

Ethos Books is an independent publisher of literary fiction, non-fiction, and poetry based in Singapore.

Giving voice to emerging and exciting writers from diverse backgrounds, we help foster an environment in which literature and the arts not only survive, but thrive. In short, we nurture the growing literary community in Singapore and throughout the region.
That's why our authors and their ideas come first. By taking a collaborative approach to publishing, we bring each author‘s voice and vision to fruition. We are always open to new ideas: different ways of working and fresh ways of delivering the unparalleled satisfaction only a good book can bring.
Established in Singapore in 1997, Ethos Books, an imprint of Pagesetters Services Pte Ltd, aims to create books that capture the spirit of a people and reflect the ethos of our changing times.
Featured
Not Without Us: Perspectives on Disability and Inclusion in Singapore
Paperback + E-book bundle available below: Get the e-book at 50% off with each purchase of a paperback
Disability is all around us—among people we meet, the media, sports, our own family and friends. Undeniably, all of us have or will one day come to experience or encounter disability. But how can we reckon with the realities of those who live with disability, or its reality in our own lives? In a city-state slowly moving towards inclusion, how do those meant to be 'included' feel about such efforts? Not Without Us: perspectives on disability and inclusion in Singapore is a groundbreaking collection of essays that takes a creative and critical disability studies approach to centre disability, and rethink the ways in which we research, analyse, think and know about disability in our lives. Across multiple domains and perspectives, the writings in this volume consider what it means to live with disability in a purportedly inclusive and accessible Singapore.
Read the table of contents and Editors' Introduction here.
(Book cover description: The central visual of the cover is a photo. This photo, taken by photographer Isabelle Lim, is of two performers in the centre of a spacious room, where the wall and floor are both decorated with brown and gold patterns. The foreground is lit by a bright yet warm light, which illuminates the side profiles of the two men against the blackness behind them. Closer to the camera is the rapper Wheelsmith. Clad in a mustard yellow cap and blue denim jacket, he is riding his wheelchair toward the left of the picture. At a slight distance behind him, and in the midst of walking in the opposite direction, is fellow rapper ShiGGa Shay, sporting an orange, white, and blue puffer jacket and a bun of electric blue hair."
On the book cover, this photo is accompanied by the Book title "Not Without Us" in all-capitals, beige text against the black background on the top of the photo. The subtitle in small caps "perspectives on disability and inclusion in Singapore" is printed in the center-right of the book cover. In the black background of the photo are light blue lines in the shape of Wheelsmith's and Shigga Shay's silhouettes, layered and expanding towards the top of the book cover to amplify their poses in the photo. The editors' byline is at the bottom of the book cover in black text.)
“This is a pathbreaking book. Not Without Us weaves together a rich fabric of voices exploring the politics and poetics of disability in Singapore. Moving between lived reality, representation and struggles for social transformation, the collection excavates hidden or forgotten pasts, documents struggles and community formation in the present, and hints at possible futures. The essay collection challenges contemporary discourses of and scholarship on disability in Singapore by centring disabled subjectivities. In the process, it opens up new spaces of empathy, praxis and critique.” —Philip Holden, Independent Scholar and Counsellor
"It warms my heart to see another book on disability through the Asian lens. Not just any book or author, but a plethora of contributors who are leaders in the Singaporean disability scene. The tapestry of all the essays inspires the imagination to how we can truly create a place that all of us can call home. Inclusion isn’t just keeping the token seat available, or inviting someone disabled to the party, but truly paving the way forward for all of us to celebrate each other as individuals in all our different shapes, sizes and colours. Thank you Not Without Us for so eloquently celebrating ‘Nothing about us, without us’!" —Cassandra Chiu, Psychotherapist; Social Advocate and Author of A Place For Us
"Not Without Us is a richly edited and profoundly written collection of essays about disability in Singapore. It is part of a new and fresh movement to provide local knowledges and global perspectives to a field that has been for too long grounded in the West, particularly the US and the UK. The book will be extremely valuable not only to readers in Singapore but also to those throughout the world who seek a broader perspective on significant issues in disability studies, arts, policy and activism." —Lennard J. Davis, Distinguished Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois in Chicago
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💙The Ethos Books Membership Programme💙
Join in the Ethos membership to help us keep making books that are fresh, different and enduring!
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Past Conversations

"Care is a way of structuring our world" | SWF x Ethos Books: Care is Revolutionary: Towards an Inclusive, Sustainable Future
Feb 2, 2023
A conversation co-presented with SWF and Ethos Books. Featuring Dawn Joy-Leong, Kristian-Marc Jam...
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"The absurdity of the local landscape really reflects hope" | SWF x Ethos Books : Absurdity in the Singaporean mundane
Feb 2, 2023
Access the full transcript of Absurdity in the Singaporean Mundane here.
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"It's about trade-offs...What is being lost?" | Book Launch of Khairat Kita : Documenting a legacy of community aid
Jan 16, 2023
Access the full transcript of Khairat Kita: Documenting a legacy of community aid here.
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Attunement
Is life hustling you out of tune? As the week roars by, we invite you to a slice of attunement penned lovingly by us, our authors and friends. Freshly delivered weekly with care. Intimacy guaranteed. Read selected letters below.

Breathing Life Into New Places: a note from the publisher
Jan 3, 2023
Like a face mask, the new year is a filter: crossing the threshold into 2023, we bring what we mu...
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Being Certain with Our Play
Dec 5, 2022
Over four days last week, I attended the George Town Literary Festival in Penang with my colleagues.
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1000 People & 2000 Chairs
Nov 28, 2022
My desk at work is particularly messy during this time of year as various floorplans, lists and a...
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News
[Upcoming Release] A Bad Girl's Book of Animals by Wong May
Jan 31, 2023
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A Place at the Table: Who Gets to Speak in Singapore? by Dawn-joy Leong and Cavan Chang
Jan 30, 2023
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Not Without Us: A book club starter pack
Jan 30, 2023
Read
Affirming My Identity
Jan 30, 2023
Read
Carving Out A Place Of Hope Amidst The Inhospitable
Jan 25, 2023
Read
We Are More Than 'Inspirational' Props
Jan 16, 2023
Read
Thinking With Disability
Jan 9, 2023
Read
Breathing Life Into New Places: a note from the publisher
Jan 3, 2023
Read


Ethos' Favourite Picks Of 2022 (Part 2)
Dec 19, 2022
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Ethos' Favourite Picks of 2022 (Part 1)
Dec 12, 2022
Read
Being Certain with Our Play
Dec 5, 2022
Read
[Upcoming Release] Not Without Us: Perspectives on Disability and Inclusion in Singapore
Dec 3, 2022
Read
💙The Ethos Books Membership Programme💙
Dec 1, 2022
Read
1000 People & 2000 Chairs
Nov 28, 2022
Read
The Art of Confusion
Nov 21, 2022
Read
Absurdity in the Garden City
Nov 14, 2022
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Education
Whether you're a reader who is keen to dig deeper into our books, or a teacher looking to bring our authors into your classroom, Ethos Books believes in supporting and enabling knowledge-sharing, discussion and community building through literature. Check out our school programmes on this page, as well as recommended reading lists and our free book club starter packs to start your very own book club today!