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The Wayang at Eight Milestone: Stories & Essays
This long overdue collection gathers together sixteen of Gregory Nalpon’s short stories, eleven of his essays, and a selection of his sketches of life in coffee shops, hawker stalls and samshu shops. Through his writing, Nalpon poignantly records a lost, rich world: the colourful, exciting and sometimes perilous Singapore of half a century ago.
With this collection, a vital Singaporean voice is finally recovered. Nalpon’s inspired blend of close observation, legend, local superstition and peculiarly eclectic reading results in some of the most imaginative and exciting writing produced in Singapore during the 1960s and 1970s, including authentic descriptions of indigenous culture and working-class men and women rarely found in Singaporean writing of the period.
Praise:
“I am glad that Gregory Nalpon’s work at last has a chance of being recognised. His stories are excellent.”
—Edwin Thumboo, award-winning Singaporean poet and academic
“[Nalpon's] stories often produce a resolution at the level of narrative but keep cultural elements in suspense, a series of intersecting gazes that never quite align…Angus Whitehead is to be congratulated both for making Nalpon’s works available to a new and wider audience, and also in the process enabling new perspectives on literary history in Singapore.”
—Philip Holden, Asiatic IIUM Journal of English Language and Literature
“Gregory Nalpon’s stories and evocative commentaries might seem nostalgic for a pre-development Singapore, but make no mistake—there is little sentimentality here, as marginalised characters get fleshed out with brutality, as well as compassion. His poetic, fable-esque narratives possess a sense of magic that is almost spiritual, full of moral lessons about the abjection of human desires, death, and a knowing presence at the heart of the natural world.”
—Cyril Wong, author of Ten Things My Father Never Taught Me and Other Stories and The Last Lesson of Mrs de Souza
“[Nalpon's] collected works in The Wayang at Eight Milestone seem to work as a veritable time machine, winding us readers back to the gritty world of old Singapore and immersing us in its saudade, its beautiful spirit of melancholy…[He is] a pioneer Singaporean storyteller like no other.”
—Ng Yi-Sheng, Quarterly Literary Review Singapore
“Gregory Nalpon wrote from the margins about a Singapore in the throes of great change, and I am convinced that he is our first true proponent of magical realism.”
—Robert Yeo, playwright and author of The Adventures of Holden Heng
“Enigmatic and evocative, Gregory Nalpon’s stories unsettle the reader, sometimes with unexpected tenderness, other times, startling violence. They usher us into a Singaporean world smudged and erased from public memory but throbbingly alive in a fictive universe uniquely shaped by Nalpon’s creative imagination and his spare but suggestively symbolic style. For this wonderful experience we have to thank Angus Whitehead, who with dedicated, perceptive, and historically sensitive scholarship, excavated these stories and brought them into the light of day.”
—Dr Angelia Poon, Nanyang Technological University
“Angus Whitehead’s timely recovery of Gregory Nalpon’s hitherto largely unknown but fascinatingly unique voice makes not only for gratifying reading but also helpfully challenges and enlarges our notions of postcolonial Singapore and its literature.”
—Mohammad A. Quayum, International Islamic University
“Gregory Nalpon’s stories are perfectly poised between gritty realism and mythic wonder. He observes and embraces the rich local diversity of Singapore with the eye of an enchanted poet and the heart of an honest friend. He fathoms the human soul through, and beyond, cultural identity. Editor Angus Whitehead’s love for Nalpon glows in this informative and accessible edition, which will be a treasure for Singaporeans, and a gratifying find for the rest of us who are eager for great reads from around the globe, or take interest in the development of postcolonial writing. Nalpon deserves to claim a place among the most unique and significant voices of the formative and vibrant 1970s.”
—Tristanne Connolly, University of Waterloo
“The modernity of Singapore tends to be regarded as functional and technocratic, pragmatically future-directed. The stories of Gregory Nalpon, light, deft and deceptively understated, restore an alternative past to the city, drawing on its richly diverse collective memory, its multiple cultural identities, and the shaping omnipresence of its coastal terrain. Editor Angus Whitehead has uncovered a distinctive and enchanting new post-colonial voice, wry, lyrical and humane, whose evocation of the local and particular is deserving of a wide international audience.”
—Stephen Clark, University of Tokyo
“Gregory Nalpon’s short stories and essays bring to life vibrant, colourful, and rich depictions of everyday cosmopolitanism...
