The Singapore I Recognise: Essays on home, community and hope

by Kirsten Han

Singapore is small, a complex country full of contradictions, inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies. Often held up as a model nation, we sometimes forget that Singapore is seen differently by different people. With a decade of activism and journalism experience, Kirsten Han reveals various aspects of her home country that don’t follow what many of us know as the conventional ‘Singapore Story’. The Singapore I Recognise is Kirsten’s reckoning with civil society’s experiences of Singapore, perspectives that are often unheard, or fall through the cracks. Through researched interviews and heartfelt reflections, Kirsten tells us how parts of Singapore are already moving towards communal care, solidarity, empowerment and hope. This is a resonant portrayal of home in the island city-state.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Politics

264 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[Tairachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Book Review] The Singapore I Recognise: Essays on Home, Community and Hope 🇸🇬

Wow, this book made me feel a great many things: curiosity, hope, fear, anxiety, sadness, empathy, admiration, sonder, frustration, anguish, and so much more. 

This new book by Kirsten Han feels fresh, well-articulated, semi-autobiographical, hopeful, redemptive, reflective, self-aware, and full of tidbits I wasn't previously fully aware of. It talks of the challenges of participating in civil society, AWARE, Pink Dot, among other things, and really made me think more about voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs). This book articulated the concerns I have about how VWOs often prop up the status quo and do little to challenge and change class inequality (reminds me of how international volunteerism is problematic). 

This book by @kixes definitely gave me lots to think about and covers a lot of ground on political and systemic issues and hurdles in society as well how the Gen Z mindset has definitely departed from previous generations. 

It's a behemoth piece of work and shares a lot from the author's perspective as a Singaporean activist-journalist. There are so many lines I could underline. I hope with this book, conversations will be sparked, thinking will become more progressive and open, channels to information will become freer, and that people think more deeply about the country they want to call home (not just the Singapore they recognise but the future Singapore they want to recognise), and their identities and values and how their everyday micro-actions do shape and transform the future of democracy and freedoms (when we police and silence ourselves and others, what do we achieve?). 

This is ultimately a love letter to Singapore and Singaporeans. Singapore belongs to each one of us, and it is for us to decide and safeguard what our country looks like in the future.

Many thanks to @ethosbooks for publishing this magnum opus and for sharing this ARC with me. Pre-order your copy today or pick it up from your favourite bookstore 👍🏻

[Jolin (twentycharm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a young Singaporean, I strongly resonated with the feeling of political abstinence from feeling confused and/or helpless when it came to “important” decisions like voting.

I grew up seeing the local political scene as mere arguments that made adults unhappy, and in an attempt to distance myself from that unhappiness, I looked away from politics completely.

I'm especially thankful to Kirsten Han for considering everything in the Singapore context. Speculate as we might, our country is different from others and I like hearing everything directly relating to our system and our problems.

It's so easy, you know, to humiliate, ridicule, and discount other people. It's easy to 断章取义 (take things out of context) and package a rebuttal as common sense. It's even easier to fearmonger and just lie. It takes true strength and resilience to consciously make the choice to fight for your cause daily, and I thank our good-willed activists for the dirty work they do for us.

Reading these essays has allowed me to think deeply, and fill, at least partially, the gap that has always been at the back of my mind. This is a very important read that I highly highly recommend all Singaporeans pick up.

Available now through 31 August for preorder from most Singapore online bookstores. More details at Ethos Books’ website. Limited edition blue book sleeve while stocks last!

[Claire Ion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay it’s published!! Read this now! Also it was such a privilege to have been part of the creation of this book while on the editorial team 😭

[Fadzeera Fadzully · Rating 4 out of 5]

Singapore I love you but why you liddat

[Aquila M · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Singapore I Recognise, Kristen Han unveils a side of Singapore not known to many. Through a collection of incisive essays, she reveals blind spots in the official Singapore narrative and sheds light on how power imbalances within the city-state cripple the efforts of civil activists.

It’s not an easy read; in fact, it’s an uncomfortable one that challenged me to confront my existing perceptions of my own country—precisely the book’s intent. An invigorating read that I believe is necessary for Singaporeans to become more informed and discerning citizens.

My rating: 4.5/5

[FarmZH · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book allows readers to have a glimpse of the author's work, hardships, stories and perspective as an activist and journalist in Singapore. Not to forget the trauma and emotional damage felt by the author. The writing and chapters were structured such that it is easy to read.

