Prominent Singaporeans Series

How does a spoilt young boy and party-going dandy become the man who housed a nation? Discover the passion that drives Lim Kim San from his comfortable, carefree life into a mission that would change Singapore forever.

Born in the jungles of Borneo, Elizabeth Choy travels to Singapore and becomes a teacher. As a result of helping prisoners-of-war during the Japanese Occupation, she goes through much hardship and torture. Journey with our wartime heroine as she tides through suffering towards freedom and finally meeting the Queen of England.

Joseph Schooling's race to the Olympics began when he was still a boy. With the support and love of Mum and Dad, he dedicated himself to being the best swimmer he could be. From triumphant victories to devastating defeats, Joseph never gave up no matter how discouraged he got, and he finally proved that no dream is too big for a boy when he won Singapore's first Olympic Gold medal.

From a trying childhood to surviving the Japanese Occupation and even falling in love, the life of Singapore's longest-serving president, the late S.R. Nathan, turned out to be more colourful than many might imagine. The Runaway Who Became President not only introduces us to a man who dedicated his life to the service of our nation, but also to the various people who helped him work through his own challenges and shape him as a well-loved and respected Singaporean icon.

Philip Yeo was a curious boy who loved to read. He learnt a lot about the world from books, and went to Canada to study. Back in Singapore, he worked for the government and helped create jobs. One day, he gets an idea to combine seven islands into one and build chemical factories on it. Everyone thought it was a crazy idea. But Philip refused to give up.

In the 1800s, a girl named Agnes Joaquim was passionate about plants. She even learned to grow cool-weather European vegetables in the tropical heat of Singapore. As she grew up, she collected many prizes for her plants. One day, after many trials and difficulty, she created a brand-new orchid. She showed it to an orchid expert named Henry Ridley, who officially named the flower the Vanda Miss Joaquim. This is the story of how one woman's ingenuity and determination created a flower that became world famous...and Singapore's National Flower in 1981.

This book is a part of the Prominent Singaporeans series, which features individuals from Singapore's history who have contributed significantly to her growth. Lee Wen loved art, music, poetry and performance with a passion. He presented all art forms in his own unique way, even when others didn't care for it. And boy are we glad he did! An inspiring story of how Lee Wen became the great performance artist that he was.