Read courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, Atthis Arts. It will be out in March.

A collection to mark Chng’s turning 50 this year, this is a collection that embraces the changing nature of the writer over their career: from their earliest published work, through to very recent pieces. Arranged roughly chronologically, the reader gets a sense of how Chng has changed over time – I think the later work is a bit more polished than the earlier pieces, although those early ones are certainly still worth reading. You also get to see some of the consistent themes that Chng keeps coming back to. In particular, questions of what life can and might be like during war pop up several times; and explorations of gender, ethnicity, and identity broadly defined are a consistent presence. And Chng’s experience as a Singaporean is also fundamental to their stories, with many of the stories taking place in either a real or imagined Southeast Asia.

It’s brilliant that Atthis Arts is publishing this retrospective collection. Too often white men get collected early in their careers and everyone else just… doesn’t. Chng’s voice is an example of one that should be highlighted and celebrated.