I got into writing by chance. In 2006 when our family home was entrusted to an education foundation, I felt compelled to find out more about my family history, and so, embarked on a decade long journey of research and fact finding. That compulsion led to my first book which tells the story of my great-grandfather and the early Chinese migrants of late 19th Century who had joined the exodus with him. My aim was to fill a gap in our history books about the lived experience of these men and those who helped built nations. There are about 60 million Chinese (including descendants) living outside China today, yet we know so little about them - Why they came? How they came? And when they arrived, how did they organise themselves and adapt in their new community? The British used to refer to these migrants and their offsprings as the King’s Chinese. Although they were Chinese nationals, they were also British subjects. Needless to say, it made sense to use the term as title for my book.

Having worked as a banking analyst for most of my career, it took me a while to figure out what to do. For a start, the writing style had to change. In the world of finance, numbers take the spotlight, and all the while, I tended to write with a forward-looking voice. Biographical writing, on the other hand, veers towards a retrospective perspective. And since time travel is not yet possible and no way for me to experience the past first hand, contextualising events and experiences helped make sense of what was really happening.

There was also a need to read up on history. Since I was new in the game, I had to cast a wide net and soak up as much as I can about the era. One particular historical term stuck to my head and would remain so for quite a long time - feme covert. Coverture was an archaic law that stripped away a woman’s legal rights after marriage. Women under common law were placed under the protection of their husbands and therefore, became non-existence as a person, legally speaking. They lost their voice, gave up control of their incomes and everything they owned. No longer can they legally represent themselves, own any assets, or for that matter, make a will. Perhaps, this was one of the reasons why I had difficulties finding information about individual women from that period and why I was naturally drawn to the idea of writing about them - to see how much women participated in history.

That was the spark that gave rise to As Equals: The Oei Women of Java. The story is a fascinating one - about the lives of three exceptionally modern Chinese women from the Oei Tiong Ham family of Java. The three Oei ladies broke free from cultural stereotypes during an age when women were considered subordinates of men. Not only had they to deal with being treated as chattels but also navigate through racial tensions prevalent at that time. I spent the lockdown months writing profusely, figuring out common threads to link the stories, revising the flow, language and pace of the book while at the same time scouring through the archives, newspapers, journals and getting in touch with people across the globe for information.

In the end, it all came together. As the American poet, Robert Frost puts it - “Two roads diverged in the woods. I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the difference.” Writing will continue to be a lifelong journey and I am glad I chanced upon it.

p.s. Both books are great reads and I hope you will find time to bury yourself in them!

Daryl Yeap