▁at ▁CH I J ▁Kat ong . ▁She ▁read ▁literature ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁University ▁of ▁Singapore , ▁and ▁graduated ▁with ▁a ▁post - grad uate ▁di pl oma ▁in ▁applied ▁lingu istics . ▁After ▁her ▁gradu ation , ▁Lim ▁joined ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Education ▁as ▁a ▁curr icul um ▁special ist , ▁and ▁devoted ▁her ▁time ▁between ▁family , ▁work ▁and ▁writing ▁throughout ▁her ▁years ▁with ▁the ▁min istry . ▁ ▁Her ▁first ▁novel ▁R ice ▁Bowl ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁and ▁she ▁co - w rote ▁the ▁award - win ning ▁short ▁play ▁The ▁Ama h : ▁A ▁Port rait ▁In ▁Black ▁And ▁White ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁Her ▁second ▁novel ▁G ift ▁From ▁The ▁God s ▁( 1 9 9 0 ) ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁a ▁National ▁Book ▁Development ▁Council ▁award ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁In ▁that ▁same ▁year , ▁Lim ▁won ▁the ▁inaug ural ▁Singapore ▁Liter ature ▁Prize ▁for ▁her ▁third ▁novel ▁F ist ful ▁of ▁Col ours ▁( 1 9 9 2 ). ▁A ▁Bit ▁of ▁Earth ▁( 2 0 0 0 ) ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁the ▁Singapore ▁Liter ature ▁Prize ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁she ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁Ful br ight ▁Grant ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁pr estig ious ▁Iowa ▁Writ ers ' ▁Work shop , ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁university ▁as ▁writer - in - res idence ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁This ▁res iden cy