Join Leilani Tamu in conversation with transnational Thai writer Thammika Songkaeo for an exploration of her compelling debut novel Stamford Hospital, which dissects motherhood, marriage and the cost of selfhood.

Set in Singapore, the novel moves through spaces of illness, labour, desire and migration, tracing its narrator’s profound sense of isolation within the very institutions– marriage, motherhood, home – that are meant to sustain her.

This session explores the novel’s key themes of care, power and intimacy and considers Songkaeo’s approach to writing across borders and languages.

Expect a thoughtful exchange that invites readers into the novel’s layered world and its searching questions about home, vulnerability, and how local stories connect via universal experiences.

Part of Zech Soakai’s Guest Curatorship.