Rex Shelley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rex Shelley
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| Born | Rex Anthony Shelley 27 October 1930 Singapore, Straits Settlements |
| Died | 21 August 2009 (aged 78) Singapore |
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| Period | 1984–2009 |
| Genre | Fiction (novels) and non-fiction |
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Rex Anthony Shelley (born October 27, 1930 – died August 21, 2009) was a famous author from Singapore. He studied engineering and economics at the University of Malaya and Cambridge.
Rex Shelley also ran his own business. For over 30 years, he worked for the Public Service Commission (PSC). This is a group that helps the Singapore government. He received a special award called the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) in 1978 for his hard work.
He started writing books later in his life. His first novel, The Shrimp People, came out in 1991 when he was 61. This book was important because it was one of the first major stories by a Singaporean writer about the Eurasian community there. It won an award in 1992.
He wrote more books about the Eurasian community, like People of the Pear Tree (1993), Island in the Centre (1995), and A River of Roses (1998). These books also won awards. In 2007, he won the S.E.A. Write Award, which is a big award for writers in Southeast Asia. People liked his writing style, calling it "passionate" and "humane." They also noted how well he created characters.
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Rex Shelley's Early Life and School
Rex Shelley was born in Singapore on October 27, 1930. His family had a mix of English, Portuguese, Malay, and Buginese backgrounds. His father worked in a shipyard, and his mother was a teacher.
He went to St. Anthony's Catholic School. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore (1942–1945), he also spent a year at a Japanese language school. His first job was helping out as a carpenter's apprentice in a shipyard.
After World War II, Rex Shelley earned a degree in chemistry from the University of Malaya in Singapore in 1952. He got a scholarship to help him pay for his studies. Later, he went to the University of Cambridge to study engineering and economics.
Rex Shelley's Career and Public Service
After finishing his studies, Rex Shelley worked in Seremban, Malaysia, until 1965. Then he moved back to Singapore. He started working for a company that made pipes. Later, he even started his own business that imported machinery.
He also spent more than 30 years helping the Public Service Commission (PSC). This group helps the government by hiring and managing public officers in Singapore. They also help plan and give out scholarships from the Government of Singapore. Rex Shelley interviewed many people for government jobs and scholarships. He even wrote a book called How to Interview Well and Get that Job! in 2004.
For his great service to the people of Singapore, the government gave him the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) award in 1978. He received an extra honor the next year.
Rex Shelley also taught himself to speak Japanese. He helped edit a book called Words mean Business: A Basic Japanese Business Glossary in 1984. He also wrote two other books about Japan: Japan (1990) and Culture Shock!: Japan (1993). Besides writing, he was a self-taught painter and played the piano accordion.
Rex Shelley's Fiction Writing Journey
Rex Shelley began writing novels later in his life. His first novel, The Shrimp People, was published in 1991 when he was 61 years old. This book was the first important novel by a Singaporean writer about the Eurasian community. It quickly became a bestseller in Singapore.
The book won the National Book Development Council of Singapore Award in 1992. He then wrote three more books on the same topic: People of the Pear Tree (1993), Island in the Centre (1995), and A River of Roses (1998). These books also won awards, including the Dymocks Singapore Literature Prize in 2000.
A famous poet named Edwin Thumboo said that Rex Shelley was a very good observer of life. He felt that because Rex started writing later, his stories were very thoughtful. He used his experiences as an engineer, businessman, and public servant to create deep characters.
Another writer, Kirpal Singh, said that Rex Shelley's books were very important for the Eurasian community and for Singapore. He noted that Rex's writing was "passionate, humane and highly focused." He believed Rex's books would last a long time because they combined sharp observations with historical details.
In 2007, Rex Shelley was the Singaporean winner of the S.E.A. Write Award. In 2009, two of his books, The Shrimp People and Sounds and Sins of Singlish, were re-released. In 2015, The Shrimp People was even chosen as one of the Top 10 English Singapore books from 1965 to 2015.
Rex Shelley's Later Life
Rex Shelley passed away from lung cancer on August 21, 2009, at a hospice in Singapore. He was survived by his wife, Cora, his children Michael, Linda, and Martine, and his sisters Joy and Ruth. He also had six grandchildren.
His last book, Dr. Paglar: Everyman's Hero, was published after he died in 2010. It was a biography about his uncle, Charles Joseph Pemberton Paglar, who was a doctor.
Images for kids
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Rex Shelley, a famous Singaporean author.
See also
- Literature of Singapore
