Not So Little Red Dot: 60 Years of Singapore’s Diplomacy

Price range: $32.11 through $55.05
ISBN: 978-981-94-4302-4 (Hardback), 978-981-94-4301-7 (Paperback) Page Count: 248 Year Published: 2025 Writers: Peh Shing Huei, Samantha Boh, Pearl Lee, Aaron Low, Jaime Niam, Puah Rui Xian, Derek Wong Publisher: The Nutgraf Books Format: Hardcover, Softcover Singapore operates in a dangerous world — a world where might is right, where the strong eat the weak, and where small countries are, all too often, expected to submit to a brutish order.  This is the harsh reality that Singapore diplomats have faced over the past 60 years of the nation’s independence. Yet, they have clung resolutely to the belief that Singapore has the right to determine its own future. Amid violence and volatility, generations of foreign service officers have steadfastly advanced Singapore’s interests on the global stage — while remaining clear-sighted about the nature of the world we live in.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has played a critical role in charting Singapore’s path to prosperity through crisis and conflict. Ironically, its work remains largely invisible to the public. Not So Little Red Dot: 60 Years of Singapore’s Diplomacy is an attempt to peel back the curtain on six decades of foreign policy, and the men and women who have made it possible. The book spotlights seven episodes largely from the 21st century that illustrate key tenets of Singapore’s approach: 
  • Russia-Ukraine War — Sovereignty
  • Gaza Crisis — Humanitarian Aid
  • Vaccines — Multilateralism 
  • Trump-Kim Summit — Honest Broker
  • Points of Agreement with Malaysia — Neighbourliness 
  • ASEAN formation — Centrality of ASEAN 
  • COVID-19 evacuations — Consular Assistance
Each chapter offers an accessible reading experience by blending comics from veteran artist Cheah Sinann and prose written by a team of seven writers from The Nutgraf. The content and communications agency was behind bestselling titles such as The First Fools: B-Sides of Lee Kuan Yew’s A-Team. Not So Little Red Dot: 60 Years of Singapore’s Diplomacy is authorised by MFA to celebrate its 60th anniversary. 
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The Last Fools – The Eight Immortals of Lee Kuan Yew

$27.53
ISBN: 978-981-18-4363-1 (Softcover) Page Count: 224 Year Published: 2022 Edited by: Peh Shing Huei Authors: Aaron Low, Derek Wong, Jacqueline Woo, Justin Kor, Peh Shing Huei, Prabhu Silvam, Samantha Boh & Sue-Ann Chia Publisher: The Nutgraf Books Dimensions: 15 × 23 × 2 cm Format: Softback
“Finally, a book that fills a large hole in the Singapore Story about the largely forgotten men who worked hand in hand with the country’s founding politicians to build the foundation for Singapore’s future. Read this absorbing account to understand how they operated with their political masters in an intriguing milieu that is one of a kind in the world.” – Han Fook Kwang, Editor-at-Large at The Straits Times
Popular Readers’ Choice Awards 2022 – English (Adult) category – Second Runner-up Dr Alan HJ Chan ‘Spirit of Singapore’ Book Prize 2023 – Longlist How Singapore transformed from Third World to First is a story that has been well-documented through the eyes of outsiders and key figures in the nation’s history, including Lee Kuan Yew himself. But never before has it been told from the perspective of the civil servants so instrumental in the success of this improbable nation. Why the moniker ‘Eight Immortals’? Simply because these civil servants were so powerful that they were nicknamed after the fabled deities of Chinese mythology. The airports, seaports, airlines, housing projects, healthcare infrastructure, and financial systems they built are still here today – and are among the best in the world. While the heavens had the likes of Lu Dongbin, He Xiangu, and Lan Caihe, Singapore had:
  • George Bogaars
  • Andrew Chew
  • Hon Sui Sen
  • Howe Yoon Choong
  • Lee Ek Tieng
  • Ngiam Tong Dow
  • J.Y. Pillay
  • Sim Kee Boon
Want to read a book that is a blend of history, inspiration, and motivation? Then this is the one for you. Journey through Singapore’s formative years with a flip of each page. Pick up leadership lessons in every chapter. Be in awe at countless displays of boldness, vision, and intrepidity. We promise that you will never see Changi Airport or the Singapore River in the same light again. Their trials, tribulations, and triumphs are niftily encapsulated in this independent book, written by eight experienced journalists and authors and edited by award-winning author Peh Shing Huei. It tells the story of how Singapore went from backwater nation to one of the world’s most developed economies and peaceful countries – and it reads like a blockbluster, too. Behind the Book They have been in the shadows for too long. So we decided to do something about it. The Last Fools: The Eight Immortals of Lee Kuan Yew began as a simple passion project when we were bored out of our wits as work slowed down during the pandemic in 2020. In some ways, we, too, felt like the last fools, embarking on a project we had no idea would even take off. We had only our grit and a writer’s naive hope to fall back on. Pen, paper, and laptops in hand, we wrote in a fervour. We trawled through years of newspaper articles, research papers, books, and even companies’ annual reports. We listened to countless audio recordings too. And because all but two of the Eight Immortals have since passed away, we had to search for and interview old friends and family members of these men. Two years, eight writers, and plenty of drafts later, we present the finished product: 224 pages of an epic read, cocooned in a vibrant cover of yellow and black.

