

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
A Bad Girl's Book of Animals
From the Winner of the Windham-Campbell Prize 2022
Available in paperback and e-book* format. Paperback + E-book bundle available below: Get the e-book at 50% off with each purchase of a paperback.
*The e-book for this title is in fixed-layout format. This means that you can enjoy the poems in their original format, as the author intended.
Wong May’s poems are concerned with the ultimate loneliness, the inarticulateness and the inability to communicate fully that are the marks of human life. “My poems,” says Wong May, “are about wordlessness rather than words. I feel that we must recognize our ultimate wordlessness.”
What is most impressive about Wong May’s poems is her mastery of the implicit, her marvelously effective elliptical style that nevertheless strikes sharp blows of beauty and clarity.
—Harcourt, Brace & World
Wong May’s startlingly original poetry gleams with wit; her delicate but acute irony balances its lucid seriousness with a fizzing verbal lightness.
—Windham-Campbell Prize
First published in the US in 1969, and reissued in Singapore 54 years later, A Bad Girl’s Book of Animals continues to astound, intrigue, and endure.
(Book cover description: The poet's name "Wong May" is in pink text on the top-centre of the book cover. The book title "A Bad Girl's Book of Animals" cascades in small letters from top left to bottom of the book cover, one word per line, in beige text against the teal background. Spreading across the bottom-right to the top-right of the book cover is a vertical illustration of half of the scaly body of a fish and its fin, drawn in black.)
Read sample pages here.
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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.

Being Unapologetic About Taking Up Space
Feb 13, 2023
How we relate to our bodies doesn’t have to centre limitations or shame—but rather, creative oppo...
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A tale for the time being
Feb 6, 2023
Time is fleeting. I feel it with each year I grow older.
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Affirming My Identity
Jan 30, 2023
I struggled to explain and articulate who I am as a hard-of-hearing person.
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News
Our Body Image
Mar 20, 2023
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Growing in unexpected and wonderful ways
Mar 13, 2023
Read
Rekindling Joy
Mar 6, 2023
Read
The self is such a pain
Feb 27, 2023
Read
Conversations with Wong May
Feb 20, 2023
Read
Being Unapologetic About Taking Up Space
Feb 13, 2023
Read
A tale for the time being
Feb 6, 2023
Read
[Upcoming Release] A Bad Girl's Book of Animals by Wong May
Jan 31, 2023
Read


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
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We Are More Than 'Inspirational' Props
Jan 16, 2023
Read
Thinking With Disability
Jan 9, 2023
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Breathing Life Into New Places: a note from the publisher
Jan 3, 2023
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Ethos' Favourite Picks Of 2022 (Part 2)
Dec 19, 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!