Welcome to Prison Age Press! I bet you’re wondering why I named my site that.
I have always liked writing. But when you’re poor, chasing a dream that might not pay the bills isn’t the most practical thing to do. Instead, I knuckled down and studied hard until I got a scholarship from the Singapore Government which led to a job which I would hold until May 2020.
For almost fifteen years, I was a foreign service officer with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore. I did two terms overseas. It was a long time, and one that helped me build a better life for myself and my family.
So after taking a look at our family finances, I decided it was time to make a change. To build a life I could be satisfied with when I am close to death. But that’s not what you wanted to know, right?
My last day at work was just before Singapore officially entered a pseudo-lockdown dubbed the “Circuit-Breaker”. The CB, as it was abbreviated, would last until 1 June 2020, extended from the originally-planned 4 May 2020.
I used that time at home to plan out my next steps, including this site. And being in a lockdown is somewhat similar to living in a type of prison. And the two months felt like an age. Therefore, Prison Age Press.
However, I would be lying if I said that was the first thing that had led me to the name. The truth is, I read this book while I was growing up. I think it was called “Myths and Legends of Singapore”. It was a collection of, well, myths and legends of Singapore. I loved the stories in that book because it made home appear so much more fantastical and magical than what my lived experience would suggest.
There is magic everywhere. And fantasy is never bound by geography. As a writer, I want to bring some of that and a little bit of fantasy to my home country. I know that a lot of folks are doing that already. I guess I am kind of joining the gang?
And I also like anagrams. So one Sunday, as I waited for my children, I ran the word Singapore through several anagram servers…and out of all the results, Prison Age resonated with me the most because of the earlier reason I elaborated.
There you have it. The origin story of Prison Age Press.
I am currently editing the draft of the first novel. This year, I hope to release three in total and a collection of short stories. You can stay updated by subscribing to the newsletter.
Don’t be a stranger. I’m happy to connect via the social media links at the side. And you can always email me at contact@prisonage.press.
I’ll leave you with a quote packed with infinite wisdom…
“Being a good writer is 3% talent, 97% not being distracted by the Internet.” ~ Anon
Till then, I remain respectfully yours,
Hiskandar Zulkarnaen
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