Hi! I’m Rachel Tey. Sometimes I write, sometimes I teach, and sometimes I teach writing. My latest novel, Finding Chopin, was a finalist of the Epigram Books Fiction Prize 2025 and a Straits Times Weekly Bestseller. I also created the middle-grade fantasy adventure series, Tea in Pajamas and Tea in Pajamas: Beyond Belzerac, and have published three short stories (see Bibliography). Occasionally I contribute opinion pieces and commentaries to The Straits Times and CNA. I lecture part-time at the Nanyang Technological University, in addition to conducting creative writing workshops for schools via Sing Lit Station and the Singapore Book Council. I was awarded the National Arts Council grant in 2015, and was a featured speaker at the Singapore Writers Festival in 2016 and 2025. I live in Singapore with my husband and two children.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books and short stories
- Finding Chopin: A Novel. Finalist of the Epigram Books Fiction Prize 2025. Singapore: Epigram Books, 2025.
- “The Cynical Sisters”, in Missed Connections: Microfiction from Asia, ed. Felix Cheong and Noelle Q. de Jesus. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia), 2023.
- “City of Giants”, in The Birthday Book: Unmasking. Singapore: The Birthday Collective, 2023.
- “The Midnight Mission”, in A View of Stars: Stories of Love, ed. Anitha Devi Pillai and Felix Cheong. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia), 2020.
- Tea in Pajamas: Beyond Belzerac. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia), 2018.
- Tea in Pajamas. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia), 2018 (orig. publ. 2015).
Commentaries/Op-eds
- “Commentary: What losing my grandmother made me realise about adulting and my childhood dreams”. TODAY, 29 December, 2023.
- “How I learnt to embrace change and conquer fear”. The Straits Times, 25 December 2022.
- “The boat that draws me to Dad”. The Straits Times, 19 June, 2022.
- “Our juggling act with home-based learning last year was mental“. Channel NewsAsia, 18 May 2021.
- “Food delivery apps are meant to make our lives easier, not worse“. Channel NewsAsia, 12 May 2021.
Reading Rachel 
Hi Rachel. Thanks for the follow! Your site looks lovely 🙂 I’m looking forward to exploring it.
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Thanks so much, you’re very kind. Happy Christmas!
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Hi Rachel
Hope you got the email I sent you a couple of days back. Look forward to hearing from you. Enjoyed reading some of the ‘Parts’ you have written.
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Great site here, Rachel!
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Thanks, Kev!
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Hi! Sorry, I don’t seem to have received your email. Could you re-send to contact@racheltey.com? Thanks xx
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Thank you so much 🙂
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Dear Rachel,
I’m a fellow writer who’s trying to manage writing a novel. I have read TIP and it’s a really beautiful little book with a whimsical theme.
Do you have any writing tips?
Thanks!
~ Rae Lin
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Hi Rae Lin, thanks for your lovely note, and I’m glad you enjoyed TIP! Not sure how much help I can be of, but why don’t you write me at contact@racheltey.com with more info? 🙂 Rachel
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Hi, you came to my sch just now. Can i just ask what section of local bookstores can i find your books? anyway, my name is Marsya from 3B @ WPS.
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Hey Marsya, thanks for your interest! Seems to be stocked at either of these sections usually: Intermediate Readers, Young Adult, Fiction, Asian Books (depends on the bookstore). Best to check with Info Counter! Enjoy the read xx
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Cool! I am always at 2 of those sections anyway.
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Hi Ms Rachel ! Which local bookstore has your books ? Anyway, it is Marsya again.
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Hi Marsya, Kinokuniya, Times and Popular should carry the books.
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Oh yes Ms Rachel, I have found the books already in some local bookstores!
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And Sorry for the late reply ! ( I was on Holiday actually)
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It’s all good!
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Thanks A lot for your understanding !!!!
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Thanks a lot for your understanding Ms Rachel !
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hehe
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Hi Rachel I’m doing a presentation about your amazing book and a would loveee a few infos about you as well here are a few things I’d love to know
-Where you were born
-How old are you/your birthday
-a few Infos on your general life/childhood
That’s is thank you so much Rachel
-Khadijah ❤️
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