Felix Cheong | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Poet, Novelist |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Genre | Young adult fiction, poetry |
Felix Cheong (born 1965, Singapore) is a Singaporean author and poet. He received the National Arts Council Young Artist Award for Literature in 2000.[1] Cheong has written over 30 books across genres including poetry, young adult fiction, and graphic novels.
Early life and education
[edit]Cheong spent his early childhood years in a kampong in Lorong 3, Geylang. He has one older brother and two younger brothers. Born to two Catholic parents, Cheong has described Catholicism as having a profound impact on his writing.[2]
Cheong attended St. Anthony's Boys' School and represented the school in table tennis. He then attended St. Joseph's Institution, where he was a member of the school band and the Literary, Drama and Debate Society.[2]
In 1990, Cheong graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in English Literature and Philosophy, and a minor in English Language.[2][3] In June 2002, he completed his Masters of Philosophy in Creative Writing at the University of Queensland on a bursary awarded by the National Arts Council.[4]
Career
[edit]Cheong started his career as a broadcast journalist with the then-Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, where he worked for two years. He then joined CNBC Asia as a studio director for close to eight years.[5][2] He later embarked on a freelance writing career before becoming a teacher. He has since taught at institutions such as LaSalle College, University of Newcastle, and the National University of Singapore.[5]
Cheong's first collection of poetry, Temptation and Other Poems (ISBN 9789813065178) was published in 1998 followed by a second collection in 1999, I Watch the Stars Go Out (ISBN 9789810411275),[6] Broken by the Rain (ISBN 9789810480332) in 2003,[7] and Sudden in Youth: New and Selected Poems (ISBN 9789810834128) in 2009.[8]
Cheong has written two young adult fiction books used as part of a national education campaign – The Call From Crying House (ISBN 9789814189057) and its sequel, The Woman In The Last Carriage (ISBN 9789814189118).[9][10]
Cheong won the National Arts Council's Young Artist of the Year for Literature Award in 2000 and the poetry slam at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival in 2004.[9][11]
His poems have been featured in various projects, including Singapore Poetry on the Sidewalks in 2016[12] and Poems on the MRT.[13]
Selected publications
[edit]Poetry
[edit]- The Mischief of Ordinary Things (2024, Marshall Cavendish Editions) ISBN 9815169181, 9789815169188
- B-SIDES AND BACKSLIDES: 1986 -2018 (2018, Math Paper Press) ISBN 9811173044
- Broken by the Rain (2003, Firstfruits) ISBN 9810480334
- I Watch the Stars Go Out (1999, Ethos Books) ISBN 9810411278
- Temptation, and Other Poems (1998, Landmark Books) ISBN 9813065176
Fiction
[edit]- Singapore Siu Dai 2: The SG Conversation Upsize! (2014, Ethos Books) ISBN 978-981-09-2549-9
- Singapore Siu Dai: The SG Conversation In A Cup (2014, Ethos Books) ISBN 9789810788582
- Vanishing Point (2012, Ethos Books) ISBN 9789810733865
- Sudden in Youth: New & Selected Poems (2009, Ethos Books) ISBN 9789810834128
- The Woman in the Last Carriage (2007, Landmark Books) ISBN 9814189111
- The Call from the Crying House (2006, Landmark Books) ISBN 9814189057
- Different (2005, Ethos Books) ISBN 9810537654
- Idea to Ideal: 12 Singapore Poets on the Writing of their Poems (editor; 2004, Firstfruits) ISBN 981051686X
Graphic novels
[edit]- The Showgirl and the Minister (2023, Penguin Random House SEA) ISBN 9789815144314
- Goh Keng Swee: A Singaporean for All Seasons (2023, Marshall Cavendish International) ISBN 9789815113419
References
[edit]- ^ Hoo, Shawn (17 February 2024). "Author Felix Cheong releases bumper crop of seven books in a year after slew of rejections". The Straits Times.
- ^ a b c d Kay Chin, Tay (15 October 2025). "Felix CHEONG". b1965.
- ^ "Felix Cheong Seng Fei: A Biographical Introduction". Postcolonialweb.
- ^ Pang, Alvin (April 2003). "Sex and the City Poet". Quarterly Literary Review Singapore.
- ^ a b Teo, Bertrand (19 July 2021). "Merging Literary Art With Business: How Poet And Author Felix Cheong Thrived In Singapore's Literary Scene". DollarsAndSense Business.
- ^ Tan, Gim Ean (29 November 2000). "Following the call of the Muse". The New Straits Times. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
- ^ Lee, Clarissa (20 August 2003). "Broken by the Rain: The Scums and God by Felix Cheong". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012.
- ^ "We RAT on Felix Cheong!". TODAYonline. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ^ a b "Son hired as consultant". AsiaOne. 4 May 2010. Archived from the original on 7 May 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
- ^ Yap, Stephanie (3 June 2007). "The woman in the last carriage". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
- ^ "Past Festival Participants". Hong Kong International Literary Festival. Archived from the original on 10 December 2010.
- ^ Ng, Charmaine (3 November 2016). "These 'invisible' poems at the Esplanade and Arts House are only revealed when it rains". The Straits Times.
- ^ Peters, Daniel. "6 On 60: Award-winning poet Felix Cheong and young haiku writer Faith Cheng on finding your voice through the written word". Catch Singapore.
External links
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