50 books on Singapore to mark nation's 50 years

A series of 50 books by an all-star cast of experts is in the works for Singapore's golden jubilee next year.

Covering 50 topics of importance to the country, the Singapore Chronicles will be launched by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and released in batches throughout 2015.

They will offer a wide-ranging glimpse into the country's history and culture, covering topics ranging from the constitution and the merger, to food and sports.

Written by experts in their field for the general audience, the books - each expected to be about 100 pages long - will serve as simple primers for each subject and will illustrate "what makes Singapore Singapore and why we chose certain paths and left others untrodden" said IPS Special Research Adviser Arun Mahizhnan at a media briefing on Tuesday.

So far, 47 of the books have been commissioned and some manuscripts have already started coming in, he said.

Each book will give a historical account of the topic, highlight some critical milestones or issues, and provide a glimpse into the future.

The authors include Ambassador-at-large and Policy Adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bilahari Kausikan, who will draw comparisons between the Confrontation era of the 1960s and foreign policy today, National University of Singapore sociology professor Chua Beng Huat, who will write on multi-culturalism, and former civil service head Peter Ho, who will discuss the topic of governance.

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