Arthur Yap published four major collections of poetry: only lines (1971), commonplace (1977), down the line (1980), and man snake apple & other poems (1986); and contributed a section of poetry in the anthology Five Takes (1974). These five publications are now out-of-print. The Collected Poems of Arthur Yap gathers the entire corpus of Arthur Yap’s poems, including his “vignettes” and other poems, in a single volume for the first time.


His work is notable for word play, original use of Singlish, and commentary on the values and priorities expressed by ordinary people in everyday situations. To this day, Yap’s influence continues to impact the local literary and arts scene.