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After quitting her civil service job to become a pastry chef, Yeo Min decided to focus on preserving traditional Chinese candy when she realised the tradition was dying, even in the syllabus of the pastry school . In this episode, she talks about her journey to making traditional Chinese candy, writing the book Chinese Pastry School and founding the Museum of Food. Yeo Min is a pastry chef, a chef instructor and the author of Chinese Pastry School (2024). In 2021, she was a finalist of the Channel 8 baking competition “Crème De La Crème” and came in second at the World Gourmet Summit Apprentice Chef Competition 2021. She is the co-founder of Museum of Food. What Yeo Min Talked About02:33 – Why Yeo Min is passionate about preserving traditional Chinese candy03:40 – Childhood influence03:47 – The three candies representing past, present and future06:58 – Vanishing street candy11:08 – Ding ding tang and the future of traditional candy15:07 – Homemade vs store-bought maltose16:57 – Childhood memories of traditional candy18:44 – Traditional Chinese candy versus Western confectionery22:02 – Sugar sculptures in Chinese culture25:06 – Why Yeo Min wrote Chinese Pastry School42:10 – The Museum of Food and its mission50:51 – Yeo Min’s next book53:47 – Food heritage Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-a-woman-s-mission-to-revive-traditional-chinese-candyWatch Yeo Min make traditional Chinese candy: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/video-traditional-chinese-candy Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Yeo Min for coming on the show. Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

Fish head curry is a popular (and expensive) restaurant dish today, but this wasn’t always the case. Spice queen Devagi Sanmugam remembers when only poor people ate it. She delves into how the dish came about, spells out why fish head curry uses different spices from meat curries, and explains how a clay pot makes all the difference. Devagi Sanmugam, also known as the Spice Queen in Singapore, is a consultant chef, chef educator and author of 24 cookbooks, including Indian Heritage Cooking (2011) and the award-winning I Am a Rice Cooker! (2016). Besides developing recipes and blends for spice companies, she has been a celebrity chef at events and a judge for culinary competitions, such as the locally produced Tamil version of the Master Chef cooking series and Channel 5’s cooking variety show Wok Stars. What Devagi Talked About02:00 – Why Devagi chose to demonstrate fish head curry in From Book to Cook03:13 – The origins of fish head curry in Singapore05:30 – How fish head curry became a multiracial dish in Singapore05:34 – Differences between Malay, Peranakan and Indian fish head curries07:11 – Why fish curry uses different spices from meat curry09:30 – Fish head curry across Asia11:13 – Eating fish eyeballs12:21 – Why fish curry is cooked in a clay pot15:09 – The key ingredients in fish curry17:06 – Devagi’s journey into cooking and teaching32:33 – Devagi’s future plans38:40 – Spices are… Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-cooking-fish-head-curryWatch Devagi make fish head curry: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/video-fish-head-curry Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Devagi for coming on the show. Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

A hawker centre favourite, Hokkien mee is making a comeback in Singapore, according to Dr Leslie Tay, author of the blog ieatishootipost. He talks about the dish was created, what it takes to make a good plate of Hokkien mee, and what is needed to ensure that hawker food continues to thrive in Singapore. Leslie Tay and his wife, Lisa, are the people behind the blog ieatishootipost. Together, they cover the latest on the best hawker food, new discoveries, restaurants and recipes in Singapore and during their travels. As a home chef, Leslie enjoys re-creating his favourite hawker and classic dishes on their YouTube channel, coming up with recipes that are tried and tested and are suitable for home cooks. He has written The End of Char Kway Teow and Other Hawker Mysteries (2010) and Only the Best! (2014). What Leslie Talked About02:42 – The origins of Hokkien mee08:52 – Why frying time matters in Hokkien mee10:46 – The dry and wet styles of Hokkien mee15:24 – Why young hawkers are selling Hokkien mee but not char kway teow18:31 – The return of pork lard20:25 – Key ingredients for Hokkien mee24:04 – Why Hokkien mee is served on opeh leaf28:49 – Leslie’s motivations for starting his food blog38:30 – Turning hawker knowledge into written recipes40:49 – Leslie’s recommendation on Hokkien mee42:20 – The future of hawker culture in Singapore46:54 – Leslie’s favourite hawker dish Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-long-live-hokkien-meeWatch Leslie cook Hokkien mee: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/video-hokkien-mee Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Leslie for coming on the show. Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

