When The Teenage Textbook was first published in 1988, it became an instant bestseller.

Since then, the novel and its sequel, The Teenage Workbook, have become recognised as popular and classic titles in the canon of Singapore literature, appealing to generations of Singaporean readers.

Both books have sold close to a total of 90,000 copies in regular reprints.

Attesting to its appeal, The Teenage Textbook has been adapted as a movie, stage plays and a television series.

In 2015, it was listed by The Business Times as one of the top 10 Singapore books in English from 1965 to 2015.

This memorial edition contains tributes to Adrian Tan and an essay which examines the novel in social and literary frames by Gwee Li Sui.

About the Author

Adrian Tan (4 February 1966 – 8 July 2023) was a lawyer and author. He is known well known for The Teenage Textbook and The Teenage Workbook, novels which he wrote while studying Law at the National University of Singapore. He was the 27th president of the Law Society of Singapore and a partner at TSMP Law Corporation. 

He was the originator and consultant for the Channel 5 television legal drama The Pupil and invested in Homecoming, a Jack Neo film about families during Chinese New Year. 

He also wrote Dear Adam, Help! under the pseudonym, Adam Wong based on his Agony Uncle column in GO magazine during the 1980s. 

His latest writing is the series of If I Were King of Singapore social commentaries which he posted on LinkedIn.