Rex Shelley



Singapore Infopedia

Background

Rex Anthony Shelley (b. 27 October 1930, Singapore1d. 21 August 2009, Singapore) was an award-winning Singaporean writer best known for his quartet of novels that centre on the lives of Eurasians in Singapore and Malaya.2 An engineer by training and a member of the Public Service Commission for 31 years, Shelley started writing at the late age of 61.3 His first novel, The Shrimp People, clinched the National Book Development Council of Singapore’s top prize in 1992.4 His subsequent three novels also received positive critical responses and went on to win book awards.5 In recognition of his literary achievements, Shelley was honoured with the Singapore S.E.A. Write Award in 2007.6

Early life
Born in Singapore in 1930 to Eurasian parents, Shelley received his early education at St Anthony’s Boys’ School. His mother taught at St Anthony’s Convent next door, while his father worked for the Fiat motor company, which closed when war in Europe broke out.7 In search of employment, the family moved to Butterworth, Penang, where his father found work at a shipyard.8

In their attempt to escape from the Japanese during the war, the family fled south to Singapore and took refuge in a relative’s house that was located in the Jewish area of Singapore. However, Singapore fell to the Japanese too, and Shelley lived through the Japanese Occupation in Singapore.9

Education and career
Shelley studied for a year in a Japanese school during the Occupation until his mother withdrew him from school for fear that he would be sent to Japan for training to become key civil servants back in Singapore.10 His father then found him work as a carpenter’s apprentice in a Chinese shipyard.11 After the war, the family returned to Butterworth.12

Shelley came back to Singapore when he was won a scholarship to study at the then University of Malaya in Singapore.13 After graduating with an honours degree in chemistry in 1952, he left for England for his postgraduate studies in engineering and economics at the University of Cambridge.14 During his time in England, Shelley was briefly involved in leftist student politics.15

Shelley worked in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, until May 1965 when he moved back to Singapore to work for Hume Industries, a pipe-making company.16 He was appointed manager of planning at Hume Industries (Far East) in 1973. By this time Shelley was already a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Municipal Engineers, and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore. He was also serving on the management board of the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research, and the Singapore Science Centre Board.17

In 1971, Shelley decided to learn the Japanese language, because he thought it would be useful for his business.18 He later wrote two guide books on Japanese culture: Cultures of the World: Japan (1990) and Culture Shock!: Japan (1993).19 Shelley’s vast knowledge of Japanese culture found its way into his novels, in which he had depicted the Japanese as deserving our sympathy instead of portraying them as brutal oppressors.20

Shelley was appointed a member of the Public Service Commission in 1976, a position he held for 31 years until 2007. From 1980 to 1986, he was general manager of business development with trading firm Intraco.21 After retirement, he kept up an active life and ran his own trading business.22

Writings
When Shelley first began writing, he wrote mainly short stories and completed a short autobiographical novel which was never published. He also wrote technical articles on a regular basis.23 His first novel, The Shrimp People, was published when he was 61.24 The novel tells the story of two generations of Singaporean Eurasians that spanned Singapore in the 1950s to Australia in the 1980s.25 Shelley’s debut work was the winner of the English fiction category of the National Book Development Council of Singapore awards in 1992.26 Judges and critics were impressed with the novel’s extensive scope and keen exploration of the Eurasian and minority experience.27 The Shrimp People is generally regarded as the first novel that gave a prominent voice to the Eurasian consciousness and identity. The novel’s length and ambitious scale also made it a strong contender for the title of “The Singaporean Novel” in 1992.28

Shelley, a Eurasian, once explained his motivations for writing The Shrimp People, saying, “I think, at the back of my mind, I wanted to put down some record of the social history of this Eurasian minority community. I think this community is going to disappear; it is too small to survive”.29

The focus of Shelley’s subsequent three novels was also the Eurasian community.30 Some of the characters in Shelley’s first book recur in his later novels, thus creating a sense of community and interconnectedness between people and histories.31 The People of the Pear Tree and Island in the Centre took home the Highly Commended award in the National Book Development Council of Singapore book awards in 1994 and 1996 respectively.32 His last novel, A River of Roses, won the first Dymocks Singapore Literature Prize (now known as Singapore Literature Prize) in 2000.33

Although Shelley began writing at a late age, his stories were drawn from the experiences of his youth and set in the period of the Japanese Occupation, Singapore’s struggle for independence and its nation-building years.34 

In the opinion of renowned poet and literary pioneer, Edwin Thumboo, Shelley’s late foray into writing worked to his advantage. He said, “Rex was a sensitive and acute observer of life. … He brought to bear on it all the insights of an engineer, businessman, administrator, public servant and a person who loved life. His character analysis was therefore penetrating, and his range of characters are fully reflective of the society he wrote about”.35