What is commonly referred to as "kaya" belongs to a wider Malay repertoire of egg-based coconut confections known as serikaya. Award-winning writer and food historian Khir Johari tells the origins and meaning of serikaya, its common misconceptions and the different food he can concoct from the classic combination of eggs, sugar and coconut milk. Khir Johari is an educator and food historian. In his book The Food of Singapore Malays (2021), he explores the gastronomy and cultural history of Singapore Malays. The book won Singapore’s Book of the Year 2022, Gourmand World Food Culture Award’s Best of the Best Book 2023, and its prestigious Best of the Last 25 Years. Following the success of his book, he founded “Dialogues by Khir Johari”, a platform for exploring Nusantara’s gastronomy through events and online discussions. What Khir Talked About02:40 – Meaning of serikaya04:05 – Origins of serikaya and the Portuguese connection11:44 – Misconceptions about serikaya13:07 – Earliest literary references to serikaya15:39 – Importance of historical research in food studies19:13 – How common serikaya was in the past21:25 – Regional variations of serikaya24:55 – Different serikaya dishes in the “From Book to Cook” video27:33 – Kueh salat vs kueh putri salat29:23 – Agar-agar serikaya innovation31:24 – Evolution of serikaya over time35:15 – Early commercial kaya and tin labels40:02 – What makes a good kaya Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-serikaya-family-of-kaya-based-confectionsWatch Khir make serikaya: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/video-kaya Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Khir for coming on the show. Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

Cookbook author and former restaurateur Dhershini Winodan tells us how she has adapted jackfruit payasam, a common Malayalee dessert, by using local elements like gula melaka. She also talks about growing up in the Telecoms quarters in Yio Chu Kang and how the Malayalee community in Singapore has changed over time. Dhershini Govin Winodan is a former restaurateur who started Chat Masala along Upper East Coast Road. Her latest book, My Long Table: Recipes & Memories (2023), contains over 130 recipes from Indian classics to popular international dishes, and the stories behind them. She has written articles for magazines like Her World, and appeared on radio and TV shows, including the episode “Indian Upma with a Twist” on the YouTube series Woking with Sunshine. What Dhershini Talked About02:41 – Why jackfruit payasam is unusual03:20 – What is payasam made of04:12 – Using coconut milk in payasam04:27 –Jackfruit payasam in Kerala08:38 – Malayali cuisine in Singapore vs Kerala09:19 – Malayali weddings in Singapore12:08 – Malayali festivals beyond Onam15:24 – Managing jackfruit19:27 – The legend of payasam and Lord Krishna21:32 – Types of jackfruit for cooking22:21 – How using the bronze urli pot makes a difference24:03 – Ingredients that make her jackfruit payasam special27:14 – How Dhershini learnt to cook29:02 – Why she came up with the name for her restaurant Chat Masala31:40 – About her book My Long Table36:53 – How Malayali food is different from other Indian regional cuisines38:26 – What Malayali food means to Dhershini Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-a-layered-stewed-sweetness-jackfruit-payasam-made-localWatch Dhershini make jackfruit payasam: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/video-jackfruit-payasam Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Dhershini for coming on the show. Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

Award-winning writer Christopher Tan talks how the Indian samosa led to the curry puffs we know today, as well as the different types of curry puffs – baked, spiralled, made with mutton fat and fillings like otak-otak and taro. Christopher Tan is a food writer, culinary instructor and photographer. His articles, columns, recipes and photographs have appeared in many publications, including Singapore’s Sunday Times and Straits Times, The Peak magazine, and America’s Saveur magazine. He has authored and co-authored many cookbooks, most recently Nerdbaker 2: Tales from the Yeast Indies (2024). What Christopher Talked About01:56 – What a curry puff is02:24 – Types A, B, C curry puffs05:35 – How Christopher became fascinated with curry puffs12:06 – Curry puff vs samosa vs Cornish pasty16:17 – Portuguese empanadas and Southeast Asian connections21:46 – The earliest curry puff recipe in Singapore29:10 – Why modern curry puffs rarely use pork31:14 – The three curry puffs made for From Book to Cook33:20 – Traditional fats used in layered pastry40:39 – Why spiral curry puffs stay crispy44:21 – Christopher’s research process for developing recipes47:51 – How the curry puff scene has changed since the 1920s53:58 – Curry puffs are… Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-the-crisped-the-baked-the-spiralled-curry-puffs-and-their-historyWatch Christopher make the curry puffs: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/video-curry-puffs Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Christopher for coming on the show. Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

