Tham Cheng-E - Surrogate Protocol

A woman finds herself questioned for a conspiracy she did not take part in. A son flees to London to escape from a father, wracked by betrayal. A journalist seeks to uncover the truth of the place she once called home. A young wife leaves her husband and children behind to fight for freedom in the jungles of Malaya.

The struggles against communism may have started decades ago, but it has left deep scars across the region. State of Emergency traces the leftist movements of Singapore and Malaysia from the 1940s to the present day, centring on a family trying to navigate the choppy political currents of the region.

During the Christmas holidays in 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggers a tsunami that devastates fourteen countries. Two couples from Singapore are vacationing in Phuket when the tsunami strikes. Alternating between the aftermath of the catastrophe and past events that led these characters to that fateful moment, Now That It’s Over weaves a tapestry of causality and regret, and chronicles the physical and emotional wreckage wrought by natural and manmade disasters.

Pin must not become like her mother, but nobody will tell her why. She seeks clues in Ma’s cooking when she’s not fighting other battles—being a bursary girl at an elite school and facing racial taunts from the bus uncle. Then her meddlesome grandmother moves in, installing a portrait of a watchful Sikh guru and a new set of house rules. Old secrets begin to surface but can Pin handle learning the truth?

Death of a Perm Se c is a mystery about the demise of the permanent-secretary of the housing ministry, Chow Sze Teck, accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes over his career. Set in 1980’s Singapore, the novel examines the civil servant’s death, which first appears to be suicide by a cocktail of alcohol, morphine and Valium. But upon investigation by a CID inspector who might not be what he seems, the family discovers there may be far more sinister circumstances behind his death, that reach to the very top of government. The novel exposes the dark heart of power politics, from the country’s tumultuous post-independence days to the socio-political landscape of the 1980s.

“I don’t aspire to be nice. I do what is necessary to get what I want.” Born on the night of the nation’s independence, Gimme Lao is cheated of the honour of being Singapore’s firstborn son by a vindictive nurse. This forms the first of three things Gimme never knows about himself, the second being the circumstances surrounding his parents’ marriage, and the third being the profound (but often unintentional) impact he has on other people’s lives. Talented, determined and focused, young Gimme is confident he can sail the seven seas, but he does not anticipate his vessel would have to carry his mother’s ambition, his wife’s guilt and his son’s secret. Tracing social, economic and political issues over the past 50 years, this humorous novel uses Gimme as a hapless centre to expose all of Singapore’s ambitions, dirty linen and secret moments of tender humanity.

The Epigram Books Fiction Prize promotes contemporary creative writing and rewards excellence in Singaporean literature. The richest literary prize in Singapore is awarded to the Singaporean, permanent resident or Singapore-born author for the best manuscript of a full length, original and unpublished novel written in the English language.

“Memorable characters, great evocation of a sci-fi-cum-everyday reality, exciting plot twists, philosophical insights into human psychology and the nature of eternity: a thrilling ride from start to finish!”

“A very ambitious novel, able to successfully blend science fiction and contemporary drama, with a narrative covering almost two centuries. The setting is Singapore, but with a twist – places and journeys are familiar, yet we also encounter a historical Singapore skilfully created as a refreshing perspective.”

The Gatekeeper by Nuraliah Norasid

State of Emergency by Jeremy Tiang

Fox Fire Girl by O Thiam Chin

Now That It’s Over by O Thiam Chin (winner)

Sugarbread by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Let’s Give It Up for Gimme Lao! by Sebastian Sim

Death of a Perm Sec by Wong Souk Yee

Annabelle Thong by Imran Hashim

Kappa Quartet by Daryl Qilin Yam

Altered Straits by Kevin Martens Wong

Copyright © 2017 by Tham Cheng-E

Cover art by Cho Zhi Ying

All rights reserved

Published in Singapore by Epigram Books

www.epigrambooks.sg

Published with the support of

National Library Board, Singapore

Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Name: Tham Cheng-E, 1979–

Title: Surrogate Protocol / Tham Cheng-E.

Description: Singapore : Epigram Books, 2017.

Identifier: OCN 973573437

ISBN 978-981-17-0091-0 (paperback)

ISBN 978-981-17-0097-2 (ebook)

Subject(s): LCSH: Longevity—Fiction.

Amnesiacs—Fiction. Singapore—Fiction.

Classification: DDC S823—dc23

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

First Edition: April 2017

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