Notes from an Even Smaller Island

Synopsis

Knowing nothing of Singapore in the 1990s, a young Englishman, Neil Humphreys, arrives in the land of “air-conned” shopping centres and Lee Kuan Yew. From the aunties in the hawker centres to expats dressed as bananas, from Singlish to kiasuism, and from Singaporeans at home to Singaporeans abroad, Humphreys explores all aspects of Singaporean life, taking in the sights, dissecting the culture and illuminating each place and person with his perceptive and witty observations,


Written by someone who is at once both insider and outsider, the book is a wonderfully funny and disarmingly honest portrait of Singapore and its people.


That was the original synopsis. And a cult classic was born.


First published in 2001, Notes from an Even Smaller Island became an extraordinary success, selling tens of thousands of copies. It popped up on the national bestseller several times over the years and launched Neil’s stellar writing career.


This 20th anniversary edition contains new material; Neil has gone back and re-evaluated his first book, looking at what he got right, what he definitely got wrong and updating readers on key characters, stories and crazy incidents. He also includes never-previously published photos to prove – once and for all – that every word of his irreverent work was true.


The Author

Neil Humphreys is one of Singapore’s best-selling authors with 26 titles to his name. His works on the country – from Notes from an Even Smaller Island (2001) to Saving a Sexier Island: Notes from an Old Singapore (2015) – are among the most popular titles in the last 20 years. Writing as NJ Humphreys, he is also behind the highly popular Princess Incognito middle grade children’s series. His illustrated Abbie Rose and the Magic Suitcase adventures are funny eco-adventures about a smart, feisty girl on a mission to save endangered animals. He is also a prolific crime fiction writer. His titles include Match Fixer (2010), Premier Leech (2011), Marina Bay Sins (2014), Rich Kill Poor Kill (2016) and Bloody Foreigners (2021).