No Other City: The Ethos Anthology of Urban Poetry

“The first poetry anthology to pay attention to Singapore as a city-state... a fascinating portrayal of Singapore at the turn of the new millennium.”
—from the Foreword by Professor Dennis Haskell

“...bright, modern, westernised, urbanised, but suffused with a consciousness of transience, mobility, and absence that makes these younger Singaporeans both restless and longing for rest.”
—Professor Shirley Lim Geok-Lin

“I have just finished this book and am savouring the exhilaration! It is an anthology of urban poetry, published in 2000, after an invitation to the public to submit poetry that expresses something of life in this ever-changing city of Singapore. The outcome is a vibrant mixture of old established and brand new poems, of voices from across the generations and cultures that inhabit this city. It tells stories of change, of sorrow, of hope and anxiety and meaning. It laments the temporariness of trees in the garden city, with its concrete-encased heart. It strives for meaning amid the constant buzz of development and the absence of skyline and thrushes. It questions the injustices and inequalities facing migrant workers and the have-nots and the invisible who are part of every city. At the same time it is a book full of creative energy and love of life and colour and humanity. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is the way it is presented. It is not just a dipping-in book, though obviously one can do that too. But for me the book feels as if it compels you to read it from beginning to end, like a narrative. The poems are arranged without authors’ names (these are indexed) and are grouped together by theme. The theme is not named - the poems simply progress from one to the other, with a feeling of forward momentum, evoking curiosity, unfolding more and more of a picture, a picture of a city, yet at the same time, an intimate glimpse into the human lives which constitute it.”
—Jo, Goodreads

Aaron Lee is a prize-winning poet, writing mentor, community organiser and banking lawyer. He has three poetry collections to date, the latest being Coastlands (2014), which was launched at the Singapore Writers Festival. His first poetry collection, A Visitation of Sunlight (1997) was voted one of the year's best books by The Straits Times (1997). Aaron has also co-edited several poetry anthologies including the best-selling No Other City: The Ethos Anthology of Urban Poetry (2000). Lee‘s work has been published internationally and performed at international festivals and conferences. He is married to Namiko Chan Takahashi, a multi-disciplinary artist, and they live in Singapore. They are founding members of Agapella, a popular contemporary Christian a cappella group.

Alvin Pang was named 2005 Young Artist of the Year (Literature) by the National Arts Council, Singapore. His poetry collections, Testing The Silence (1997) and City of Rain (2003) were both listed in the Straits Times’ Top Ten Books of the Year. Pang was a founding director of The Literary Centre (Singapore) and Wordfeast 2004, Singapore’s first international poetry festival.