$17.00

This play won the first prize in the National Playwriting Competition in 1983.  It has  been performed about 500 times by many different actors.  The book is widely used as a text book in Singapore schools and tertiary institutions.

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You may also purchase copies of Emily of Emerald Hill from Kinokuniya or Books Actually stores in Singapore.

$120 + $8 Singapore Delivery

Stella Kon’s iconic character, Emily of Emerald Hill, is presented via the medium of visual arts as a fine art edition book, limited to 750 copies.

The script is illuminated with 20 artworks by Kelly Reedy.

Commissioned to create symbolic images representing specially chosen characters and scenes from the play, Reedy worked exclusively in the medium of collage, combining elements from the different cultural heritages that make up the Peranakan world, including Malay inspired batik fabrics, Chinese traditional paper cuts, as well as references to the British Colonial era.

Reedy, who has lived in Southeast Asia for more than a decade, studied painting and drawing at the University of Wisconsin, and at L’Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Her artwork has been shown in Berlin, Paris, Chicago, and Singapore.

S$120 + $8 Singapore Delivery

$17.00

In this collection of short plays Stella Kon, one of Singapore’s established literary figures, uses English which is both simple and poetic, to write powerful pocket dramas easily accessible to learners. She uses traditional motifs and themes to present challenging ideas. “Runner of Marathon” is about people who are willing to die for democracy and freedom.  “The Immigrant” casts the story of early immigrants to Singapore in Chinese-opera style and “Hideout in Geylang” is a melodrama set in the gangster underworld of the 1960’s.   “The Eldest Brother” describes family values in an HDB household – while  “Birds of a Feather” satirically describes the plight of strangers who are not accepted by the culture in which they find themselves.“The Naga in the Swamp” can be seen as an allegory of recent Asian social change. “Emporium”  is a takes on the story of Gautama Buddha.  “Kumba Kumba”, set in the fabled Dreamtime, is about a non-conformist dreamer in conflict with his society.  “In the Repair Shop” is about a good boy rebelling against his perfect parents.   This book is used as an English text by  many Singapore schools  at Lower Secondary level.

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You may also purchase copies of 9 Classroom Plays from Kinokuniya bookstores in Singapore.

$28.00

This book brings together 3 canonical works which established  Stella  Kon as one of Singapore’s foremost playwrights. 

“The Bridge” is about the inmates of a drug-rehabilitation centre, putting up a colourful musical performance of the Ramayana.  The innovative work presents layers of reality and symbolism, and theatre styles ranging from epic to gritty realism. 

“Trial” presents Socrates on trial for his life in the Republic of Singapore, on a charge of teaching young people to question accepted teachings.  The audience of Singaporeans is asked to vote for his life or death.  The script is an exercise in irony, written at a time when Singaporeans spoke more cautiously than they do now.

" Dragon’s Teeth Gate:” was commissioned for the Arts Festival  in 1985. The vengeful ghost of an ancient Chinese admiral strugles with the Boddhisatva Kuan Yin for the soul of Singapore, with Freddy Tan, businessman, as man in the middle.   Powerful verse, scenes of intense ritual, and Singaporean slapstick, provide strong images for a cosmic struggle.

$18.00

A  novel combining action, romance, fantasy and mysticism.  Eston, possessing superhuman powers, challenges modern Singaporeans to encounter their deepest selves.  He confronts the confusion and violence of  human life.  Why is there suffering?   Is there any meaning to life and to death?  There are no easy answers, as Eston takes us on a journey which is ultimately one of spiritual beauty and power.

This novel won a merit prize in the Singapore Literary Competition of 1994.  For a short extract please click here
 

$15.90

A young Chinese scholar arrives in Singapore in the year 1906. Boon Jin’s family have high expectations for him in the new country.  He encounters conflicting cultures and divided loyalties -- his rich Uncle advises him to modernise himself by cutting off his queue.  He gets involved with gangsters – and with men who are secretly plotting to start revolution in China. Eventually Boon Jin works his way from poverty to prosperity, in the burgeoning rubber industry. 

The novel is densely plotted and tightly told.  The immense depth of Chinese tradition and the ferment of modern revolution are contrasted with the gentle pace and natural beauty of old Singapore.

“Anyone interested in local literature and history will enjoy this book, but the young, particularly, should be encouraged.

to read it.” – Muriel Speeden,  The Straits Times, June 1986.

published by Epigram books

For a short extract please click here

$15.90

In 1971 Stella Kon wrote two plays exploring the implications of advanced techniques of human reproduction, which were then in the realm of science fiction. The plays have lost none of their relevance in the intervening years, while scientific achievements have caught up with the text.
 

In “Z is for Zygote,” universal contraception means that people are only allowed to reproduce themselves according to a quota system based on “Z-points.” When scientist Karl Masters achieves fame and rewards, women fight to share his Z-points.

“To Hatch a Swan” looks at a world where surrogate motherhood is the regular custom.  A society lady hires a poor girl to gestate and bear her child; but the “brood nurse” comes to feel deep maternal love for the child implanted in her womb.

$14.50

In “Butterflies Don’t Cry,” Robert and Sharon are actors in a colourful presentation of the Chinese legend of the Butterfly lovers.  But another drama is happening backstage, while Robert and Sharon plan to elope together after the last curtain.  The play contrasts Chinese opera style and modern naturalism; legendary romance, and the nitty-gritty details of real life. 
What is real and what is acting?

“Feeding the Armadillo” is a short play about the plight of foreign maids in Singapore.
Your foreign maid has her fears and her feelings too!

“One Night in Bethlehem” portrays the day before Jesus’ birth, as the prophet Simeon urges the people of Bethlehem to repent.  The audience is invited to join the responses of the crowd, and thus becomes an integral part of the performance.

$15.90

“Silent Song” tells of a mythic journey, in quest of the secret music of the universe.  Kindness and compassion overcome a young minstrel's bitterness and he learns to help others .The language and story of the play are simple enough for children to perform.  The play suggests symbolically, that what is unseen may be more important than what is seen.

“Dragon’s Teeth Gate,” originally commissioned by the Singapore Arts Festival, is Stella Kon’s most ambitious play.  The vengeful ghost of an ancient Chinese admiral struggles with the Boddhisatva Kuan Yin for the soul of Singapore, with Freddy Tan, businessman, as man in the middle.   Powerful verse, scenes of intense ritual, and Singaporean slapstick, provide strong images for a cosmic struggle.

Respect and compassion for the weak, are more important than money and position.  One person's personal integrity -- can make a difference, for good or evil.  References to Singapore history and traditional beliefs, root the play in local culture. 

“City of Splendour” is a play written for radio.  Characters include a hypnotic guru; a skydiving commando; and a quarter million people dancing naked in Orchard Road.  Lightheartedly subversive.