New Books on Singapore History (October 2026)

Echoes of Bengal in the Lion City: Glimpses of the Bengali Diaspora in Singapore

Tagore Society Singapore (2025), 114 pages
From PublicationSG

This collection of stories chronicles the arrival of Bengalis in Singapore in the 19th century, their assimilation into their new home and their efforts to preserve their Bengali identity.

Sim Wong Hoo: The Light We Remember

Edited by Lee Taili
William Tay (2026), 208 pages
Call no. RSING 338.761004092 SIM

Creative Technology founder Sim Wong Hoo died suddenly on 4 January 2023 at the age of 67. Commissioned by his family, this commemorative publication traces his life from a humble kampong childhood to becoming one of Singapore’s most successful technopreneurs. Drawing on the recollections of family and friends, and featuring rare photographs, illustrations and Sim’s unpublished writings, this volume paints an intimate portrait of a visionary who left a lasting impact on those who knew him.

Singapore: A Cinematic Portrait

By Raphaël Millet
Asian Film Archive (2026), 524 pages
From PublicationSG

Illustrated with archival materials such as film posters, handbills and photographs, Singapore: A Cinematic Portrait charts Singapore’s transformation on screen, from its early days as a colonial port to its rise as a dynamic, modern and cosmopolitan city-state. Spanning the period from 1900 to 2025, this work explores how the island has been portrayed, imagined and reinvented through film.

Home, Truly: A History of Singapore National Songs

By Kenneth Lyen
World Scientific Publishing (2026), 209 pages
Call no. RSING 782.421599 LYE

Home, Truly takes a chronological approach to songs that can be considered “national songs” in Singapore. It starts by looking at folk songs and army songs before turning the lens to Zubir Said’s “Majulah Singapura”. The book then surveys all the National Day Parade songs, starting with Hugh Harrison’s “Stand Up for Singapore” in 1984 through to 2025’s “Here We Are”. Profiles of important personalities involved in the creation of national songs round off the volume.

Masjid Al-Taqua: Kilauan Mutiara Kota Singapura= Al-Taqua Mosque: The Shining Pearl of Singapore

Masjid Al-Taqua (2026), 443 pages
Call no. RSING 297.355957 MAS

Located in Bedok South, just off Bedok Road, is Masjid Al-Taqua, a mosque established in 1982. This volume documents the history, role and contributions of the mosque to the religious, social and national development of Singapore – from its beginnings as a village mosque to a key pillar of the Muslim community in Bedok today. Out of the 54 essays, 10 are in English.

Singapore’s Dawn: Stories of Our Firsts – Artefacts That Shaped a Nation’s Legacy

By Dan Teo Khai Mun
Publisher not identified (2025), 181 pages
Call no. RSING 959.57 TEO-[HIS]

Singapore’s Dawn takes a unique approach to presenting Singapore’s history by featuring 60 significant artefacts that are considered “firsts” of one kind or another. Author Dan Teo looks at things such as the first Recorder in Singapore, the first Chinese to win the Queen’s Scholarship, the first supermarket, the first registered trade union, the first national campaign and even the first official lottery game.