The book is interesting because it showed the often overlooked side of Singapore politics, which is currently structured in such a way that actively dissuades people to participate in politics and civil society. Activism or journalism, that put the state in a bad light are often clamped down. Hence, it is difficult (if not almost impossible) to raise awareness, let alone bring about systemic change in Singapore.

However, the book ends with providing some hope and encouragement to Singaporeans who are passionate in politics and would like to be more active in civil society, to just take a step outside their comfort zone. It doesn't have to be very much right away. Every bit builds on the work that has come before and provides the base for what comes after.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

what an incredible sharing by Kirsten Han, imo a must read for every singaporean.

[Matt Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an illuminating, passionate and timely account of being an activist in Singapore, which I feel very grateful for having had a chance to read. I do love living in SG and at the same time I think it’s important to realise that nowhere is perfect and it’s important that people work towards a better tomorrow.

[Ria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was both informative and emotive, part memoir and report, and I thought it was a comprehensive overview and analysis on civil society in Singapore. I especially liked the first two essays A Process of Unlearning and All The Things We Do Not Know, which I think really provide a birds eye view on the problems with SG’s form of governance as well as the reasons why Singaporeans are perceived in a certain way (and believe themselves to be a certain way) — I think it’s fitting that the introductory quote of the book is ‘To you, reading this… You have more power than you know.’

I think her writing is also generally engaging, and I like how she balances quips and humour with her more factual and emotive messaging.

I don’t have many gripes with this essay collection, but one would be that the ideas and messaging, although segmented into essays focusing on various aspects, are somewhat repetitive. But I do think the huge amount of examples are also testament to her substantial activism and interactions with civil society, which I really respect!

I am heartened to know that although things may seem bleak, there is still a Singapore for activists and advocates, and that I should be more engaged with this as a fellow concerned citizen.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book while traveling in Singapore for the first time. I had gone to museums hoping to learn more about the history of the city state and couldn't get past the glossiness in how information was presented. The flatness of the story being told to me left me uneasy. This book offered a look beneath the glossiness, and I appreciated the chance to read about the struggles that I am not very well versed in as a tourist. There are many Singapore-specific issues discussed in the book that I still feel fuzzy on, but overall, it made me reflect on the risks people take to fight for worthy causes at home, the insidiousness of methods of control beyond outright physical violence, and the way resistance is fragile yet persistent. It made me grateful for the freedom to peaceful assembly that I do have, the precious privilege that it is. I especially loved the discussion on complicity. I finished the book feeling like I know and appreciate the people of Singapore a little more. I feel for them. I too "am a citizen of a country that does not yet exist," and I hope so badly to be astounded.

[SgJuliaKristeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate it.

I hate that I resonate with Kirsten's fears, anxieties and experiences (albeit on a much smaller scale).

I hate that I took so long with this book because I had panic attacks and a life crisis about everything I ever stood for. Not that I'm questioning the work that I do, or the values that ground me, or my desires to make a change in the world like Kirsten did, but I did have to stop and truly question how far I can afford to go. What are the boundaries and capacities in this stage of my life? How do I make peace with that?

What are the stakes for me now and in the future?

These are questions I never thought to consider when I started community organising and civil society work. 2 years ago I had just wanted to do meaningful work in an attempt to save myself from the perils of NS. I was struggling to stay mentally present. Today, I am present and have to stare at life in the face and ask myself how I want to play this game with an unforgiving government that looms over you with knights at every corner waiting to consume this mere pawn.

I hate it here.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for all Singaporeans invested in the country’s future. What does it mean to build a fairer society? Heartfelt and thought-provoking, Han challenges her readers to reconsider Singapore’s ‘success’ story; to look beyond economic metrics and consider how to build a more humane and inclusive society. She has a chapter dedicated to the importance of press freedom since any political reporting in Singapore’s mainstream media is curated/pro-govt/self-censored for fear of running afoul with the law.

Her writing is clear as she shares anecdotes and personal experiences with civil society who give voice to marginalised individuals/groups and reminds us that being an active citizen isn’t just about voting every five years but also to ask the hard questions and build communities.

Overall, I really appreciate Han’s courageous view of Singapore that one may not always encounter; one that is not just shaped by the govt’s success stories but everyday struggles for justice, compassion and freedom.

