Youngest S’pore Author Who’s Longlisted For Epigram Prize Wrote It On His Phone During NS

2019-04-26 , 6:00 am

As an aspiring fiction writer myself, I’m always on the lookout for great fictional books.

And on this one occasion, I chanced upon 18 Walls, a locally-produced novel that’s a mix of science-fiction, war and romance.

Of course, the fact that it was longlisted for the 2017 Epigram Books Fiction Prize certainly helped my interest, but the book in itself’s admittedly pretty darn captivating as well.

Right from the get-go, we’re flung into this thrilling, exciting scenario that encapsulates with an unexpected twist. All in the prologue itself.

“Wow, it’s been long since I’ve read a good fiction,” I remember deducing.

Interest definitively piqued, I then began to research on the author. Because I’m a maniac that way.

“Teo Xue Shen…” I mumbled. “Must be some seasoned veteran in this field, huh?”

Curious, I typed out the three keywords on my Google search bar, and the results showed. Subsequently, my jaw dropped as well.

“You’re kidding me…” I breathed.

“This guy wrote an Epigram-longlisted story on his phone while serving National Service?!”

The longlisted novel that was drafted out on a mobile phone

Two years ago, Mr Teo Xue Shen, now 20, went through a mandatory process every Singaporean guy has to face:

National Service.

But unlike most of his peers, Mr Teo didn’t spend his idle time swiping dating apps, talking cock and hitting up nightclubs.

He chose to spend the time typing out his sci-fi novel instead.

And as it turns out, the move was a masterstroke. The 272-page long novel would go on to be included in the longlist for the 2017 Epigram Books Fiction Prize, and even get its own release in major bookstores islandwide.

And to cap it all off, Mr Teo was and is the youngest author to have been longlisted for the annual prize.

Now, that’s what I call a good investment of precious time.

For those curious about the plot, the book, 18 Walls, revolves around a group of elite soldiers fighting a half-animal and half-human species known as the Savages.

And according to The New Paper, the book apparently stemmed from Teo’s own experiences in the Army.

Wait, when did we learn how to fight half-human species?

Pre-enlistment Ideas

In an interview with The New Paper, Mr Teo revealed that he had the idea for the book before he enlisted into the Army.

“Before I enlisted, I was not expecting to write it in camp. I thought perhaps I would work on it during the weekends at home. But I guess it was itchy fingers – I couldn’t help myself,” he said.

Originally starting out with a notepad, he soon realised the inconvenience and swiftly transitioned to Microsoft Word on his Sony Xperia phone.

(Holy – Sony Xperia?!)

Thereafter, he would lie on his bed and work on the idea whenever he had time.

Although the training was sometimes long and tiring, Mr Teo persisted and would attempt to type something, even if it was just a word. If he was feeling up to it, however, he could write way more: his record was 19 whole pages at one stretch.

He eventually finished the book in around 6 months during his basic military training and Specialist Cadet Course.

Shocking, considering that NSFs usually have more time after they’ve posted to unit, not when they’re in training school.

A reflection of his realities and thoughts during his NS

As mentioned above, major elements of the book stemmed from his own experiences in the Army.

“When I knew I was going to enlist, I wanted to draw inspiration from what I was going to go through, which would make it easier to write.

“Most of my characters are just pieces of myself.

“Once you give them their traits, characteristics and emotions, they develop themselves.”

When TNP approached the publisher and chief executive of Epigram Books Edmund Wee, he had nothing but praise for the individual.

“It was a delight to publish such a talented young man. I hope his successful efforts will spur other young authors to pick up their pen.”

Preview

For those looking to see what 18 Walls is all about, here’s a sneak e-preview (first 66 pages) of his novel.

While one can choose to purchase the e-book at SGD $8.24, hardcopy fans can head down to major bookstores for the physical copy.

The book’s available at major bookstores at $18.08 (inclusive of GST).

Inspiration

People have been preaching for a long time:

“Creative talent in Singapore is restricted. There’s no provided capacity, or resources, for talents to grow!”

And while there’s definitely a grain of truth in that, Mr Teo’s success has served to somewhat circumvent that notion, in the sense that while the creative talent in Singapore might still be relatively restricted…

I would say that in comparison to earlier times, there has definitely been a stark improvement.

And so to all the aspiring writers out there, don’t give up hope.

You’ll surely have your time to shine. 🙂