With this collection, a vital Singaporean voice is finally recovered. Nalpon’s inspired blend of close observation, legend, local superstition and peculiarly eclectic reading results in some of the most imaginative and exciting writing produced in Singapore during the 1960s and 1970s, including authentic descriptions of indigenous culture and working-class men and women rarely found in Singaporean writing of the period.
Praise:
“I am glad that Gregory Nalpon’s work at last has a chance of being recognised. His stories are excellent.”
—Edwin Thumboo, award-winning Singaporean poet and academic
“[Nalpon's] stories often produce a resolution at the level of narrative but keep cultural elements in suspense, a series of intersecting gazes that never quite align…Angus Whitehead is to be congratulated both for making Nalpon’s works available to a new and wider audience, and also in the process enabling new perspectives on literary history in Singapore.”
—Philip Holden, Asiatic IIUM Journal of English Language and Literature
“Gregory Nalpon’s stories and evocative commentaries might seem nostalgic for a pre-development Singapore, but make no mistake—there is little sentimentality here, as marginalised characters get fleshed out with brutality, as well as compassion. His poetic, fable-esque narratives possess a sense of magic that is almost spiritual, full of moral lessons about the abjection of human desires, death, and a knowing presence at the heart of the natural world.”
—Cyril Wong, author of Ten Things My Father Never Taught Me and Other Stories and The Last Lesson of Mrs de Souza
“[Nalpon's] collected works in The Wayang at Eight Milestone seem to work as a veritable time machine, winding us readers back to the gritty world of old Singapore and immersing us in its saudade, its beautiful spirit of melancholy…[He is] a pioneer Singaporean storyteller like no other.”
—Ng Yi-Sheng, Quarterly Literary Review Singapore
“Gregory Nalpon wrote from the margins about a Singapore in the throes of great change, and I am convinced that he is our first true proponent of magical realism.”
—Robert Yeo, playwright and author of The Adventures of Holden Heng
“Enigmatic and evocative, Gregory Nalpon’s stories unsettle the reader, sometimes with unexpected tenderness, other times, startling violence. They usher us into a Singaporean world smudged and erased from public memory but throbbingly alive in a fictive universe uniquely shaped by Nalpon’s creative imagination and his spare but suggestively symbolic style. For this wonderful experience we have to thank Angus Whitehead, who with dedicated, perceptive, and historically sensitive scholarship, excavated these stories and brought them into the light of day.”
—Dr Angelia Poon, Nanyang Technological University
“Angus Whitehead’s timely recovery of Gregory Nalpon’s hitherto largely unknown but fascinatingly unique voice makes not only for gratifying reading but also helpfully challenges and enlarges our notions of postcolonial Singapore and its literature.”
—Mohammad A. Quayum, International Islamic University
“Gregory Nalpon’s stories are perfectly poised between gritty realism and mythic wonder. He observes and embraces the rich local diversity of Singapore with the eye of an enchanted poet and the heart of an honest friend. He fathoms the human soul through, and beyond, cultural identity. Editor Angus Whitehead’s love for Nalpon glows in this informative and accessible edition, which will be a treasure for Singaporeans, and a gratifying find for the rest of us who are eager for great reads from around the globe, or take interest in the development of postcolonial writing. Nalpon deserves to claim a place among the most unique and significant voices of the formative and vibrant 1970s.”
—Tristanne Connolly, University of Waterloo
“The modernity of Singapore tends to be regarded as functional and technocratic, pragmatically future-directed. The stories of Gregory Nalpon, light, deft and deceptively understated, restore an alternative past to the city, drawing on its richly diverse collective memory, its multiple cultural identities, and the shaping omnipresence of its coastal terrain. Editor Angus Whitehead has uncovered a distinctive and enchanting new post-colonial voice, wry, lyrical and humane, whose evocation of the local and particular is deserving of a wide international audience.”
—Stephen Clark, University of Tokyo
“Gregory Nalpon’s short stories and essays bring to life vibrant, colourful, and rich depictions of everyday cosmopolitanism...
