4- and 5-star SingLit books worth your SG Culture Pass credits from March 1

SINGAPORE – From March 1, readers can use their $100 SG Culture Pass credits to buy eligible Singapore literature books at all of Popular’s outlets as well as independent bookstores Book Bar, City Book Room and Wardah Books.

These are some of the first bookstores to have announced their participation in

the $300 million government scheme

on social media. Some have even curated displays of eligible titles, which are easily identified with official stickers and range from children’s and young adult titles at Popular to bilingual literary fiction at City Book Room.

Launched on Sept 1, 2025 to boost the local arts and heritage sector, the SG Culture Pass has so far been applicable to plays, concerts, workshops, exhibitions and, more recently, films. More details of eligible bookstores and titles are expected ahead of the scheme’s official launch on Mar 1.

Plan your purchases with The Straits Times’ curated list of 4- and 5-star titles – perfect for first-time SingLit readers or the SingLit aficionado in your life.

1. The Mystical Mister Kay by Meihan Boey ($26.90)

British and South-east Asian ghosts mingle in this delicious supernatural whodunnit which investigates the mysterious death of a princess. The third book in Boey’s Miss Cassidy series is the best of the lot and it is being published in the United Kingdom. Pro-tip: Buy the entire series under $100 with extra to spare.

FULL REVIEW HERE

2. Utama by Ng Yi-Sheng ($26.90)

The legendary 13th-century Palembang prince Sang Nila Utama is cast in a brilliant and complicated light in this epic historical novel set in the pre-colonial maritime world around Singapore. For readers sceptical that vivid historical tales can be woven out of Singapore’s pre-1819 past, Utama is compulsory reading.

FULL REVIEW HERE

3. Nine Yard Sarees by Prasanthi Ram ($23.76)

Ram’s short story cycle, which won the 2024 Singapore Literature Prize in English Fiction, packs the punch of an epic. Through 11 interlinked stories and nine female narrators, it follows generations of a fictional Tamil Brahmin family spread across Tamil Nadu, Singapore, Sydney, New York and Connecticut.

FULL REVIEW HERE

4. Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe ($22)

Traversing centuries from Confucian China to Victorian England, Lee Koe’s take on the famous Chinese legend of the White Snake tells the tale of two immortal serpentine sisters as they choose between eccentricity and conformity. Fans of her two previous books will find the author in fresh and fantastical territory.

FULL REVIEW HERE

5. The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei ($33.95)

Eight-year-old Genevieve Yang’s parents give their only child a rude shock when they adopt seven-year-old Arin into their stuffy one-bedroom flat in Bedok. This novel of sisterly love and rivalry is longlisted for the prestigious Dublin Literary Award and is in competition with literary luminaries like Sally Rooney and Ocean Vuong.

FULL REVIEW HERE

6. The Art Of Charlie Chan Hock Chye by Sonny Liew ($48.90)

This

triple Eisner Award-winning graphic novel

tells the life story of the titular Charlie Chan, a forgotten comics artist whose life mirrors the political history of Singapore. This quintessential Singapore graphic novel celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025 with three new book covers that make for great gifts.

FULL REVIEW HERE

7. Neverness by Fairoz Ahmad ($24)

The mysterious disappearance of a 15-year-old schoolgirl is at the heart of this coming-of-age novel that takes readers back to the 1970s when kampungs were on the cusp of disappearance. Fairoz’s narrative is layered and reminisces a lost time for Singapore.

FULL REVIEW HERE

Listed prices are only indicative and can vary from one bookstore to another.