In assessing Shelley’s literary legacy, associate professor and literary editor Kirpal Singh said that although Shelley’s influence on the literary scene was not as far-reaching as one may expect, his works are significant contributions to the Eurasian community and Singapore at large. He said, “Rex belongs to the small but significant group of writers who have articulated the experiences of the Eurasians. I think, some over-writing notwithstanding, Rex’s contribution in this respect is admirable… At its best, Rex’s writing is passionate, humane and highly focused. Though he generally kept a low profile, his literary works will stand the test of time, combining a sharp sense of observed commentary with historical detail”.36

Favourite authors and hobbies
Some of Shelley’s favourite authors included Somerset Maugham, Charles Dickens, John Steinbeck and Joseph Conrad. His reading preferences also extended to the works of acclaimed contemporary writers of his time such as Nadine Gordimer, in addition to poetry, in particular, the limericks of English poet Edward Lear.37 In his spare time, Shelley enjoyed swimming; playing a variety of musical instruments including the guitar, piano, a heavy piano accordion, the clarinet and the saxophone; and fabric painting.38

Death and posthumous tribute
Shelley passed away on 21 August 2009 from lung cancer, at the age of 78, at the Assisi Hospice, leaving behind his wife, three children, six grandchildren and two sisters. His last book on prominent Eurasian leader, Charles Joseph Pemberton Paglar, was published by Straits Times Press in 2010.39

As a tribute to his literary contributions, the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) honoured Rex Shelley as the Literary Pioneer for 2019 with an exhibition at The Arts House centred on his life and the impact that his works made on the consciousness and culture of Singapore’s Eurasian community.40 His writings allowed readers an insightful peek into previously unknown inner workings of the Eurasian community.41 In a rousing fete of Shelley's best-known fiction work, The Shrimp People, the SWF's opening ceremony featured an immersive programme celebrating the fictional Eurasian wedding party, replete with Eurasian folk songs, dancing and cuisine as well as a suite of performances and interactive installations of the novel's protagnist Bertha Rodrigues titled "A Bigger Party Than expected" inspired by a quote from the 1991 novel.42

 

Family43
Wife: Cora
Children: Michael, Linda and Martine
Grandchildren: Ria, Jillian, Talya, Chantal, Alik and Sasha
Sisters: Joy and Ruth

Bibliography
Fiction
1991: The Shrimp People44

1993: People of the Pear Tree45
1995: Island in the Centre46

1997: A River of Roses47

Non-fiction
1990: Cultures of the World: Japan48
1993: Culture Shock!: Japan49
1995: Sounds and Sins of Singlish: And Other Nonsense50

2010: Dr Paglar: Everyman’s Hero51

Awards

1975: Top prize for an essay, Singapore International Chamber of Commerce52
1992: Top prize (English fiction category) for The Shrimp People, NBDCS53
1994: Highly Commended award for People of the Pear Tree, NBDCS54
1996: Highly Commended award for Island in the Centre, NBDCS55

2000: Dymocks Singapore Literature Prize for A River of Roses56
2007: Singapore S.E.A. Write Award57



