Thumboo, Edwin (1933-…), is a Singaporean writer, critic, and academic who writes in English. Thumboo has been highly acclaimed for his poetry. Much of his verse deals with the history and culture of Singapore. His poetry has been published in Rib of Earth (1956), Gods Can Die (1977), Ulysses by the Merlion (1979), and A Third Map (1993). He has also written two volumes of nursery rhymes for children, called Child’s Delight (1972).
Thumboo has edited or co-edited several anthologies of literature from Singapore, Malaysia, and countries of Southeast Asia. They include The Flowering Tree (1970), Seven Poets (1973), The Second Tongue (1976), Literature and Liberation (1988), Perceiving Other Worlds (1991), and The Writer as Historical Witness (1995).
Edwin Nadason Thumboo was born on Nov. 22, 1933, in Singapore. He was educated at the Victoria School. He graduated from the University of Singapore in 1957. Thumboo has been on the faculty of the University of Singapore (now the National University of Singapore) since 1966.
