Short Stories by Liang Wern Fook, Translated from the Chinese by Christina Ng

Confucius sits in his chair. A mute uncle utters his first word in decades. A talking potato is sworn to confidentiality.

These are stories written with Liang Wern Fook’s left hand. All authors write with this hand, coaxing out left-handed stories from a right-handed reality. Liang has been writing with his right hand for a long time, but in this thought-provoking collection, he has returned to his left, crafting stories that surprise even his right. Stories that are replete with playful irony, ranging from the absurd to the comical; stories which transcend personal difficulties to reveal shared tragedies, collectively endured.

Liang Wern Fook is a writer, musician, singer, and professor of Chinese literature. During the 1980s, he played a pivotal role as one of the pioneering figures in the xinyao movement, which celebrated Singaporean Chinese folk songs. He has received numerous awards across diverse artistic genres, including the prestigious Singapore Cultural Medallion. With a prolific body of work, he boasts over twenty publications spanning various creative genres and an impressive repertoire of more than three hundred songs. Widely recognised for his ability to blend literature and music, his works have left an indelible mark on Singapore’s vibrant art scene.

Christina Ng is a Singaporean writer, journalist and translator based in Berlin. Her Chinese to English translations include poetry by Singaporean poets Liang Wern Fook, Ting Kheng Siong, Dan Ying and Chinese poet Hua Qing.

ISBN: 978-1-913891-55-8
Publication date: 1 November 2023
Format: Paperback (Demy octavo) 216mm x 138mm
Pages: 144 pp

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