Strange Morning in Merlion Town
Written by Ling Yuan, Illustrated by Seck Li-Lyn
Middle Grade Category
Strange Morning in Merlion Town is a delightful 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 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.
Ling Yuan (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.
Seck Li-Lyn (Illustrator)
Li (莉) is an illustrator from Singapore. She loves being inspired by the everyday, finding the magic in the ordinary. From the small weeds that grow from the sidewalk, to the pastel colours of a HDB block, everything can be a source of inspiration! She believes there’s so much joy in revisiting the familiar with childlike wonder. Her art is creative, imaginative and playful - reflecting this outlook.