«Prolific writer Colin Cheong brings together three classic novellas and 23 short stories in this first-ever collection. Written in the 1990s, each story reflects his prowess as a storyteller. He is known for his sensitive and skillful articulation of some universal human themes — the pain of rejected love, the frustration and anticipation of being ‘almost adult’, the rites of passage to adulthood, and man’s need for woman. This collection comprises: 1. Seventeen (novella, published 1996)
2. Poets, Priests and Prostitutes (novella, published 1990)
3. The Man in the Cupboard (novella, published 1999) — won the Merit Award, Singapore Literature Prize 1998
4. Life Cycle of Homo Sapiens, Male (short stories, published 1992)
5. Five new stories, previously only published in The Straits Times
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