When chef, filmmaker and writer Sarah Huang Benjamin wanted to make Hakka abacus seeds for Chinese New Year, her relatives were of little help. The exact recipe was something the older generation had not passed on. Armed with her childhood memories of helping to make the dish, Sarah spent hours doing research and conducting countless experiments before she came up with something she was happy with. Sarah Huang Benjamin is a chef, content creator, filmmaker and writer. She won the inaugural Asian Food Channel’s “Food Hero” competition in 2014, and later hosted, wrote and produced multiple shows on the Asian Food Network. She creates videos for her YouTube channel, which has gathered over a million views. What Sarah Talked About02:31 – What abacus seeds are03:23 – Whether abacus seeds are only for Chinese New Year03:46 – Why Sarah chose abacus seeds to demonstrate in the video for From Book to Cook04:56 – Learning how to make the dish09:27 – The difficulty of finding authentic abacus seed recipes10:03 – Researching recipes through cookbooks and family knowledge12:00 – Using fish sauce in her recipe13:42 – The size and history of the Hakka community in Singapore18:29 – Where to find abacus seeds in Singapore19:32 – Why homemade abacus seeds taste different21:21 – Sarah’s mixed Hakka and Peranakan heritage22:53 – Plans for Sarah’s future cookbook27:33 – What Sarah is working on now30:58 – Family recipe is… Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-putting-together-a-family-recipe-of-abacus-seedsWatch Sarah make abacus seeds: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/video-hakka-abacus-seeds Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Sarah for coming on the show. Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

For decades, the conventional wisdom was that Singapore was “kicked out” of Malaysia. However, newly released documents in Dr Goh Keng Swee's Albatross file reveal a more complex history. In this episode, Janadas Devan, the coordinator for the Albatross File project, tells us more about the secret negotiations by Singapore’s leaders to separate from Malaysia, even as many of them still hoped to preserve a looser federation. Janadas Devan is Senior Advisor (Government Communications) of Ministry of Digital Development and Information and the Prime Minister’s Office, and Director of the Institute of Policy Studies. A former journalist, he was educated at the National University of Singapore and Cornell University in the United States. What Janadas Talked About00:00 – Introduction to the Albatross File book and exhibition04:41 – Why Singapore joined Malaysia in 196308:18 – Agreement between Lee Kuan Yew and Tunku to keep out of Malaysian politics10:25 – UMNO’s performance in Singapore general elections 12:09 – PAP’s participation in Malaysia general elections and politics15:05 – What Janadas remembers of the rallies in Malaysia16:42 – Last straw that led to separation24:46 – Goh Keng Swee’s proposal to separate25:25 – Why Lee Kuan Yew was disliked by Malaysian politicians28:54 – Why the British opposed a looser federation31:02 – Why negotiations on separation were kept secret31:50 – Opposition within Singapore leadership to the idea of looser federation34:43 – Why the narrative of Singapore being “kicked out” of Malaysia was dominant37:52 – What the Albatross file reveals about separation41:47 – Importance of archives in other countries and Lee Kuan Yew’s memoirs43:00 – Whether a looser federation would have worked44:13 – Whether Goh Keng Swee had a vision for independent Singapore47:07 – How the book and exhibition came about52:25 – Which document in the Albatross file surprised Janadas57:03 – How to begin reading the book57:45 – Possible second edition1:00:47 – The books Janadas is working on Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-the-untold-negotiations-behind-singapore-s-independence-in-1965/Read the related BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-22-issue-1-apr-jun-2026-the-architect-of-separation/ Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Red Ink Media. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Janadas for coming on the show. Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