Author
Gracie Lee



References
1. R. D. Klein, “Rex Shelley,” in Interlogue: Studies in Singapore literature, Volume 4: Interviews, ed. Kirpal Singh (Singapore: Ethos Books, 2001), 39 (Call no. RSING 809.895957 INT); “Rex Anthony Shelley,” Straits Times, 22 August 2009, 80 (From NewspaperSG); Rex Anthony Shelley, oral history interview by Ghalpanah Thangaraju, 24 January 2002, transcript and MP3 audio, 29:29, National Archives of Singapore (accession no. 002602), Bibliographical information.
2. Magdalene Lum, “Rex Shelley a Sell-Out in Some Stores,” Straits Times, 12 January 1998, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
3. Serene Luo, “Author Rex Shelley Dies, 78,” Straits Times, 24 August 2009, 7; Stephanie Yap, “Acute Observer of Life,” Straits Times, 25 August 2009, 45. (From NewspaperSG)
4. “Book on Eurasians by Former Civil Servant Wins Top Prize,” Straits Times, 5 September 1992, 26. (From NewspaperSG)
5. “Man of All Ages,” Straits Times, 2 August 2009, 80. (From NewspaperSG)
6. “S.E.A. Write Award,” National Book Development Council of Singapore, accessed 24 October 2016.
7. Klein, “Rex Shelley,” 39–40.
8. “Man of All Ages”; Klein, “Rex Shelley,” 40.
9. Klein, “Rex Shelley,” 40–41.
10. Klein, “Rex Shelley,” 42.
11. Klein, “Rex Shelley,” 42.
12. “Man of All Ages.”
13. Yap, “Acute Observer of Life.”
14. Klein, “Rex Shelley,” 43; Yap, “Acute Observer of Life.”
15. Peter Wicks, “Rex Shelley (1930–),” The Literary Encyclopedia (13 August 2007), https://research.usq.edu.au/download/21d7e9252bd515ccfea1dacab3ae967fb6e70cc0ea0d457769bdb3d0f829688c/21605/Wicks_Rex_Shelley.pdf.
16. Yap, “Acute Observer of Life”; “People in Business,” Straits Times, 23 February 1973, 16. (From NewspaperSG)
17. “A ‘SISIR’ Stamp Means Quality Product,” Straits Times, 19 June 1969, 4 (From NewspaperSG); “People in Business.”
18. Klein, “Rex Shelley,” 42.
19. Anthea Fraser Gupta, “Rex Shelley: An Introduction,” accessed 24 October 2016, http://www.postcolonialweb.org/singapore/literature/shelley/intro.html; Rex Shelley, Cultures of the World: Japan (Singapore: Times Books International, 1990) (From PublicationSG); Rex Shelley, Culture Shock!: Japan (Singapore: Times Books International, 1993). (Call no.: RSING 952 SHE)
20. Klein, “Rex Shelley,” 49; Gupta, “An Introduction.”
21. Conrad Raj, “More Intraco Officials Resign,” Straits Times, 6 January 1986, 1; “Intraco Recruits New Execs in Expansion Drive,” Straits Times, 23 October 1980, 15; Serene Luo, “Author Rex Shelley Dies, 78,” Straits Times, 24 August 2009, 7. (From NewspaperSG)
22. Wicks, “Rex Shelley (1930–).”
23. Klein, “Rex Shelley,” 44.
24. Yap, “Acute Observer of Life.”
25. Koh Buck Song, “Is This the Great Singapore Book?” Straits Times, 30 May 1992, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
26. “Book on Eurasians by Former Civil Servant Wins Top Prize,” Straits Times, 5 September 1992, 26. (From NewspaperSG)
27. Yap, “Acute Observer of Life.”
28. Koh, “Is This the Great Singapore Book?"
29. Klein, “Rex Shelley,” 44.
30. Yap, “Acute Observer of Life.”
31. Gupta, “An Introduction.”
32. “Record 42 Book Awards Given, No Winner for English Fiction,” Straits Times, 20 November 1994, 4; Elisabeth Gwee, “Judges, Swamped by Horror, Hold Back Top Prize for Fiction at Book Awards,” Straits Times, 12 October 1996, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
33. Luo, “Author Rex Shelley Dies, 78.” 
34. Gupta, “An Introduction.”
35. Yap, “Acute Observer of Life.”
36. Yap, “Acute Observer of Life.”
37. Klein, “Rex Shelley,” 45; National Arts Council (Singapore) and Arts House, Singapore, Rex Shelley: The Gentle Observer (Singapore: Singapore Writers Festival, 2019), 16–17. (From PublicationSG)
38. Wicks, “Rex Shelley (1930–)”; Luo, “Author Rex Shelley Dies, 78”; National Arts Council (Singapore) and Arts House, Singapore, Rex Shelley: The Gentle Observer, 30–33.
39. Luo, “Author Rex Shelley Dies, 78.”
40 Olivia Ho, “Bigger Party Than Expected Kicks Off Fest,” Straits Times, 2 November 2019, 9. (From Newslink, via NLB’s eResources website)
41 National Arts Council (Singapore) and Arts House, Singapore, Rex Shelley: The Gentle Observer, 8; Ho, “Bigger Party Than Expected Kicks Off Fest.”
42 Ho, “Bigger Party Than Expected Kicks Off Fest
43. “Rex Anthony Shelley.”
44. Rex Shelley, The Shrimp People (Singapore: Times Books International, 1991). (Call no. RCLOS S823 SHE)
45. Rex Shelley, People of the Pear Tree (Singapore: Times Books International, 1993). (Call no. RSING S823 SHE)
46. Rex Shelley, Island in the Centre (Singapore: Times Books International, 1995). (Call no. RSING S823 SHE)
47. Rex Shelley, A River of Roses (Singapore: Times Books International, 1997). (Call no. RSING S823 SHE)
48. Rex Shelley, Cultures of the World: Japan (Singapore: Times Books International, 1990). (Call no. RSEA 952 SHE)
49. Rex Shelley, Culture Shock!: Japan (Singapore: Times Books International, 1993). (Call no. RSING 952 SHE)
50. Rex Shelley, Sounds and Sins of Singlish: And Other Nonsense (Singapore: Times Books International, 1995). (Call no. RSING 427.95957 SHE)
51. Rex Shelley, Dr Paglar: Everyman’s Hero (Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2010). (Call no. RSING 610.92 SHE)
52. “Shelley Wins Gold Medal for Essay,” Straits Times, 18 November 1975, 7. (From NewspaperSG)
53. “Book on Eurasians by Former Civil Servant Wins Top Prize.”
54. “Record 42 Book Awards Given.”
55. Gwee, “Judges, Swamped by Horror.”
56. Ong Sor Fern, “Winning Work of Imagination,” Straits Times, 4 December 2000, 4. (From NewspaperSG)
57. National Book Development Council of Singapore, “S.E.A. Write Award.”



The information in this article is valid as of October 2023 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

 


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