Singapore’s Sports Champions: Box Set

$99.09
ISBN: 978-981-17770-0-4(Box set) Year Published: 2025 Authors: Chen Jei Min, Matthew Gan, Claire Lum, Jaime Niam, Puah Rui Xian, Derek Wong Publisher: The Nutgraf Books Supported by: Singapore National Olympic Council Format: Paperback Dimensions: 13.2 × 20.0 × 5.7 cm Meet Singapore’s brightest sporting stars in this exciting collection, as the country celebrates SG60! Singapore’s Sports Champions is a six-book series that brings to life the incredible journeys of eight local athletes who chased their dreams. Each book is packed with stories of determination and triumph, inspiring children to believe in themselves and never give up! Filled with fun facts and motivational lessons, Singapore’s Sports Champions is the perfect gift for young readers who love sports and real-life inspiration. Each story proves that with heart, hard work, and a little bit of Singaporean spirit, anything is possible. Ideal for ages 7-12, this box set will ignite the champion in every child!  The books are also sold individually. Part of the proceeds will go to the Singapore Olympic Foundation.

The First Fools: B-Sides of Lee Kuan Yew’s A-Team

$32.11
ISBN: 978-981-17770-7-3 (Paperback) Page Count: 237 Year Published: 2025 Publisher: The Nutgraf Books Dimensions: 227 × 150 × 1.6 cm Format: Softcover Writers: Samantha Boh Sue-Ann Chia Pearl Lee Aaron Low Jaime Niam Peh Shing Huei Puah Rui Xian Toh Wen Li Derek Wong Singapore’s founding fathers are the stuff of legend. Much has been written about the indomitable Lee Kuan Yew who transformed a nation from mudflats into metropolis, as well as his fellow Old Guard who left their stamp on almost every aspect of Singapore’s DNA, from the economy to diplomacy to housing. But that is not the whole story. See, the 10 larger-than-life personalities who signed the Separation Agreement in 1965 were the nation’s founding fathers. But they were also men — men who fell in love, who kept secrets, who wrote ghost stories, who played sports (not just golf). They were businessmen, bitter men, and some of the best men Singapore has ever seen. Their names are:
  • Lee Kuan Yew
  • Yong Nyuk Lin
  • E. W. Barker
  • Goh Keng Swee
  • Jek Yeun Thong
  • Lim Kim San
  • Ong Pang Boon
  • Othman Wok
  • S. Rajaratnam
  • Toh Chin Chye
From the authors of The Last Fools: The Eight Immortals of Lee Kuan Yew comes The First Fools: B-Sides of Lee Kuan Yew’s A-Team. Each chapter in this anthology offers readers a different slice of the same story, one that, in the case of many of the Old Guard, has largely been forgotten. Instead of Lee Kuan Yew, the leader, comes Lee Kuan Yew, the lover; instead of S. Rajaratnam, the diplomat, comes S. Rajaratnam, the fiction writer. Many of these stories are relatively unknown to the public, and yet they are gems in history that capture a softer, more intimate side of Singapore’s first-generation leaders. It is a timely read as the nation they helped build commemorates its 60th year of independence.

Boardroom Knockout: How Singapore’s Investor Watchdog Fights for Minority Shareholders

