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ABOUT FLAME OF THE FOREST PUBLISHING
Flame Of The Forest Publishing has been focused on entertaining readers since its inception in 1989. Its very first book, Russell Lee's "True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 1", was an instant hit not only in Singapore but also across Southeast Asia. Now, 19 years and 17 books later, Russell Lee is an icon in Singapore and Malaysia and his “True Singapore Ghost Stories” series has sold over 900,000 copies!
More than anything else, Russell Lee and Flame Of The Forest have helped to radically transform Singapore publishing. For the first time, books published in Singapore struck a chord with the majority of Singaporeans. Gone was the notion that books should follow pre-conceived norms. While Singapore politicians had parted with colonials and struck out in bold new directions, the British old-school literature model still had a firm grip on the mindsets of academia and publishers. Flame Of The Forest and Russell Lee have contributed to rooting out this outdated, servile thinking.
Before the appearance of Flame, books were considered bestsellers if they could sell 3,000 copies. Lee's sales of 30,000 copies in three months sent hearts racing and observers gasping in disbelief. There was no turning back and books began to take on a Singaporean/Asian voice. A voice that is now attracting global attention.
Another work, "Excuse Me, Are You A Model?" by 21-year-old Bonny Hicks, also defied received wisdom. Hicks and her book became the biggest sensation ever in the annals of Singapore publishing, creating countless news stories. Bonny passed on in 1997, a victim of a plane crash over Indonesia.
Having developed an almost uncanny ability to publish bestsellers, Flame set its sights at a larger Asian audience, and in 1998, launched "Mr Midnight", a horror-fiction series for children by James Lee, Asia’s top children’s writer. Kids loved it and the books even outsell Harry Potter in Singapore and Malaysia. Since its launch, "Mr Midnight" has sold more than 2 million copies! Besides Singapore, Mr Midnight-mania is growing in Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Thailand and Vietnam. About 10 new “Mr Midnight" titles are published every year. Spurred by the overwhelming demand, a new series by James Lee, "Mr Mystery", was launched in early 2006. This new series is moving just as quickly as the "Mr Midnight" books. The stage is now set for “Mr Midnight” and “Mr Mystery” to make their mark beyond Asia.
A poet at heart, Damien Sin stood out for his portrayal of Singapore's poor, the main subject of his stories in “Classic Singapore Horror Stories”. Although down and out, Sin's characters refuse to bow to their plight and stand tall with pride, dignity and grace. His writing betrays an honesty that is sometimes shocking but always sincere. Sin also wrote the screenplay to "Mee Pok Man", a story from one of his books. The film sparked a revival in movie making in Singapore.
When George Nonis did a book of political cartoons, "Hello Chok Tong, Goodbye Kuan Yew" in 1991, bookshops refused to stock the title because of its political content, a major taboo in Singapore. Distributors too backed off. Only a handful of bookshops offered the title. It was only after the then Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong, told reporters that he thought Nonis had “a sense of humour" and that the book was "rather perceptive, rather good" that the title began to appear on the shelves! Once again, old ideas gave way to a new order.
"Daughters of Asia" by Dawn Tan broke new ground in publishing: Women leaders from 10 Asean countries contributed to a book detailing their life journeys. Together with some spectacular photography, the book is a collection of inspiring accounts of hope, courage and an all-out determination to survive against the odds of social oppression, war, imprisonment and even torture. A section of the book features recipes from the women leaders. Contributors include then President Megawati of Indonesia, President Arroyo of the Philippines and Singapore’s First Lady, Mrs Urmila Nathan.
Some of the many new authors introduced to an excited Singapore/Asian readership include Jim Aitchison and Theseus Chan ("Sarong Party Girl" series), Jonathan Holburt ("Kyuden"), David Brazil ("No Money, No Honey!"), Colin Goh ("Coxford Singlish Dictionary") and Dawn Tan ("Broken Mirror", "Awakenings", "Khameleon" and "Daughters of Asia").
Flame Of The Forest’s books are a uniquely Singaporean phenomenon that is spreading in ever-increasing circles in Asia and beyond, with Singapore as its epicentre. Under four imprints - Angsana Books, Bamboo Books, Chiku Books and Flame Of The Forest Books - Flame now publishes a range of titles: Fiction, non-fiction, children's books, horror, humour, cookbooks, poetry and business.
The founder and publisher of Flame Of The Forest Publishing is Alex Chacko, a journalist with extensive experience in television, print and radio in Singapore and overseas. Alex holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management.
Flame Of The Forest has managed to build on its small and humble beginnings and has grown from strength to strength. It’s now one of the biggest book publishers in Singapore and Malaysia and is well on its way to becoming a significant player in Asia and the world. True to its roots and its very soul, Flame Of The Forest Publishing continues to be "a people’s publisher".
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