1. Rachel Heng
Released last month, Heng’s debut novel Suicide Club has wowed critics around the world after the manuscript was picked up at auction by Sceptre. Set in a futuristic, dystopian New York, it explores a society obsessed with wellness where the average life expectancy is 300 years.
2. Sharlene Teo
Since its release this April, Teo’s debut novel Ponti has raced up the bestseller charts and earned praise from the industry’s heavy-hitters, including Ian McEwan. The manuscript was published by Picador following a seven-way auction.
3. Amanda Lee Koe
The New York-based writer will follow up her acclaimed 2013 short story collection, Ministry of Moral Panic, with her debut novel Delayed Rays of a Star. The title is set to be published by Doubleday imprint Nan A Talese late next year.
4. Thea Lim
Lim’s debut novel An Ocean of Minutes, which was published in June, weaves time travel, a dystopian future and a gripping love story together into a compelling tale. Much of its narrative of displacement was informed by the Singaporean-Canadian author’s own life.
SEE ALSO: Opinion: Singapore’s literary scene is alive and well
This article was originally published in the August 2018 issue of SilverKris magazine.
