Launch of book inspired by Oxley Road saga postponed
Local publishing house Epigram Books announced Monday (13 November) that the launch of children’s book “The Phantom of Oxley Castle”, inspired by the 38 Oxley Road saga, will be postponed till further notice.
“While the original intent was to do a dual book launch, we have decided that it will be better to focus on doing a one-book launch which is Peh Shing Huei’s ‘Dream Island: The Mad Mad World of Philip Yeo’ which has a charity component,” said Edmund Wee, CEO of Epigram Books.
The launch of Peh’s book will be held this Saturday (18 November) at The Arts House.
The story centres around a grand castle with 38 rooms on a tropical island and its colourful occupants including two young princes, a princess and their pesky butler named OB Markus.
According to a synopsis of the book, Prince Hector the Eldest is bookish and rational; Prince Humphrey the Youngest is rebellious; and Princess Harriet is daring and brash. One night, the children hear a strange, ghostly noise coming from the dungeon and decide to investigate.
Those familiar with the Lee family feud that began in June this year and made international headlines would recognise the character references in the fairy tale targeted at both young and adult readers.
The book is the brainchild of Edmund Wee, publisher and CEO of Epigram, and co-written by Chloe Tong, 24, a University of Warwick postgraduate student, and Liana Gurung, 23, a National University of Singapore graduate.
Speaking to Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore earlier this month, Wee described the book’s reference to the real-life feud as “oblique”. He stressed that all characters in the book are fictional.
The two young writers echoed the sentiment, saying that the work is not a re-telling of the Oxley Road events. But they admit there are similarities between the fairy-tale characters and the squabbling Lee siblings.
According to the publisher, sales of the book will continue as planned.
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