Emily of Emerald Hill

Background to the Playwright - Stella Kon

Prepared by Mr. Kevin Cheng

Who is Stella Kon? She’s a Singaporean writer. Born in Edinburgh in 1944. Educated in Singapore. Descended from two old Singapore

families:  her mother, Rosie Seow Guat Kheng, was a

great-grand- daughter of Tan Tock Seng, and her father, Dr Lim Kok Ann, is a grand-son of

Lim Boon Keng. Her childhood was spent in "Oberon," a

mansion in Emerald Hill which no longer exists.

This is the old mansion "Oberon," at 117 Emerald Hill Road,

which is remembered in the play

Who is Stella Kon? She has 2 brothers and 1 sister. She was married in 1966 and later

divorced. She lived for many years in Malaysia. Has two sons with “their own

wonderful families”, in Sydney, Australia, and Harrogate UK.

Stella has been writing for thirty years.

Stella Kon’s Life and Times She first won the first prize in

Singapore's National Playwrighting Competition three times, with her plays The Bridge (1977) Trial (1982) and Emily of Emerald Hill (1983) Other full length plays include Dragon's Teeth Gate (1986) and Silent Song.

She owns an old terrace house in Cairnhill, and now lives alone in the quiet area of Telok Kurau.

Kon’s Childhood Stella was born in sight of the crags and

castle of Edinburgh, and named Sing Po (Stars & Ripples) in remembrance of distant, war-ravaged Singapore.

After the war her parents returned to Singapore in 1948, to the secluded enclave which was Emerald Hill Road. Stella grew up in Oberon, in what she remembers as an idyll of space and serenity - dominated by the matriarchal presence of her grandmother.

Kon’s Childhood There were big bedrooms and cool

verandahs. In one room was a huge silver cup -- a horse-

racing trophy won by her mother’s grandfather, Tan Boo Liat.

On the walls hung portraits of bygone Nonyas.

She remembers the big garden with a green fern-house, with spider orchids and Vanda Joachim, with mangosteen and chiku and rambutan trees.

Kon’s Childhood At Chinese New Year her grandmother

would make her special ice-cream in the old wooden tub.

There would be rounds of ceremonial visits to old aunties in traditional sarong kebaya, cackling and gossiping in hearty Peranakan dialect.

Old family stories would be repeated.

Who Are The Babas? The Babas are descendants of an early Chinese

community that settled in the Malay archipelago at least since the 17th century.

Many members of the early community were seafarers who traded between the ports of southern China and those of Southeast Asia.

The oldest Chinese communities can be found in Malacca.

As Chinese women were by law not allowed to leave their native country until the middle of the 19th century, many of these early traders married non-Muslim natives of the Malay archipelago, such as Balinese or Batak slaves.

A Peranakan couple at the turn of the 20th century. Notice the Nyonya's baju panjang which was fashionable among young ladies in those days.

Who Are The Babas? In the 21st century, the Babas face the same

dilemmas and problems as other Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia – the decline of traditions, the inability to speak the dialect, the growing number of mixed marriages.

All these factors lead to the great changes in the culture and uncertainty about the future. However the growth in Baba cultural activities as well

as in memberships of Baba organisations indicate a growing awareness of the community's heritage and the importance of seeing it into the future.

Nonya, Peranakan or Baba? Up to the early 20th century, the terms "Baba",

"Straits Chinese", "Straits-born Chinese" and "Peranakan" or "Peranakan Chinese" all referred to the same people. The women are known as "Nyonyas". Older ladies are also known as "Bibiks".

However after World War 2, many Babas began to differentiate between "Baba", "Peranakan" and "Straits Chinese". Some writers feel the term "Straits Chinese" refers to

the Chinese born and bred in the Straits Settlements (ie., Singapore, Malacca and Penang), and who regarded the colonies as their home.

Nonya, Peranakan or Baba?

A "Straits Chinese" person is therefore not necessarily a "Baba".

Similarly, the term "Peranakan" is a Malay word for someone who is "born locally".

However, in common usage in English-Language publications, all these terms are synonymous.

Older ladies are known as bibiks.

How her childhood influenced Kon… Stella was not brought up to speak the

Peranakan dialect, to cook the food or to wear the costume.

But stories of the past, albums of sepia-tinted photos, an awareness of family continuity over many generations, are part of her heritage.

It was this heritage she drew upon, together with nostalgic memories of her childhood at Oberon, to write "Emily of Emerald Hill."

Kon’s Inspiration & Influences? When she was living in Malaya, Singapore

become a separate country suddenly. It made her feel like she “sort of emigrated

without moving my feet”. “I think when I write about Singapore, I have

what you call this ‘exile’s view’.” “It’s like the great Irish writers who live

abroad, but they write about Ireland. You see the essentials more clearly, and you also see the circumstances, the atmosphere, filtered through some kind of nostalgia, which sharpens it and makes you go for the essence.”

What moves Kon? Singapore stories - and histories -

move Kon. A flavour of Singapore seems to

permeate her works, whether reality or fantasy.

Dialogue is an ace in writing repertoire and Kon has a good ear for local speech rhythms.

Bibliography Eston 1995 The Bridge 1992 Silent Song 1992 Dragon’s Teeth Gate 1990 Emily of Emerald Hill 1989 The Scholar and the Dragon 1986 Emporium and Other Plays 1977 The Immigrant and Other Plays 1975

Interesting Links Stella Kon’s Homepage

http://www.emilyofemeraldhill.com/ Interview in the Business Times

http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/story/0,4567,48281,00.html

Interview with QLRS http://www.qlrs.com/issues/jul2002/interviews/stellakon.html

Select Bibliography of Critical Writing http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/bib/singlit/drama-indiv.html

Peranakan Association Singapore http://www.peranakan.org.sg/