Support local: Why no Singaporean authors on PM Wong's 2025 reading list?
Like many avid readers, I love getting book recommendations so I can add more titles to my constantly-growing to-be-read list.
I pick them up from all over — longlists and shortlists for prestigious awards, enthusiastic recommendations from friends, bestseller lists, and, increasingly, reading lists shared by public figures.
Since 2023, when he was the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, I've been keeping track of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's annual reading lists with interest.
While I appreciate the insight they offer into his thinking, I can't help but feel a little disappointed with the absence of Singaporean writers and lack of fiction titles.
Many have rightly praised the fact that someone as busy as PM Wong still makes time to read at all, much less complete nine books from cover to cover. His schedule is no doubt packed with meetings, both in Singapore and overseas.
Across the years he has published his end-of-year reading lists, PM Wong's interest in finance, technology and global affairs is clear and necessary as he steers Singapore through an increasingly volatile political and economic climate.
In a 2024 interview, PM Wong explained that he reads mostly non-fiction on current affairs and topics he's trying to learn more about, along with biographies of Singapore's founding fathers.
Indeed, the second volume of former Deputy Prime Minister S. Rajaratnam's authorised biography, The Lion's Roar, appeared on PM Wong's 2024 list.
It was written by Irene Ng, a former politician and award-winning senior political correspondent at The Straits Times.
So far, she remains the only Singaporean writer to have had the honour of being on PM Wong's reading lists.
By comparison, even former US President Barack Obama spared some time for fiction and poetry — once described by the late Lee Kuan Yew as a luxury Singapore could not afford — in his two terms as "leader of the free world".
Mr Obama has recommended fiction titles such as Cixin Liu's science fiction hit, The Three-Body Problem and psychological thriller The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins.
Why fiction? It increases one's capacity for empathy, sharpens emotional intelligence and allows one to better manage complexities — traits that are undeniably important for leaders.
I also find that reading fiction makes someone appear more interesting, creative and thoughtful to me.
No fiction titles made it to this year's list, which PM Wong shared on social media on Dec 27.
This prompted media consultant and former CNA editor Hwee Goh to comment: "Here's a challenge to go back to fiction some time in 2026 ❤️"
This year's list also did not include any books by Singaporean writers, or titles focused on Singapore.
I find it curious that only one Singaporean writer made our Prime Minister's four reading lists. Shouldn't there be at least a few more, even if only for the optics?
What about Amanda Lee Koe, who published Sister Snake earlier this year?
PM Wong himself said that he would read it during his "downtime later this year".
Singapore's community of bookworms, many of whom love the book, want to know: Has he read it? What does he think about it?
This tiny red dot is also home to outstanding poets. Afterimage, the publishing arm of the literary non-profit Sing Lit Station, has been publishing a steady stream of poetry hits such as Boh Beh Zhao by Cheng Him, whose Singlish and Hokkien-laden poems probe the inner psyche of Singaporean Ah Seng.
Besides fiction and poetry, there's no shortage of locally written non-fiction as well — including those that grapple with complex global issues. Associate Professor Walid Jumblatt Abdullah's Why Palestine? Reflections From Singapore is one such example.
While it's not my cup of tea, I can imagine that Behind The Banyan: Ho Kwon Ping on Building a Global Brand by Aaron Low would also contain lessons on leadership and navigating an uncertain world that PM Wong may find useful.
"Support local" need not just be a tagline, but something all of us — including our prime minister — put into practice every day.
Perhaps the best part about including local writers in your reading diet is how easy it is. One can simply borrow them from the extensive Singapore collection in our public libraries or, come March 1, 2026, use SG Culture Pass credits to purchase SingLit books.
