Edited by Malminderjit Singh 

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Synopsis

“What is Singapore’s Next Big Thing?” An intellectual salvo from young and passionate Singaporeans inhabiting different slices of Singapore society, The Birthday Book is a collection of 51 essays presented as a birthday gift to the nation and its people. What are the milestones that Singapore is headed into – the next big things – in the view of this inaugural group of contributors?

These individuals, younger than 45, will inherit leadership roles in their respective domains of expertise. Their essays come together as a compact and essential digest of introspections and outward projections, drawing on a shared past and projecting forward into our collective future.

Featuring essays by Aaron Maniam, Adrian Kuah, Allan Lim, Bernise Ang, Cassandra Pee, Cheryl Chung, Choy Yong Cong, Daniel Lim, Ayesha Khanna, Ervin Yeo, Eugene K B Tan, Fang Eu Lin, Grace Chua, Grace Sai, Farah Cheah, James Chan, Jeremy Au, Joshua Ip, Juliana Chan, Kenneth Goh, Kenny Leck, Kia Jie Hui, Kwok Jia Chuan, Lewis Liu, Liu Feng Yuan, Mahdev Mohan, Malminderjit Singh, Olivia Lee, Phua Mei Pin, Melissa Kwee, Muhammad Nadjad, Natalie Morris-Sharma, Natalya Twohill, Nicholas Fang, Nick Nash, Philbert Gomez, Rishi Budhrani, Robin Chan, Roger Liew, Saleemah Ismail, Sheila Pakir, Shermay Lee, Sheryl Foo, Saiful Anuar, Thia Shan Zhi, Tong Yee, Vaughn Tan, Ow Yeong Wai Kit, Vernie Oliveiro, Zakir Hussain, Veerappan Swaminathan

About the Editor

Malminderjit Singh is Associate Director of Public Affairs and Communications at The HEAD Foundation, while being a speech writer and an adjunct academic – all symptoms showing that he is clearly suffering from the hangover of being a journalist. A restless individual, he is involved in several national and community-based organisations and committees. Youth development and building ground-up-initiatives are his primary weaknesses and the opportunities to be involved in both are a temptation his curiosity cannot stop flirting with.

How this book came together

In the spirit of civil society, the contributors contributed their work for no personal gain. Half of the profits from the book sales will go towards the production and publishing costs, while the remainder will be contributed to The Birthday Book Collective, which will be operated in the spirit of a non-profit to support follow-up activities and outreach relating to the various ideas and causes that the contributors wrote about. 

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