Sebastian Sim
{{short description|Singaporean author}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Sebastian Sim
| pseudonym = Yuè Guān Míng (岳观铭)
| birth_date = {{birthdateandage|1966|10|2|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Singapore
| language = English, Chinese
| image = Sebastian Sim.jpg
}}
Sebastian Sim ({{zh|s=沈岳川|p=Shěn Yuè Chuān}}; born 2 October 1966) is a Singaporean author, including of wuxia novels. He won the 2017 Epigram Books Fiction Prize for best original and unpublished novel in the English language written by a Singaporean citizen, Singapore permanent resident or Singapore-born writer for his novel, The Riot Act. In 2021, he won again in the same category for his novel And The Award Goes To Sally Bong!.
Early life
Sim studied at Hwa Chong Junior College and was awarded the Public Service Commission scholarship.{{Cite web |last=Tan |first=Adeline |title=Author turned down scholarship to be better writer, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper |url=https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/author-turned-down-scholarship-be-better-writer |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=www.tnp.sg |date=10 September 2018 |language=en}} However, he gave up his scholarship before finishing his A-level exams.
Career
Prior to being a writer, he took up a variety of occupations, including being a bartender,{{Cite web |title=Sebastian Sim / Bio |url=https://www.prose.sg/sebastian-bio |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=prose.sg |language=en-US}} a prison officer in a maximum security prison, and a croupier in a casino.
= Literary Activities =
Sim first wrote wuxia (martial arts) novels in Chinese: his first series was The Heavenly Chef, written in 2004,{{Cite news |last=Ho |first=Olivia |date=2017-11-23 |title=Second time lucky for comedy author Sebastian Sim at Epigram Books Fiction Prize |language=en |work=The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/second-time-lucky-for-comedy-author-sebastian-sim-at-epigram-books-fiction-prize |access-date=2023-12-08 |issn=0585-3923}} and his second series, Tears of the Bat, was written in 2006. He wrote a third series in 2012. The novels were written under the pseudonym "Yuè Guān Míng" (岳观铭).{{cite web|url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/fukan/books/story20171127-814167|title=Epigram长篇小说奖得主 沈岳川"重返"英文创作获大奖|date=27 November 2017|publisher=}}
Let's Give It Up For Gimme Lao! was Sim's first English novel. It was a finalist for the 2015 Epigram Books Fiction Prize, shortlisted for the Popular Readers' Choice Awards 2016 - English (Adult) Books Category, and shortlisted for the Singapore Book Awards 2017 (Best Fiction Title).{{Cite news|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/first-english-novel-at-50|title=First English novel at 50|last=hermes|date=2016-04-10|work=The Straits Times|access-date=2018-12-01|language=en}} His second English novel, The Riot Act, won the 2017 Epigram Books Fiction Prize. His third novel, "And The Award Goes To Sally Bong!" won the 2021 edition of Epigram Books Fiction Prize, shared with Boey Meihan's The Formidable Miss Cassidy.{{Cite web|url=https://shop.epigrambooks.sg/products/the-riot-act|title=The Riot Act - Epigram|website=Epigram|access-date=2018-12-01}}{{Cite news |last=Ho |first=Olivia |date=2021-01-17 |title=Epigram Books Fiction Prize splits award for the first time |language=en |work=The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/life/arts/epigram-books-fiction-prize-splits-award-for-the-first-time |access-date=2023-12-08 |issn=0585-3923}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book |author=Sim |title=Let's Give It Up for Gimme Lao! |first=Sebastian |url= |year=2016 |publisher=Epigram Books |isbn=978-981-4757-33-1}}
- {{cite book |author=Sim |title=The Riot Act |first=Sebastian |url= |year=2018 |publisher=Epigram Books |isbn=978-981-4785-74-7}}
- {{Cite book |last=Sim |first=Sebastian |title=And The Award Goes to Sally Bong! |publisher=Epigram Books |year=2021 |isbn=9789814901901}}
References
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Category:Singaporean people of Chinese descent
Category:Singaporean male writers
Category:Hwa Chong Junior College alumni
Category:Singaporean novelists
{{Improve categories|date=July 2023}}