4 June 2016

Silver medal winner of the Nautilus Book Awards 2016, Footprints on an Island – Rediscovering Pulau Ubin documents the natural and cultural heritages of one of Singapore’s best kept secrets, Pulau Ubin. The island is now at a crossroad of how much of its rustic charm to retain and to what extent modernity and development should take place. Due to these challenges, there is a greater urgency than ever before to protect the island’s precious heritage. Contained within these pages are the untold stories of some of the island’s pioneering residents. Gleaned from hours of interviews and extensive research, these stories reveal an under-explored side to the island’s history. In addition to these personal stories, the book also contains an array of images of the island’s natural environment and its many inhabitants. Through these images and oral histories, readers will be taken through time, through forests unexplored, over idyllic shores and to sites long-forgotten. The story of Pulau Ubin’s evolution over the years is indeed a fascinating yet often overlooked part of Singapore’s history. This book attempts to add to the understanding of Pulau Ubin’s past, present and future, and in so doing enable more Singaporeans to rediscover and better appreciate the island.