Indian authors, alongside other national treasures, are on display at the Presidential Pop‑up Library, a first-of-its-kind showcase by the National Library Board (NLB) that blends reading, history and heritage.
Located outside the Five Guys outlet at Plaza Singapura, the pop‑up was launched by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, joined by former Presidents Halimah Yacob and Dr Tony Tan on July 12.
Among the 21 titles personally selected by the three leaders is Sembawang: A Novel, written by Kamaladevi Aravindan, 75, and translated into English by her daughter, Dr Anitha Devi Pillai. President Tharman selected this as one of his eight titles chosen for the library.
“It is an honour I could never have imagined,” Dr Anitha said. “For it to be personally chosen by President Tharman makes it all the more humbling. It affirms the quiet power of stories told in our heritage languages and the role translation plays in helping those stories travel.”
The novel paints an intimate portrait of life in a working-class neighbourhood in the 1960s and spans the next fifty years, weaving in key historical moments and events into the lives of its characters.
“Tamil writers have long documented the heartbeat of this nation,” Dr Anitha noted. “It’s a privilege, one made possible by our bilingualism policy, to translate these works so they can reach readers beyond the Tamil-speaking community.”
Kamaladevi’s induction into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame earlier this year feels especially significant, Dr Anitha highlighted.
“It’s a reminder,” reflected Dr Anitha, “that women who wrote from the margins, in their own languages and on their own terms, are finally being heard.”
Modelled after the Istana, the pop-up also features oral histories, interactive quizzes, alongside 40 other titles linked to Singapore’s Presidents.
President Tharman highlighted that the library reveals “the whole person” behind each President, telling the stories of how they grew up, what shaped their interests and how they became who they were, with books and oral interviews shedding light beyond their formal roles.
In a separate section of the pop‑up, visitors can find ‘An Unexpected Journey’, the autobiography of S.R. Nathan. The book offers a candid account of his early struggles, his years in public service and the moments that shaped his leadership.
The hope is for visitors not only to see reading as just a way to gain knowledge, but also as something to enjoy and embrace as a lifelong habit, said NLB’s planning and development manager, Lavania Krishnamurthy, 39.
The library is open from 10 am to 10 pm until Sep 2. Selected e‑books are available to borrow instantly, and lucky visitors can even win a title from the browsing collection through on-site activities.
