Abstract: Lien Shih Sheng authored many life writing works in various genres, amongst which, letters was his greatest accomplishment. He received traditional Chinese education and the emphasis of statecraft tradition in Confucianism was given a new definition by him. With a broad outlook of the world, he was spontaneously adapted to the environment upon arriving in Singapore. He integrated Chinese, Western and Nanyang culture together to create Singapore’s very own culture. Full of pragmatic spirit, he wrote for Singaporean readers concerning Singapore's actual problems and issues to meet Singpore’s needs . His works reflect the unique characteristics of Singapore culture and thus the birth of life writing in Singapore.

Key words: Life writing in Singapore; Traditional culture of China; Nanyang culture; Singapore Spirit; Pragmatic

Dr Deborah Chiong is a freelance writer and scholar of Singapore. Her research is part of the major project “Compilation and Research of Overseas Life Writing on Modern Chinese People” sponsored by the National Social Science Foundation of China (IN: 11&ZD138).