A film studio and theme park in Jurong opened to grand fanfare in 1992. Named Tang Dynasty City, it was modelled after the ancient city of Chang’an. Despite its underground terracotta warriors and other attractions, it struggled to draw visitors, as Senior Librarian Lim Tin Seng tells us. Lim Tin Seng is a senior librarian with the National Library Singapore. He is the co-editor of of Roots: Tracing Family Histories (2013), Harmony and Development: ASEAN-China Relations (2009) and China’s New Social Policy (2010). He writes regularly for BiblioAsia. What Tin Seng Talked About00:00 – Introduction02:09 – About Tang Dynasty City03:54 – Who came up with the idea of Tang Dynasty City05:25 – Why Chang’an was picked as the city to replicate06:54 – The difficulty of getting construction materials08:34 – Movies and shows shot at Tang Dynasty City10:40 – Food options at Tang Dynasty City12:38 – Popularity of the theme park14:38 – Underground terracotta warriors15:54 – How Tang Dynasty City tried to attract more visitors19:10 – What Tin Seng enjoys about archival research20:30 – Curiocity project, on story maps23:03 – The research significance of Tin Seng’s favourite BiblioAsia article he has written26:09 – How Tin Seng’s article on Sarong Island broke new ground Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-a-tang-dynasty-city-in-singapore-flying-swordsmen-terracotta-warriors-and-pagodasRead the article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-22-issue-2-jul-sep-2026-an-ancient-chinese-city-in-jurong-/ Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Red Ink Media. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Tin Seng for coming on the show. Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

Giovanni Gaggino came to Singapore around 1874 and lived here for more than 40 years. During that time, he set up a successful business providing supplies to vessels passing through Singapore, he wrote an Italian-Malay dictionary and once owned the Pulau Bukom. Writer Alex Foo tells us about the life of Gaggino and his legacy. Formerly a literary arts librarian at the National Library Board, Alex Foo has written for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Orientations and ArtsEquator. Singapore history. What Alex Talked About02:32 – About Giovanni Gaggino03:57 – Why Gaggino came to Singapore in 187404:48 – The small Italian community in 19th-century Singapore05:39 – What a ship chandlery is07:18 – Acquiring and Monetising Pulau Bukom08:21 – Gaggino’s other business ventures across Asia09:18 – Writing a dictionary for trade14:13 – Gaggino’s death and unfulfilled legacy17:17 – How the story of Gaggino was reconstructed22:16 – Libraries are… Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-italian-merchant-lexicographer-who-once-owned-pulau-bukom/ Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Alex for coming on the show. Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

Singapore's time zone has been changed at least seven times since 1905, including during the Japanese Occupation when it was synchronised to Tokyo time. Arts librarian Kenneth Tay explains the historical context for the time zone changes, the origins of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) system, and ways to measure time, including a rare atomic clock in a local laboratory. Kenneth Tay is a librarian with the Arts and General Reference team at the National Library Singapore. He is interested in the histories of global systems such as the internet, logistics and time zones, and where Singapore figures in them. What Kenneth Talked About03:02 – How Kenneth became interested in time zones05:09 – Why Singapore changed its time zone in 198206:43 – Why Singapore followed Malaysia’s time change08:13 – Singapore’s experiment with daylight saving time11:35 – Public reaction to Tokyo time during Japanese occupation14:05 – Re-colonising time after the war15:02 – What the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is23:42 – The time zone change in 190526:29 – Difference between UTC and GMT31:39 – Atomic clocks in the world35:23 – Whether time is arbitrary or political38:51 – How research changed Kenneth’s notion of time46:22 – Time history is… Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-changing-times-time-zone-changes-in-singapore-since-1905/ Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Kenneth for coming on the show. Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