- GenresFiction
208 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2013
3 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Nalpon
1 book4 followersGregory Nalpon was born in 1938 in Singapore. After attending St Joseph’s Institution, he energetically embarked on a variety of peripatetic careers: disc jockey, journalist, trade unionist and ‘gentleman of leisure’. These assorted vocations took him from Singapore to Sarawak, Northern Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. During the 1960s and 1970s, Nalpon composed numerous stories, essays, plays and novels. His short story, “The Rose and the Silver Key” was studied by thousands of Singaporean secondary school students. With Nalpon’s sudden death in 1978 at the age of 40, the majority of his writings remained unpublished for over thirty years; this oversight has now been rectified with the publication of his collected stories and essays, The Wayang at Eight Milestone, by Epigram Books in 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 19, 2020
Nalpon writes his stories like fables – mixing the magical and mythical into reality. A gem of Singaporean literature, by an enigmatic man who deserves more attention and recognition.
August 19, 2021
a collection of short stories set in singapore; but unfortunately wasnt able to appreciate as much esp some of the stories that comes with only up to 2 pages :') felt like they were too fast & even though its short, took awhile to understand why the stories were written in such a way. maybe its also bc it focuses on fables/magical realism genre and personally not really into it.
February 9, 2016
Unique collection of short stories.
March 15, 2024
The Wayang at Eight Milestone by Gregory Nalpon is a gritty and poetic journey into the forgotten corners of a bygone Singapore. Nalpon, a pioneer of Singaporean magical realism, weaves tales that blur the lines between fantasy and harsh reality, offering a glimpse into the lives of society's marginalized.
Set in the tumultuous years following World War II, the stories paint a vivid picture of a Singapore struggling with poverty, crime, and rapid modernization. We encounter street vendors, prostitutes, laborers, and those clinging to the fringes of society. Despite the hardships, Nalpon infuses his narratives with a touch of magic. A rose inexplicably blooms in a rubbish heap, a spirit disrupts the life of a gambler, and the boundaries between dreams and reality become fluid. This magical realism adds a layer of wonder to the harsh realities of life on the streets.
Nalpon's characters are the heart of the collection. They are flawed, desperate, and often driven by primal desires. Yet, they are also deeply human, seeking solace, love, and a sliver of hope in a world that seems stacked against them. Through their stories, Nalpon exposes the underbelly of Singapore, a place where desperation and resilience coexist.
The Wayang at Eight Milestone serves as a historical record, albeit an unconventional one. Nalpon captures the sights, sounds, and anxieties of a Singapore on the cusp of change. While some elements might feel unfamiliar to modern readers, the themes of poverty, social inequality, and the yearning for a better life remain relevant even today.
Nalpon's prose is raw and unflinching, and his characters grapple with difficult choices and harsh realities. However, for those seeking a glimpse into Singapore's hidden past and a powerful exploration of the human condition, this collection is a must-read. Be prepared to be challenged, moved, and left pondering the enduring strength of the human spirit.
Set in the tumultuous years following World War II, the stories paint a vivid picture of a Singapore struggling with poverty, crime, and rapid modernization. We encounter street vendors, prostitutes, laborers, and those clinging to the fringes of society. Despite the hardships, Nalpon infuses his narratives with a touch of magic. A rose inexplicably blooms in a rubbish heap, a spirit disrupts the life of a gambler, and the boundaries between dreams and reality become fluid. This magical realism adds a layer of wonder to the harsh realities of life on the streets.
Nalpon's characters are the heart of the collection. They are flawed, desperate, and often driven by primal desires. Yet, they are also deeply human, seeking solace, love, and a sliver of hope in a world that seems stacked against them. Through their stories, Nalpon exposes the underbelly of Singapore, a place where desperation and resilience coexist.
The Wayang at Eight Milestone serves as a historical record, albeit an unconventional one. Nalpon captures the sights, sounds, and anxieties of a Singapore on the cusp of change. While some elements might feel unfamiliar to modern readers, the themes of poverty, social inequality, and the yearning for a better life remain relevant even today.
Nalpon's prose is raw and unflinching, and his characters grapple with difficult choices and harsh realities. However, for those seeking a glimpse into Singapore's hidden past and a powerful exploration of the human condition, this collection is a must-read. Be prepared to be challenged, moved, and left pondering the enduring strength of the human spirit.
February 21, 2021
4.5 because unique as a whole, but some pieces like Radin just flew over my head because it sounded like a comprehension passage. Really brings a new interface to SingLit though. Glad I read it!
January 23, 2022
A vivid, evocative collection of stories, transporting you to a Singapore which does not exist anymore. Touching, but never sentimental. I'm glad I came across this collection and its author.
The discovery and publication of this book is a beautiful story in itself.
The discovery and publication of this book is a beautiful story in itself.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews