Novelist Sharlene Teo rounds up 8 empowering books to add to your reading list
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Loading... - Agung Hidayat
- 23 Sep 2022
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If anyone understands the power of a story, it’s Sharlene Teo. Counted amongst Singapore’s most prominent contemporary literary voices, Teo’s debut novel, Ponti, won the inaugural Deborah Rogers’ Award and comes lauded by the likes of Ian McEwan. Having since been translated into nine languages, the acclaimed novel is a darkly hilarious and deeply evocative tale of female identity, complex friendships, and haunting memories.
While best known for Ponti, Teo’s writing has also been published in various anthologies—including Go Home!, a collection in which Asian diasporic writers explore the idea of home in the 21st century, and Spiritus Mundi, a compendium of writing inspired by the occult.
As an adept wordsmith, it’s no surprise that Teo is also a voracious reader—one who delves into titles across genres, spanning everything from SingLit and poetry to nonfiction and biographies. And while she is naturally inclined towards female writers and contemporary titles, the variety in her extensive reading list can be attributed, in part, to a conscious effort to read decolonised work, as opposed to only Western-centric texts.
Here, she curates a selection of inspiring reads for Vogue designed to empower and inspire. From East Side Voices (a powerful collection of essays featuring contributors like Gemma Chan and Katie Leung) to Assembly (Natasha Brown’s riveting novel centred around Black British womanhood and the vestiges of colonialism) these tales of strength and triumph celebrate the various ways in which we take control of our lives and lay claim to our rights.
'How to Read Now' by Elaine Castill
This brilliant, urgent and incisive collection of essays investigates the politics of reading. Far beyond invoking ‘empathy’ and ‘diversity’ as buzzwords, Castillo makes a case for developing more nuanced engagement with the written word.
'East Side Voices' edited by Helena Lee
With contributors including Gemma Chan, Katie Leung, Naomi Shimada and Tash Aw, this empowering anthology of essays celebrates the different facets of East and Southeast Asian identity in Britain. Read More…
