Jamus Lim to introduce wife's poetry collection at the SG launch on July 19

Independent Singapore

09-07-2025

SINGAPORE: Over social media posts on Wednesday morning, Jamus Lim played hype man to his wife, the Chilean-American writer Eneida Patricia Alcalde.
'I don't write much about my better half, in no small part because she is a highly private person, but when she does something that is absolutely worth crowing about, it's impossible to keep quiet, so I'm deeply proud to share that my amazing wife, Eneida, has released her debut poetry collection, written in the stillness of night right here in Singapore, while our daughter and I slept,' Assoc Prof Lim wrote.
The collection, titled 'The Wealth We Surrendered,' was published in the United States in May, and will be launched in Singapore on July 19 at Book Bar on Duxton Road at 4:30 p.m.
At the launch, titled 'The Wealth We Share,' the Workers' Party Member of Parliament (MP) will introduce the book. Max Pasakorn will be moderating the event.
Assoc Prof Lim explained that Ms Alcalde's poetry collection is in large part a tribute to her late father, whom he described as 'a man of deep conviction, mischievous wit, and unwavering compassion for those at the margins of society.'
Ms Alcalde's father had been a political exile from Chile at the time of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
'He carried the scars of history with dignity and grace—yet never lost his appetite for conversation, especially on history, literature, music, art, and politics. He navigated the inevitable ups and downs of life with unflinching candour and an unapologetic, booming laugh,' Assoc Prof Lim, who also posted a photo of his father-in-law, added.
He also reminisced about having spent time with Ms Alcalde's father in his home in rural Pennsylvania.
On her Instagram account on June 30, Ms Alcalde explained her father had visited Singapore before he passed.
Afterwards, she 'wrote through (her) grief here in Singapore.'
'It feels fitting to celebrate the birth of these poems in the place I now call home—a place that, once upon a time, was also home to Chilean poet and Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda, who lived and worked as a diplomat,' the author added.
She also wrote that Assoc Prof Lim had been 'incredibly close' to her father and that, at the launch, 'the book's themes, including immigration, memory, love, grief, belonging (and not belonging), cultural identity and resilience, and legacy' will be discussed.
Assoc Prof Lim also put in a good word about Book Bar, calling it a space that 'champions both emerging and established voices in our local literary landscape.' He mentioned it in the context of the recently published results of the National Library Board's (NLB) National Reading Habits Study 2024, which showed that just three out of 10 respondents had read a SingLit book over the past year, largely a result of a lack of awareness.
'While that might sound disheartening, it also highlights the importance of cultivating a stronger reading culture and supporting homegrown authors and independent bookstores,' Assoc Prof Lim wrote. /TISG
Read also: 'Lost opportunity' — Jamus Lim weighs in on books from Yale-NUS College bagged for disposal