Tee: A Detective Story
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 publicatio
The Tragedy of Singapore’s First Boxing Superstar
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 (HarperCol
Chia Boon Leong: The Homegrown Football Olympian
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 Colo
Singapore Bands in Wartime Vietnam
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 &a
Saving Singapore's Film Heritage
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 fr
The Lost Gold Coins of the Old Singapore Library
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,
The True Story Behind Ubin’s German Girl Shrine
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 a
Artist Yip Yew Chong Paints His Story in History
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 ti
The Great Reclamation: A Singaporean Historical Epic
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 proce
What’s Become of the Seafaring Orang Seletar?
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.Transcript and ResourcesRead the
Lest We Forget: Kranji War Cemetery
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
The Recording Industry in Singapore, 1903-1985
Singapore used to be a major recording centre in Southeast Asia, with over 10,000 local recordings made before 1960. Hear the story from sound archivist Ross Laird, author of From Keroncong to Xinyao.Ross was formerly a sound archivist with the National Film & Sound Archive of Australia. He was awarded NLB’s Lee Kong Chian Research Fellowship in 2010.Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript
The Stories Behind the Shrines on Kusu Island
Writer and researcher William L. Gibson undertakes a pilgrimage into the archives to uncover the history of the keramat on Kusu Island, south of the main island of Singapore.Dr William L. Gibson is an author and a researcher based in Southeast Asia since 2005. His research topic for the Lee Kong Chian Research Fellowship, awarded by the National Library Board in 2021, was an in-depth study of kera
The Mystery of Sarong Island
Librarian Lim Tin Seng rediscovers Singapore’s first island resort getaway and solves various mysteries surrounding it, including where Sarong Island is now.Lim Tin Seng is a senior librarian with the National Library, Singapore. He is the co-editor of Roots: Tracing Family Histories (2013), Harmony and Development: ASEAN-China Relations (2009) and China’s New Soci al Policy (2010). He writes regu
Beyond Firewalking
There's more to firewalking than the public display of religious devotion. Independent curator Nalina Gopal tells us the stories behind the three-month rituals that precede the firewalking at Singapore's Sri Mariamman Temple.Nalina Gopal is an independent curator and researcher focused on South Asia and its diaspora. She is the co-editor of Sojourners to Settlers: Tamils in Southeast Asia and Sing
Stone Age in Singapore
Stone tools have been found in and around Singapore since the late 19th century, but much about them remains a mystery, according to librarian and archaeologist Foo Shu Tieng.Foo Shu Tieng is an associate librarian with the National Library, Singapore, and works with the Singapore and Southeast Asia collections. Her responsibilities include collection management, content development as well as pro
Malaya's Prewar Tennis Greats
Writer Abhishek Mehrotra serves up a history of Malaya’s prewar tennis scene, focusing on two tennis greats: Khoo Hooi Hye and Lim Bong Soo, who won 9 Malaya Cups and 12 Singapore Championships between them.Abhishek 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 – a biography of
Belacan: Caviar or Vile?
A food that has been called rank and disgusting is a beloved condiment in Southeast Asia. Librarian Toffa Abdul Wahed talks about the long history of belacan (fermented shrimp) in Southeast Asia and Singapore.Toffa is an associate librarian with the National Library, Singapore, and works with the Singapore and Southeast Asia Collection.Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasi
The Forgotten Murals of Paya Lebar Airport
Three large murals used to grace the walls of Paya Lebar Airport, depicting scenes from Singapore and Malaysia. Librarian Dahlia Shamsuddin, the daughter of one of the artists involved, recounts her efforts to uncover the fate of her father’s mural.Dahlia is a senior librarian at the Singapore's National Library Board, where she catalogues legal deposit, gift and donor materials.Transcript and Res
Taoist Folk Goddesses of Singapore
Maiden Lin, Maiden Lei and Maiden Huang are local goddesses whose legends begin in Singapore. Award-winning writer Ng Yi-Sheng dives into their origins and looks at their worship today. Yi-Sheng is a poet, fictionist, playwright and researcher. His books include the debut poetry collection last boy, A Book of Hims and Loud Poems for a Very Obliging Audience, and the short story collection Lion C
My Grandfather Was a Rōmusha
During World War II, forced civilian labourers known as rōmusha were used by the Imperial Japanese Army to build the infamous Thai-Burma Railway. Shirlene Noordin pieces together what happened to her grandfather in the three years he worked on the Death Railway.Shirlene is the founder of Phish Communications, a communications consultancy specialising in arts and culture.Transcript and ResourcesRea
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