Balik Kampung 3A: Northern Shores by Verena Tay


Balik Kampung 3A: Northern Shores
Title : Balik Kampung 3A: Northern Shores
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : -
ISBN-10 : 9789811112904
Language : English
Format Type : Paperback
Number of Pages : 196
Publication : First published November 1, 2016

Ten established and new writers have written ten short stories that are set in Seletar, Yishun, Marsiling, Ang Mo Kio and Upper Thompson. Because each story draws upon the respective writer's in-depth knowledge of a specific space, they are powerful texts that evoke vivid characters inhabiting palpable environments and demonstrate why these writers regard Singapore's northern shores as 'home'.

Balik Kampung 3A: Northern Shores Reviews

  • mantareads

    From this I learnt Jeremy Tiang and Balli Kaur Jaswal are definitely writers I need to check out and follow up on! Their stories in this volume are quietly shimmering gems, just like Yu-Mei Balasingamchow's story in the first Balik Kampung redeemed that whole anthology.

    But I also learnt I'm really sick of Demolished-Building nostalgia, Unfilial-Successful-Son and Moping-Ageing-Housewife-Mourning-A-Lost-Past stock figures (hint: these were all crammed into ONE particular story).

  • Lavelle

    Balik Kampung, edited by Verena Tay, is a series of anthologies featuring various neighbourhoods in Singapore. The volume I chose (3A) focuses on the northern districts, including places such as Marsiling, Seletar, and —everyone's favourite —Yishun. ⁣
    ⁣
    Consisting of 10 stories, all by different authors, the diversity of Balik Kampung 3A makes it a rather fascinating read (though of course, some pieces were better than others). There are also little features on the author at the end of every story, expanding a little on their experiences living in these districts and their inspiration behind the piece. ⁣
    ⁣
    The authors' familiarity with these places definitely shines through in their writing. The scenes described, and even specific circumstances, are largely drawn from their own lives. Some write to preserve an image of the neighbourhood as they remember it to be. Others write to capture the emotions they felt while living there. All in all, Balik Kampung is a commemoration of Singaporean life, and a look into what makes certain places "home". ⁣

    Find my other reviews here:
    instagram.com/lavelle.reads

  • Judith Huang

    The book fairies visited me and left this book. Really enjoyed this one, especially the first half of the book which contained a semifactual semi fictional Simon Tay essay about wild chickens in seletar, a balli Kaur jaswal story about an Indian family aspiring to move to the west and a Jeremy Tiang story about an escaped prisoner. The second half of the book was a little patchier but overall a great addition to singlit and our literature that contains a sense of place.

  • Ernest

    Excellent. Some stories stronger than others but all give a fantastic sense of place and space.