For all you kids who want to be writers...


4th September 2009


...I should disclose the amount on my latest royalty cheque. After a year of sales, the figure came to a grand total of $3.95.

Well, that should give the taxman heart palpitations.

So...time for a commercial?

Time for a commercial.

"Singapore. Malaysia. Brunei. We share a region and now we share a book. Punched Lines: Sit-down Comedy From Southeast Asia - already at a bookshop near you!"*

I wrote this in 2001: "In a country with four major races, English has become the neutral linguistic ground and that neutrality has crystallised in the form of the acronym. Other countries use it too of course - for companies, transport systems, rebel groups - but Singapore is umbilically attached to it. Hospitals, schools, banks, expressways - we are born in collections of letters to travel on them, study in them and give them our money."

It's still true. And thanks to Punched Lines, I'll be giving my bank $3.95 this year.






Let's shoot for $4.95 in 2010!




*Assuming that you're near Select Books in Tanglin Shopping Centre.