Raffles built Singapore from scratch, or so the story goes.

Come experience the untold side of Singapore’s past in this non-fiction series. The crazy history of our island nation is revealed in engaging stories that are sure to shock and thrill readers of all ages.

In Crazy Colonisers, meet the larger-than-life characters who shaped Singapore’s early colonial days. From Engku Puteri’s royal defiance and Sultan Hussein’s sudden crowning to Farquhar’s wild menagerie and Raffles’ ruthless ambition, history is retold with humour and bite. With cheeky interjections from Mr Monyet the macaque, these tales reveal the outrageous side of empire-building and how it changed our island forever.

About the Author

Ng Yi-Sheng is a poet, fictionist, playwright, journalist, and activist. He was the second-youngest recipient of the Singapore Literature Prize, awarded for his debut poetry collection last boy (2006). Since then, he has published widely, with works including Lion City (2020), A Book of Hims (2017), and Utama (2025). He is also the author of Twisted Temasek (2024), the first book in the Haywire Histories series.