Synopsis
What if Alice's wonderland wasn't down a rabbit hole in Victorian England, but right here in Singapore—in the void decks, corridors, and neighbourhood spaces we pass through every day?
Strange Morning in Merlion Town is a contemporary Singaporean reimagining of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland that puts the whimsy and wonder in familiar neighbourhood spaces and everyday experiences. When a boy follows an otter with a suitcase into an MRT station that doesn’t exist on the map, he plunges into a wondrous underground world of Merlion Town. Here, colourful corridors twist into labyrinths and a bottle emptied of its mysterious contents triggers a rose-smelling flood. As the boy winds his way through this strange town, he finds himself teaching Singlish at a tuition centre, joining a Mad Kopi Party and volunteering at a Meet-the-MP session. But when he crosses paths with kueh officers from the Security Agency who accuse him of crime, getting home becomes a challenge.
ISBN: 978-981-5300-11-6
Size: 215 by 135 mm (closed)
No. of Pages: 196
Year Published: 2025
About the Author
Ling Yuan's fiction has been shortlisted for the Chautauqua Janus Prize, Black Warrior Review Fiction Prize and the Kinsman Quarterly Winds of Asia Award. Her writings have appeared in Two Thirds North, Crannog, The Minnesota Review, Gratten Street Press and elsewhere. She lives in Singapore.
