News – Ethos Books

Our Body Image

Mar 20, 2023

Do we even need to measure our body against “standards”? They should not define you. Being comfor...

Growing in unexpected and wonderful ways

Mar 13, 2023

I grew into these unexpected roles through curiosity and stubborn hubris ("I can do it!" says 25-...

Rekindling Joy

Mar 6, 2023

So as the year continues and life goes on, don't forget to pause, admire the flowers by the footp...

The self is such a pain

Feb 27, 2023

The self is such a pain—& I am reminded not to take myself too seriously.

Conversations with Wong May

Feb 20, 2023

So many years have passed between Wong May's first email to me and the reissue of her first poetr...

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...

A tale for the time being

Feb 6, 2023

Time is fleeting. I feel it with each year I grow older.

[Upcoming Release] A Bad Girl's Book of Animals by Wong May

Jan 31, 2023

Preorders open on 13 February 2023. A Bad Girl's Book of Animals by Wong May The original cove...

A Place at the Table: Who Gets to Speak in Singapore? by Dawn-joy Leong and Cavan Chang

Jan 30, 2023

How do we ensure that those who do not speak verbally still have a place at the table? And what h...

Not Without Us: A book club starter pack

Jan 30, 2023

🔖 Welcome to this starter pack—a guide to help you organise your very own Not Without Us: Per...

Affirming My Identity

Jan 30, 2023

I struggled to explain and articulate who I am as a hard-of-hearing person.

Carving Out A Place Of Hope Amidst The Inhospitable

Jan 25, 2023

How are you? Where does this missive find you? I hope the beginning of the new year has been bright.

We Are More Than 'Inspirational' Props

Jan 16, 2023

My Uncle Bastien was the first person who said I should be a published author based on the merits...

Thinking With Disability

Jan 9, 2023

Thinking back, the first image of disability I can recall in my life is that of Suzy.

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...

Ethos' Favourite Picks Of 2022 (Part 2)

Dec 19, 2022

This week, our team shares fond memories and more from 2022.

Ethos' Favourite Picks of 2022 (Part 1)

Dec 12, 2022

I hope that this year has been your most memorable yet. As the year is slowly coming to a close, ...

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.

[Upcoming Release] Not Without Us: Perspectives on Disability and Inclusion in Singapore

Dec 3, 2022

Not Without Us: perspectives on disability and inclusion in Singapore is a groundbreaking collect...

💙The Ethos Books Membership Programme💙

Dec 1, 2022

Join in the Ethos membership to help us keep making books that are fresh, different and enduring!

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...

The Art of Confusion

Nov 21, 2022

Have you ever had those moments when the world suddenly seemed so big, and you were drowning unde...

Absurdity in the Garden City

Nov 14, 2022

For as long as I can remember, Singapore has been referred to as a Garden City. I first heard it ...

Take Me Back (One Page At A Time)

Nov 7, 2022

There is a lot of humour in digging up old things. Humour and heartbreak, the intertwined emotions.

Not Just Supporting Actors In A Real-Life Sitcom

Oct 31, 2022

Growing up in a big family that used to live on an island called Pulau Semakau, we faced our fair...

Ethos Authors at the Singapore Writer's Festival 2022

Oct 27, 2022

This year, Ethos Books is proud to co-present 4 panels with SWF, which feature a wide range of E...

Berdiri sama tinggi, duduk sama rendah

Oct 25, 2022

Imagine the bitter pill of swallowing the fact that your community is never good enough [i].

The paradox of shame and celebration

Oct 17, 2022

It’s 5:45am and I’m on the bus heading home from the gym. Today was my first upper body workout o...

Brown Is Redacted: Our Existence Is Beauty

Oct 10, 2022

Sometimes, I’ll take a trip from the north to Geylang Serai market to purchase bunga rampai—Malay...

Brown is Redacted: A book club starter pack

Oct 7, 2022

Welcome to this starter pack—a guide to help you organise your very own Brown is Redacted: Reflec...

We must never forget our work

Oct 3, 2022

A friend texted me from Jakarta two days ago, congratulating me on the 25th anniversary of Ethos ...

Take heart, have courage

Sep 26, 2022

On a trip to Kinokuniya, I chanced upon an interesting book titled Before the coffee gets cold by...

Climate Action 101: Environmental-focused conversations and resources

Sep 22, 2022

This Climate Action Week, learn and take inspiration from the artists, activists, educators and v...

Fields and Roses

Sep 19, 2022

When I was nine years old, the field behind the coffeeshop we frequented on Sunday afternoons was...

Badan Khairat: An Important Part Of Growing Up In West Coast

Sep 12, 2022

Malay/Muslim Mutual Benefit Organisations, or better known as badan khairat to my community, have...

Cast Away in Time and Space

Sep 5, 2022

A week ago, I sat watching the sun recede into the sea. In the foreground: the garden of the hote...

Sisterhood Is A Many-Splendoured Thing

Aug 29, 2022

My sister turned 29 a few weeks ago. It’s an impossible thing to me. I still haven’t quite reconc...

Many Tongues

Aug 22, 2022

When I was growing up, many adults in their 30s and older were multi-lingual, without any certifi...

Mastering the Art of Lightness

Aug 15, 2022

I’ve been trying to master the art of lightness. To move through life with ease when very often m...

In the Comfort of Books

Aug 11, 2022

It’s a big world. So I find comfort in books thathelp me make some sense.

We are not alone

Jul 30, 2022

Have you ever been part of a huge crowd of thousands, singing in unison to a song you all love?

Spring Cleaning

Jul 26, 2022

The books that I’m about to share with you have damages that I don’t even remember of. It’s a sur...

Ethos Books Second Charm POP-UP!

Jul 21, 2022

In conjunction with our Second Charm Sale, we have an in-office pop-up! Come hang with us as you ...

Imperfect pages, sauce on the side

Jul 18, 2022

But there’s something about my old and battle-worn books that make me keep coming back to reread ...

Calm deflection

Jul 12, 2022

Silat is fascinating. It combines martial arts with malay dance, and embraces the same approach o...

An Anthology About Race—and Everything Else

Jul 4, 2022

To honour the intermingling of grief, joy and anger that comes with being an Indian woman in Sing...

In Solidarity With Zakir Hossain

Jun 27, 2022

In today’s Attunement, we would like to express our solidarity with Zakir by highlighting the liv...

Will we ever be old enough?

Jun 20, 2022

I don’t seem to have the ability to make mistakes, fail, all while forgiving myself and moving fo...

Far Away Right Here

Jun 11, 2022

I’m not talking about feeling homesick or merely enjoying the rhythms of Singlish.

How We Live Now - Further Reading recommended by Yu-Mei Balasingamchow

Jun 8, 2022

How We Live Now is an anthology of ten short stories by Singaporean writers, all written in the l...