Hedwig Anuar was the first Malayan to head the National Library, a position she held for 23 years until 1988. She was also involved in the setting up the Singapore Book Council, National Archives of Singapore and Association of Women for Action and Research. Her daughter, Shirin Aroozoo, tells us about Anuar as a mother and a person, and about how her convictions about books, children's education and women empowerment were shaped by her upbringing and life events. Shirin Aroozoo is the daughter of Hedwig Anuar, who was the director of the National Library from 1965 to 1988. What Shirin Talked About02:40 – Growing up as the daughter of a public figure03:17 – Early childhood memories of the National Library04:57 – Hedwig Anuar’s family background and upbringing10:33 – Early signs of activism at university13:05 – Painful memories of the war16:09 – Becoming a librarian by chance19:57 – Championing children’s books and education21:12 – A quiet, bookish childhood at home25:25 – Travelling together38:21 – Libraries are… Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-the-first-local-to-head-the-national-library-hedwig-anuar/ Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Shirin for coming on the show. The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Lee Ek Tieng (1933–2025) was the civil servant who headed the clean-up of the Singapore River, had the foresight to modernise the sanitation system, and ensured water self-sufficiency for Singapore. Writer Samantha Boh tells us how he did it with his colleagues and earned their respect. Samantha Boh is a journalist and an author who covers the environment and science. She has written extensively on scientific breakthroughs in biomedical science, robotics, water resources, recycling, and food wastage over more than a decade. She is a co-author of The Last Fools, The Price of Being Fair and Lee Ek Tieng: The Green General of Lee Kuan Yew. What Samantha Talked About02:59 – About Lee Ek Tieng07:16 – Lee Ek Tieng’s key achievements12:31 – His personality and leadership style19:07 – Conflict with Economic Development Board during industrial pollution control and backing from Lee Kuan Yew24:01 – Building water self‑sufficiency29:20 – How NEWater got its name31:16 – What colleagues said about him35:31 – His hobbies and DIY spirit38:03 – Books by Nutgraf Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-civil-servant-in-charge-of-clean-and-green-singapore-lee-ek-tieng-samantha-boh/ Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Samantha for coming on the show. The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Before air conditioning was introduced in Singapore in the 1920s, temperature control was a matter of architectural design. Environmental historian Fiona Williamson tells us how people kept themselves cool before air conditioning arrived, why weather science was important to the colonial enterprise, and what environmental history can tell us about a city’s development. Fiona Williamson is an environmental historian with a particular interest in the history of the climate, meteorology and extreme weather in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. She is professor of environmental history at the Singapore Management University. What Fiona Talked About03:12 – How people kept cool before air conditioning05:49 – When and how air conditioning was introduced to Singapore07:53 – Who could afford early air conditioning10:19 – European reactions to tropical heat12:51 – Meteorology as a colonial science15:31 – Observational stations and instruments18:07 – Colonial attempts to manage water and flooding23:15 – The MacRitchie Reservoir mistake28:03 – Fiona’s book Imperial Weather34:19 – Fiona's work with the International Commission for the History of Meteorology36:52 – Climate history is…38:02 – Whether climate change can be reversed Transcript and ResourcesRead the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-the-days-before-air-conditioning-fiona-williamson/Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-21-issue-4-jan-mar-2026-air-conditioning-in-singapore/ Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Fiona for coming on the show. The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Jan Beránek sets out to find out what happened to his granduncle, Silvestr Němec, who left his Czech village for Singapore in 1938 and died as a volunteer during WWII. He finds Silvestr’s story woven with that of the Bata Shoe Company, the Czechoslovak community and volunteer forces in Singapore. Jan Beránek is a Czech environmentalist and an energy expert. He was born and raised in the Czech city of Brno, where he studied physics and sociology. Jan has worked for several environmental organisations and was also the chairman of the Czech Green Party. He currently lives in Amsterdam, working for Greenpeace International as Director for Organizational Strategy and Development. He is the author of In Search of Silvestr: Unravelling My Granduncle's Fate, Bata, Czechoslovaks and World War II in Singapore (Landmark Books, 2025). What Jan Talked About 01:31 – Introduction to the podcast and Bata’s Singapore history02:07 – Silvestr Němec’s disappearance02:29 – Jan Beránek’s research journey03:26 – Family memories04:37 – The post-war search for Silvestr05:49 – Discovery of family letters in 201707:25 – Motivation for beginning the investigation08:45 – How Silvestr was sent to Singapore by Bata09:20 – Silvestr’s job at Bata’s flagship store10:05 – Bata’s international success and localisation11:42 – Bata’s early operations and expansion in Malaya13:17 – What made Bata successful14:11 – The Czechoslovak community in Malaya14:55 – Czechoslovaks’ impressions of colonial Singapore16:35 – Czechoslovakia during WWII and Bata’s wartime challenges22:26 – Silvestr’s service in the Volunteer Corps24:44 – What happened to Silvestr28:37 – Jan’s research process and reflections36:07 – The number of Bata shoes Jan owns36:58 – Family history is… Transcript and Resources Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-searching-for-family-in-the-shadows-of-war-jan-beranek/Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-21-issue-4-jan-mar-2026-lost-family-silvestr-nemec-war-search-czech-singapore/ Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore. This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Jan for coming on the show. The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.