S.E.A. Write Award (Southeast Asian Writers Award)
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1979) Winner
Edwin Nadason Thumboo
エドウィン・ナダソン・タンボー
Edwin Nadason Thumboo
Aliases:
Edwin Thumboo
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1933-11-22 （Singapore, Straits Settlements）
- Nationality
- Singapore
- Languages
- English, Teochew
- Religion
- Protestant
- Residence History
- Singapore → Bukit Panjang
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Professor, Emeritus professor
- Active Years
- 1956-2024
- Affiliations
- National University of Singapore
- Memberships
- Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies
- Influenced By
- W. B. Yeats, Shamus Frazer
- Influenced
- Alfian Sa'at, Felix Cheong, Gwee Li Sui
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Malaya | — | Department of English | B.A. (Hons.) | — | Singapore |
| University of Singapore | — | Department of English Language and Literature | Ph.D. | — | Singapore |
University of Malaya
Department of English
Degree:
B.A. (Hons.)
Year of Graduation:
1956
Country:
Singapore
Majored in English literature and history
University of Singapore
Department of English Language and Literature
Degree:
Ph.D.
Year of Graduation:
1970
Country:
Singapore
A Study of African Poetry in English
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | National Book Development Council of Singapore Award for Poetry | Gods Can Die | — | National Book Development Council of Singapore | winner |
| 1980 | National Book Development Council of Singapore Award for Poetry | Ulysses by the Merlion | — | National Book Development Council of Singapore | winner |
| 1979 | S.E.A. Write Award | — | — | S.E.A. Write Award | winner |
| 1979 | Cultural Medallion for Literature | — | — | Singapore Government | winner |
| 1987 | ASEAN Cultural and Communication Award (Literature) | — | — | ASEAN | winner |
| 2002 | Raja Rao Award | — | — | — | winner |
National Book Development Council of Singapore Award for Poetry
1978
Work:
Gods Can Die
Organization:
National Book Development Council of Singapore
Result:
winner
National Book Development Council of Singapore Award for Poetry
1980
Work:
Ulysses by the Merlion
Organization:
National Book Development Council of Singapore
Result:
winner
S.E.A. Write Award
1979
Organization:
S.E.A. Write Award
Result:
winner
Cultural Medallion for Literature
1979
Organization:
Singapore Government
Result:
winner
ASEAN Cultural and Communication Award (Literature)
1987
Organization:
ASEAN
Result:
winner
Raja Rao Award
2002
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Rib of Earth
1956 PoetryEarly collection of lyrical poetry based on personal experiences.
aestheticsmetaphysics
Gods Can Die
1977 PoetryPoetry collection on Singapore's national life post-independence.
nationalismhistory
Ulysses by the Merlion
1979 PoetryIconic nationalistic poem featuring the Merlion, establishing his reputation.
nationalismmythmulticulturalism
Adaptations
- [Plaque] Ulysses by the Merlion (1979)
A Third Map
1993 PoetryArticulates a cultural vision for multicultural Singapore.
cultural visionhistory
Bibliography
- Rib of Earth
- Child's Delight, Vol. 1
- Gods Can Die
- Ulysses by the Merlion
- A Third Map
- Friend: Poems
- Still Travelling
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Early lyrical poetry on aesthetic and metaphysical themesLater shift to public and nationalistic themesInspired by myth and history
- Recurring Motifs
- mythhistoryMerlionmulticultural societypost-colonialism
Legacy
Pioneer of Singapore English literature, dubbed unofficial poet laureate. Edited first anthologies of Singapore/Malaysia English poetry and fiction, fostering national literature.
In Popular Culture
- 'Ulysses by the Merlion' inscribed on plaque near Merlion statue; inspired many Singaporean poets to write Merlion-themed poems.
Quotes
-
... History enters my writing, as it ought to enter the writing of others, because of its importance in our lives. I go back to this point about the historical moments we occupy. As a former colony, a multi-racial one, created by the British, we need history for a sense of things; to re-inscribe ourselves; discover and, in certain areas, define ourselves...
Source: Interview (Infopedia) (2007)
Trivia
- Of mixed Tamil Indian and Teochew-Peranakan Chinese descent.
- During Japanese occupation, sold cakes, tended goats, and worked as salesboy to support family.
- Arrested for sedition in Fajar trial as student but acquitted.