Sebastian Sim grew up in a two-room HDB flat with parents who were part of the pioneer generation of independent Singapore. Not one to shy away from the road less taken, he has tried his hand in diverse industries: bartender at Boat Quay, assistant outlet manager at McDonald’s, insurance salesman, officer in a maximum security prison, and croupier in a casino. He published three Chinese wuxia novels between 2004 and 2012. And the Award Goes to Sally Bong! is his third English-language novel; Let’s Give It Up for Gimme Lao! was shortlisted for the 2015 Epigram Books Fiction Prize, and The Riot Act won the prize in 2017.