[ck tse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirsten finds the words to describe what some of us feel about Singapore's civil society but sometimes lack the words to describe.

What I particularly liked was her documentation on how GoNGOs/VWOs, while well-intentioned, contribute to the status quo. It is indeed true and problematic that the narrative around issues is on individual efforts rather than institutional problems. This is something more Singaporeans need to be aware of.

A quote that resonates: "It's not that they don't see that some things are unfair (...). But in an environment where it's been repeatedly demonstrated that disagreement, dissent and resistance come at a steep price (...) it makes more sense to keep your head down and take care of the ones you love.". It goes on: "The multitides of considerations and compromises became more real.". Yet, "when we build our communities of solidarity and establish wells of collective strength (...), we find the power to tell our own stories and write our own scripts."

[noob2121 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A broadly left wing perspective of Singaporean society from its education to its lack of room for dissent. Its nothing really new and it should be very uncontroversial for any leftists and even liberals in Singapore. But its novel because of how right wing Singaporean politics are such that the issues highlighted are completely alien. To its credit, the level of investigation through Han's anecdotes and experiences is quite comprehensive and its clear that she's an extremely, well, active activist.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good number of Singaporeans would recognise and uncritically associate Han’s name with being an anti-establishment troublemaker. I encourage them to pick up this book, and give her a chance to: explain her journey as an activist, show her reflections of being painted as such by those in power, and express her love for Singapore. I found the chapter exploring the responsibility or blame of those complicit in perpetuating the power structures most powerful and deeply reflective.

[Pirate · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is consistently remarkable how mainstream society tends to criticize individuals who courageously take risks despite having everything to lose and nothing to gain. Conversely, those in positions of power, with platforms and abundant resources, stand to gain significantly by suppressing dissent and have relatively little at stake.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Some of the essays are better than others and this collection touches on activism in Singapore - the history, the challenges, etc. I found some of it eye opening but some it repetitive for those who are familiar with the topic. This is however a good introduction to the topic of civil resistance in Singapore.

[Yong Feng · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential read for all Singaporeans to learn about what motivates activists like Kirsten to do what they do, and to hear from the perspective of someone who has repeatedly been unjustly vilified by the state.

[Erin Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful work, a treat to read Kirsten Han on length

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for anyone who’s living in or interested in Singapore!

[Madhumitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all Singaporeans, with my immense gratitude for the tenacity and doggedness of activists such as Han who dream and fight for a better, kinder country.

[Dorine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspectives

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A startling reminder of state tactics towards civil right activists over the years - harassment, targeted ridicule. Quite poignant reading it from Kirsten's POV, too

[Aye]

An insightful window to the challenges of civil society and activisim.

[QY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading

[Jee Koh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, clear-eyed, and nuanced. Every Singapore should read this book.

[Karolina Góras · Rating 4 out of 5]

bardziej 3.5, czasem człam, że leje wodę lub jej argumenty się wykluczają. Anyway Singapur jest poj*bany

[Varsha Sundar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feel like this should be required reading for everyone with any interest in civil society and life in Singapore. Kirsten Han is also a great writer - lots of wry observations on social and political issues.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important piece of critical reading I think many Singaporeans should read! In this deeply personal collection of essays, Han details her research, embellished with poignant personal anecdotes, on the activism community and issues that they advocate for. She delves into many "unseen" parts of Singapore, and spotlights people and communities that are often sidelined to maintain the impression of a homogenous social fabric in Singapore. I particularly found her notions on how it does not take a patriotic or loving Singaporean to have the capacity to critique Singapore. Anyone should be free to have inputs and suggestions so Singapore does not grow complacent and stagnant.

Some ideas and lines did feel quite repetitive after a while, so I did struggle sometimes to get through this book. But I am very glad that I finished it.

[lilin23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every word felt so precious because of how little we know about the firsthand experiences and struggles of activists in Singapore. Kirsten Han's writing is superb in that as a reader I felt that she was literally talking to me through the pages - her voice rings through ever crisp and clear.

For me, this book is not a journey of coming closer to ascertaining what's "true/false", but a practice of being a better historian. To collect alternative perspectives and attain a more nuanced picture of the relationship between G and civic society.

For all of us trying to make Singapore a better place, I'm sure we'll discover our own sadness and conflicts, but also comfort and strength, within the chapters.