Podcast
The Italian Merchant and Lexicographer Who Once Owned Pulau Bukom
Topics
People
3 April 2026
Giovanni Gaggino came to Singapore around 1874 and lived here for more than 40 years. During that time, he set up a successful business providing supplies to vessels passing through Singapore, he wrote an Italian-Malay dictionary and once owned the Pulau Bukom. Writer Alex Foo tells us about the life of Gaggino and his legacy.
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What Alex Talked About
About the Guest
Formerly a literary arts librarian at the National Library Board, Alex Foo has written for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Orientations and ArtsEquator. Singapore history.
Transcript
coming soon
Resources
Alex Foo, “From Liguria to the Lion City: The Life and Times of Giovanni Gaggino,” BiblioAsia 21, no.3 (October–December 2025).
Credits
This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Alex for coming on the show.
The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.