Suchen Christine Lim is a prolific documenter of the inner lives of unsung Singaporeans, from street vendors and migrants living in poverty to women struggling for independence. ‘Fistful of Colours’ was her third published novel and the winner of the inaugural Singapore Literature Prize in 1992. Suchen is also the author of numerous short stories and children’s books as well as textbooks and a play.

Her short stories have been widely anthologised and her novels translated into other languages. Awarded a Fulbright grant, she was an International Writing Fellow at the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore. She has also held writing residencies in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea and the Philippines. In 2012 Suchen received the S.E.A. Write Award in recognition of her body of work