Price range: $35.78 through $55.05
ISBN: 978-981-94-0564-0 (Hardcover), 978-981-94-0563-3 (Paperback) Page Count: 280 Year Published: 2024 Editor: Aaron Low Writers: Aaron Low, Grace Ng, Toh Wen Li, Derek Wong, Jaime Niam, Pearl Lee, Matthew Gan Publisher: The Nutgraf Books Format: Hardcover, Softcover Directors absconding with millions in their pockets, foreign agents looking to destabilise companies, and thousands of individuals staring at a lifetime of savings gone. For the Securities Investors Association (Singapore), or SIAS, these are the crises it has had to deal with regularly. Founded by the indomitable David Gerald, the association was created in 1999 to fight for 172,000 investors in Singapore who had billions of savings frozen by the Malaysian government. It has since grown from a small group of individuals to a movement of thousands that fights for and protects the rights of minority shareholders. The association has battled many more rounds against other heavyweights in high-profile scandals that have dogged Singapore’s financial sector. From the China Aviation Oil scandal to the meltdown of Hyflux to the Lehman Brothers minibond saga, SIAS has been at the heart of the corporate action, representing minority shareholders who would have otherwise been voiceless. Boardroom Knockout: How Singapore’s Investor Watchdog Fights for Minority Investors tells a story of unique shareholder activism, one where the fights are in the boardroom and not the courtroom. The book brings readers the inside story behind the scandals, while showing how activists went toe-to-toe with the biggest corporations in Singapore. From the people who brought you bestsellers The Last Fools, The Price of Being Fair, and Behind the Banyan comes another thrilling tale – one of financial fraud, corporate malfeasance and other missteps. Boardroom Knockout charts the remarkable journey of the champions of Singapore’s retail investors, sharing lessons on corporate governance for corporate leaders, investors, and financial and legal professionals. Behind the Book Directors absconding with millions, foreign agents destabilising companies, and thousands of individuals staring at a lifetime of savings gone. For the Securities Investors Association (Singapore), or SIAS, these are the cases they have had to deal with daily. Founded by the indomitable David Gerald, the association was created in 1999 to fight for 172,000 investors in Singapore who had billions of their savings frozen by the Malaysian government. They have since grown to a movement that fights for the rights of minority shareholders in high-profile corporate scandals, from the China Aviation Oil incident to the Hyflux meltdown to the Lehman Brothers minibond saga. Boardroom Knockout: How Singapore’s Investor Watchdog Fights for Minority Investors tells a story of unique shareholder activism – where the fights are in the boardroom and not the courtroom. The book brings readers the inside scoop behind the scandals, while showing how activists led by David Gerald pioneered a new way of handling conflicts between companies and shareholders. From the people who brought you The Last Fools comes another thrilling book, charting the remarkable journey of the champions of Singapore’s retail investors.
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Pineapple, Let’s Roll!

$18.00
ISBN: 978-981-18-9758-0 (Hardcover), 978-981-18-9757-3 (Paperback) Page Count: 36pp Year Published: 2024 Author: Peh Shing Huei Publisher: The Nutgraf Books Dimensions: 22 × 22 × 3.7 cm Format: Paperback Pineapple, Let’s Roll! explores the journey of Ong Lai, a shy pineapple outcast by his schoolmates. However, he has a fateful encounter with Jambu Jane, a helpful friend, who encourages Ong Lai to run for Head Prefect in the School of Fruits. Inspired by Singapore’s 2023 landmark presidential election, this book is a useful primer, introducing young readers to important themes such as the value of friendship, self-confidence, bullying and having respect for others, no matter how different others may look or seem. Encountering the many local fruits amid the familiar setting of school further makes Pineapple enjoyable and relatable to young readers. Written by Peh Shing Huei and illustrated by Quek Hong Shin, Pineapple, Let’s Roll! is sure to enthrall young readers (and even some adults) across the island with its whimsical yet foundationally important themes. About the Illustrator Quek Hong Shin is a Singaporean freelance author and illustrator whose works include picture books such as The Amazing SarongUniverse of Feelings, and Chou Chou. His titles were nominated twice for The Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award. The Incredible Basket, published by Epigram Books, won Best Children’s Book at the 2019 Singapore Book Awards. Grandma’s Tiger, written by Alan John and illustrated by Hong Shin is on The White Ravens 2023, an international recommendation list of children’s literature. Behind the Book Ong Lai is a pineapple. He wants to be Head Prefect in the School of Fruits. Will he roll to victory?

Ready, Kueh Set, Go!

$18.35
English ISBN: 978-981-94-4169-3 (Paperback) Page Count: 36pp Year Published: 2025 Author: Peh Shing Huei Publisher: The Nutgraf Books Dimensions: 22 × 22 × 3.7 cm Format: Paperback Ready, Kueh Set, Go! is an energetic tale that follows five young kuehs at the annual Combined Schools Sports Meet. Each kueh is a champion in their field, but everything changes when Huat Kueh tries to upstage the rest. In the battle of the kuehs, who will emerge champion? Published in honour of the 185th anniversary of the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, the book pays homage to the clan association’s long history of promoting education, as well as its deep-rooted cultural values of camaraderie and cooperation. The “Famous Five” are also an excellent introduction for young readers to the colourful world of Hokkien kuehs. Ready, Kueh Set, Go! is written by Peh Shing Huei and illustrated by Quek Hong Shin, the duo behind the bestselling children’s book, Pineapple, Let’s Roll! This slender, easy-to-read volume is sure to fire up the imaginations – and appetites – of children across Singapore, as well as their appreciation of Hokkien culture. About the Illustrator Quek Hong Shin is a Singaporean freelance author and illustrator whose works include picture books such as The Amazing Sarong, Universe of Feelings, and Chou Chou. His titles were nominated twice for The Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award. The Incredible Basket, published by Epigram Books, won Best Children’s Book at the 2019 Singapore Book Awards. Grandma’s Tiger, written by Alan John and illustrated by Hong Shin is on The White Ravens 2023, an international recommendation list of children’s literature. In 2024, he illustrated a bestselling children’s book based on Singapore’s presidential election, Pineapple, Let’s Roll!

