S.E.A. Write Award (Southeast Asian Writers Award)
1 appearances
-
Edition 21 (1999) Winner
Catherine Lim
キャサリン・リム
Catherine Lim
Aliases:
Catherine Lim Poh Imm / 林宝音 / Lín Bǎoyīn
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1942-03-21 （Penang, British Malaya）
- Nationality
- Singaporean
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Kulim, Malaya → Singapore
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Teacher
- Active Years
- 1978-
- Affiliations
- Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore, Regional English Language Centre
- Influenced By
- Enid Blyton, Richmal Crompton
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus | — | — | — | — | Singapore |
| University of Malaya | — | Faculty of Arts | Bachelor of Arts | — | Malaysia |
| National University of Singapore | — | Applied Linguistics | PhD | — | Singapore |
| Columbia University | — | — | — | 1990 | United States |
| University of California, Berkeley | — | — | — | 1990 | United States |
Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus
Country:
Singapore
University of Malaya
Faculty of Arts
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Year of Graduation:
1963
Country:
Malaysia
National University of Singapore
Applied Linguistics
Degree:
PhD
Year of Graduation:
1988
Country:
Singapore
Columbia University
Period:
1990
Country:
United States
Fulbright scholar
University of California, Berkeley
Period:
1990
Country:
United States
Fulbright scholar
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Montblanc-NUS Centre for the Arts Literary Award | — | — | Montblanc-NUS Centre for the Arts | Winner |
| 1999 | S.E.A. Write Award | — | — | S.E.A. Write Award | Winner |
| 2003 | Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters | — | — | Government of France | Knight |
| — | Honorary Doctorate in Literature | — | — | Murdoch University | Honorary |
Montblanc-NUS Centre for the Arts Literary Award
1998
Organization:
Montblanc-NUS Centre for the Arts
Result:
Winner
S.E.A. Write Award
1999
Organization:
S.E.A. Write Award
Result:
Winner
Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters
2003
Organization:
Government of France
Result:
Knight
Honorary Doctorate in Literature
Organization:
Murdoch University
Result:
Honorary
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Little Ironies: Stories of Singapore
1978 Short story collectionA collection of short stories depicting everyday ironies in Singapore society.
Singapore societyIroniesTraditional culture
Or Else, the Lightning God and Other Stories
1980 Short story collectionStories including mythical and supernatural elements from Singapore.
Traditional Chinese cultureSuperstitions
The Bondmaid
1995 NovelA novel about the hardships of a woman in traditional Chinese society.
Role of womenBondageChinese culture
The Serpent's Tooth
1982 NovelA novel exploring family conflicts and traditions.
FamilyTraditions
Leap of Love
2003 NovellaAn e-novella about leaps of love.
LoveModern Singapore
Adaptations
- [Film] The Leap Years / Jean Yeap (2008)
Bibliography
- Little Ironies: Stories of Singapore
- Or Else, the Lightning God and Other Stories
- They Do Return...But Gently Lead Them Back
- The Shadow of a Shadow of a Dream
- O Singapore!: Stories in Celebration
- Deadline for Love and Other Stories
- Meet Me on the Queen Elizabeth 2!
- The Serpent's Tooth
- The Bondmaid
- The Teardrop Story Woman
- Following the Wrong God Home
- A Leap of Love
- The Song of Silver Frond
- Miss Seetoh in the World
Adaptations
- The Leap Years (film)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Concise proseColloquial languageSharp satire
- Recurring Motifs
- Traditional Chinese cultureWomen's rolesIronies of Singapore society
Legacy
Hailed as the doyenne of Singapore writers, she has published numerous short story collections and novels focusing on Singapore society and traditional Chinese culture.
In Popular Culture
- Her book was the first Singapore title used in Cambridge International Examinations
Quotes
-
The PAP and the people - A Great Affective Divide
Source: The Straits Times (1994)
Trivia
- Doyenne of Singapore writers.
- Sparked controversy in 1994 with criticism of the ruling PAP.