August 17, 2016

This post features a short story by Cyril Wong, who completed his doctoral degree with the NUS Department of English Literature in 2012. Cyril Wong is best known for his style of confessional poetry, which often explores the fragility of human connection and features relentless self-querying as well as brutally candid sexuality. He received the National Art Council’s Young Artist Award in 2005 and is the Singapore Literature Prize-winning author of poetry collections including Unmarked Treasure and Satori Blues. He has also served as a mentor under the Creative Arts Programme and the Mentor Access Project, and as a judge for the Golden Point Awards in Singapore.

Cyril Wong’s short story, “The Kiss”, delves into the mind of Ram Prasad Dubey, a security guard who moved to Singapore from Uttar Pradesh. Ram witnesses a passionate kiss that takes place in the condominium elevator he watches over. The event becomes a stimulus for Ram to reflect on his changing relationship with his wife, Maya Devi, as they progress from their first meeting to dealing with the news of Maya’s inability to have children.

The story, which was featured in The Daily Star, can be found here.