A SOCIAL-CULTRAL HISTORY OF CHINESE BOOKSTORE IN SINGAPORE (1916-1941)

Abstract

Since the Republican era, the scale of Chinese books exported has gradually expanded under the influence of transportation modernization and publishing commercialization. Chinese books that were imported from China were common in Southeast Asia where overseas Chinese gather. However, the Singapore Chinese book industry, which imports books from China and sells books in Singapore, is in an awkward position both in the studies of Chinese Book History and Chinese Overseas. Previous research tended to use China-centered approach or focus on big merchants from a relative parochial perspective. As an important part of society, the interactive relationship between the book industry and society deserves attention. Therefore, this dissertation takes newspapers, archives, and oral interviews as first-hand materials to explore an important group in the Communication Circuit——booksellers, and their flexible strategies to integrate into the Southeast Asia market from a trans-boundary perspective. These booksellers and their business have an impact on the expansion of the book market and the construction of social space for Chinese in Singapore.