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an anthology edited by
Daryl Lim Wei Jie, Hamid Roslan, Melizarani T. Selva & William Tham
Paperback, 319 pages.
Marshall Cavendish, Singapore.
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ABOUT THE SECOND LINK: AN ANTHOLOGY OF MALAYSIAN & SINGAPOREAN WRITING (2023)
EDITED BY DARYL LIM WEI JIE, HAMID ROSLAN, MELIZARANI T. SELVA, WILLIAM THAM
2023 marks the 60th year since the formation of the Federation of Malaysia, comprising the Federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak – and Singapore. For Malaysians, 1963 is of profound national significance. For Singaporeans, the more memorable year might be 1965, the year of separation and subsequent independence. Yet for two fateful years, the destinies of the two countries were conjoined. The kinship, affinity – and tensions – are still keenly felt today.
This collection brings together writers from both countries to reflect creatively and critically upon this sense of entwinement – to celebrate, to reflect, and to rue, in the tradition of volumes such as The Second Tongue (ed. Edwin Thumboo, 1976).
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“The Second Link is a rare and meaningful contribution to the region’s English-literature scene, thanks to its collection of high-calibre essays with experimental short stories and poems.”
— Rex Tan, “‘The Second Link’ re-examines ties between two separated nations”, Free Malaysia Today (5 Nov 2023)
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“What can writers from two nations – split so far down the phylogenetic tree of history today – say to each other 60 years after a testy political union? The Second Link: An Anthology Of Malaysian & Singaporean Writing – edited by a bilateral team consisting of Daryl Lim Wei Jie, Hamid Roslan, Melizarani T. Selva and William Tham – conducts a referendum of ideas through essays, fables, radio plays, poems and speculative fiction. It holds out the promise of love and literature beyond the nation-state.”
— Shawn Hoo, “The best books of 2023, according to The Straits Times’ writers”, The Straits Times (30 Dec 2023)
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“The Second Link recalls the shared history of Malaysia and Singapore by bringing together 30 writers from the two nations to reflect on a bygone era which, although neglected, is still considered a ‘space of possibilities’ by Lim.”