Lee Ek Tieng: The Green General of Lee Kuan Yew

Price range: $32.11 through $55.05
ISBN: 978-981-94-1939-5 (Hardcover), 978-981-94-1938-8 (Paperback) Page Count: 196 Year Published: 2025 Writers: Samantha Boh, Pearl Lee, Matthew Gan Publisher: The Nutgraf Books Format: Hardcover, Softcover Earth. Water. Air. Word has it that there was once a man who controlled the three elements in Singapore. It was a time when rubbish filled the streets, floods raged after torrential downpours, and pollutants wafted in the air unchecked. He was tasked to make the lives of people cleaner, drier, and healthier. Only a foolhardy mortal would take on the job more suited for a deity, and more importantly, succeed. But he did. Over two decades this master of the elements would tame the hazards that so plagued Singapore’s environment, transforming it from Third World to First, from squalid slum to garden city. His name is Lee Ek Tieng – one of the most prolific civil servants in newly-independent Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew once said: other cities have clean and green suburbs that offer respite, but not Singapore. Tiny as it is, it forces its people to work, play, and reside in the same small space. Poison the environment and there would be no escape. He had a vision, to create an oasis in the midst of chaotic developing Southeast Asia. But he needed an executor. In Lee Ek Tieng, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister found the problem solver he sought, a tenacious and pragmatic engineer with foresight and a magnetic personality. But Lee Ek Tieng was an elusive character who preferred to work, not talk. So few in Singapore today would recall his name, even as many live to enjoy his achievements. For the first time, Lee Ek Tieng: The Green General of Lee Kuan Yew tells the story of his inspiring life through the eyes of those who witnessed his prowess. In the hands of three experienced journalists and authors, this title reveals little-known details behind the decisions and actions that resulted in the dramatic metamorphosis of Singapore’s environment, and the person who drove them.
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The Price of Being Fair: The FairPrice Group Story

$27.69
ISBN: 978-981-18-7335-5 (Softcover) Page Count: 200 Year Published: 2023 Edited by: Sue-Ann Chia & Peh Shing Huei Authors: Sue-Ann Chia, Peh Shing Huei, Samantha Boh, Justin Kor, Derek Wong, Toh Wen Li & Puah Rui Xian Publisher: The Nutgraf Books Dimensions: 15 × 23 × 2 cm Format: Softback
10 consecutive weeks on The Straits Times Bestsellers list (non-fiction) and 1st prize winner for the English (Adult) category at the Popular Readers’ Choice Awards 2023!
Some praise it as a national treasure. Others tag it as the people’s supermarket. Many simply call it “NTUC.” While NTUC FairPrice is a household Singaporean brand, the story of its rise from just one store in 1973 to over 500 today is little known. As FairPrice Group celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023, this authorised book traces its riveting success from a worker-led experiment to a S$4 billion food enterprise with more than 500,000 customers every day. Along the way, it has fought the biggest global and local challengers in the unforgiving retail market, from Carrefour to Cold Storage, from Sheng Siong to Amazon. In the hands of the writers behind the No. 1 bestseller The Last Fools: The Eight Immortals of Lee Kuan Yew, this title provides insights into business, management, politics, and more than a delicious dose of heritage and nostalgia. Behind the Book Singapore’s business landscape is peppered with notable names, from Singapore Airlines to DBS Bank to FairPrice Group. But how much do we really understand of these companies, and how they came to be? Our goal was to dispel the shroud of mystery around the much vaunted Singapore Inc, uncovering one of Singapore’s most famous homegrown ventures in all its unvarnished glory. The Price of Being Fair is the result of almost 30 no-holds barred interviews with FairPrice Group’s top management, past and present, as well as countless warehouse and store visits (and yes, drafts). Along the way, we learned a lot about what makes this beloved supermarket brand tick. Where to place condoms in a store? How to ensure Singaporeans have enough chickens to eat? What goes into balancing profit with purpose? We’re proud to say that our team of seven writers only took six months to wrap this project – and that includes wrapping what we wrote in a chic minimalist cover, adorned with familiar supermarket price labels, no less.

