Detail

Retired lecturer Lin Mengzhong took 25 years to fulfil his dream of publishing a novel, painstakingly writing the manuscript by hand, typing it out himself, and eventually self-funding its publication. Now 81, he loved reading and writing since young and completed Chinese classics such as Journey to the West and Dream of the Red Chamber while still in secondary school. However, practical considerations led him to pursue a more stable career path instead of literature. Inspired by his father’s remark that he should one day “build real houses” rather than paper ones from the family’s paper effigy business, Lin enrolled in the Architecture course at SP. As a Chinese-stream student entering the polytechnic, he worked hard to improve his English while continuing to nurture his passion for the Chinese language, even participating in inter-tertiary Chinese debate competitions. After completing a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science at the University of Singapore, he returned to teach at SP’s Diploma in Civil Engineering, gradually rising to the positions of Senior Lecturer, Chief Lecturer, and Deputy Head of Department, teaching for a total of 23 years. It was only in his 50s that he returned to writing and eventually realised his long-held publishing dream.

[Lianhe Zaobao]