Singapore’s Sports Champions: Joseph Schooling

$18.35
ISBN: 978-981-17770-5-9 (Paperback) Page Count: 98pp Year Published: 2025 Author: Derek Wong Publisher: The Nutgraf Books Supported by: Singapore National Olympic Council Dimensions: 12.7 × 19.7 × 0.85 cm Format: Paperback Whenever little Joseph swam, a shark chased him. Or so he imagined. Read how this unique training method propelled him to Olympic glory, where he beat his hero and won Singapore’s first and only gold medal! Meet Singapore’s brightest sporting stars in this exciting six-book series. Be inspired by their incredible journeys of how they chased their dreams! Filled with fun facts and motivational lessons, Singapore’s Sports Champions is the perfect gift for young readers who love sports and real-life inspiration. Each story proves that with heart, hard work, and a little bit of Singaporean spirit, anything is possible. Ideal for ages 7-12, this box set will ignite the champion in every child! The books are also sold individually. Part of the proceeds will go to the Singapore Olympic Foundation.

Strictly Business: The Kwek Leng Beng Story

Price range: $36.00 through $72.00
ISBN: 978-981-12-8448-9 (Hardcover), 978-981-12-8451-9 (Softcover) Page Count: 300 Year Published: 2023 Author: Peh Shing Huei Publisher: World Scientific Publishing & The Nutgraf Books Dimensions: 15.75 × 23 × 3.3 cm Format: Hardcover, Softcover For the first time, the legendary dealmaker opens up on his six decades of breakthroughs in sectors ranging from real estate to hospitality, from finance to manufacturing. Just who the heck is Kwek? Kwek Leng Beng may be one of Singapore’s most successful businessmen, but he is also among the country’s most enigmatic. While his companies and brands are blue-chip counters and household names, the man has steadfastly remained reticent and at times mysterious. Few know that he owns a global hotel empire across five continents or had the measure of Donald Trump in New York. Even in Singapore, many have only a faint inkling that he had a hand in the iconic architectures that dot the Marina Bay skyline, from The Sail to The South Beach, and also Marina Bay Sands. In the hands of bestselling author and journalist Peh Shing Huei, the first authorised biography of Kwek offers:
  • The secrets behind the straight-talking business leader’s success over six decades of breakthroughs
  • Rare access and insights into Kwek’s idiosyncrasies and personal principles
  • A look into his tormented relationship with his father and his plans for succession
Strictly Business: The Kwek Leng Beng Story is a rare private sector addition to Singapore literature, one hitherto dominated by politics and government. Most importantly, it finally takes a stab at answering the question: “Just who the heck is Kwek?” Behind the Book Telling the story of this maverick businessman was no mean feat. Kwek lived up to his reputation as a man of few words. It is why, despite hours of conversation, six interviews between Peh, our team, and Kwek in his office in Republic Plaza and the opulent presidential suits at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront and the St. Regis Singapore were hardly enough. Anything that was not strictly business was hardly worth talking about. Small talk? Get out. To fill in the gaps, Peh spoke to nearly 30 of Kwek’s business associates, colleagues, family members, and his few friends. These were supplemented by months of research from books, newspaper articles, and company annual reports. Just like how he had to get creative with his sources of information, he also plays with form in this authorised biography, breaking with conventional prose in certain chapters to present the narrative in interesting listicles and even song lyrics.
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Singapore’s Sports Champions: Loh Kean Yew

$18.35
ISBN: 978-981-17770-2-8 (Paperback) Page Count: 94pp Year Published: 2025 Author: Claire Lum Publisher: The Nutgraf Books Supported by: Singapore National Olympic Council Dimensions: 12.7 × 19.7 × 0.85 cm Format: Paperback Loh Kean Yew has swung his racket on international stages – but did you know that one of his first badminton nets was his house gate? Read on to find out how Singapore’s first badminton world champion became a smashing success! Meet Singapore’s brightest sporting stars in this exciting six-book series. Be inspired by their incredible journeys of how they chased their dreams! Filled with fun facts and motivational lessons, Singapore’s Sports Champions is the perfect gift for young readers who love sports and real-life inspiration. Each story proves that with heart, hard work, and a little bit of Singaporean spirit, anything is possible. Ideal for ages 7-12, this box set will ignite the champion in every child! The books are also sold individually. Part of the proceeds will go to the Singapore Olympic Foundation.