, ▁ ▁The ▁Ri ot ▁Act . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Sebastian ▁grew ▁up ▁with ▁parents ▁who ▁were ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁pione er ▁generation ▁of ▁independent ▁Singapore . ▁Prior ▁to ▁being ▁a ▁writer , ▁he ▁took ▁up ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁occup ations , ▁including ▁being ▁a ▁b art ender , ▁a ▁prison ▁officer ▁in ▁a ▁maximum ▁security ▁prison , ▁and ▁a ▁cr oup ier ▁in ▁a ▁cas ino . ▁ ▁Liter ary ▁Activ ities ▁ ▁Sebastian ▁first ▁wrote ▁w ux ia ▁( mart ial ▁arts ) ▁nov els ▁in ▁Chinese : ▁his ▁first ▁series ▁was ▁The ▁Heaven ly ▁Che f , ▁written ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁and ▁his ▁second ▁series , ▁T ears ▁of ▁the ▁Bat , ▁was ▁written ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁The ▁nov els ▁were ▁written ▁under ▁the ▁pseud onym ▁" Y u è ▁Gu ā n ▁M í ng " ▁( <0xE5> <0xB2> <0xB3> <0xE8> <0xA7> <0x82> <0xE9> <0x93> <0xAD> ). ▁ ▁Let ' s ▁Give ▁It ▁Up ▁For ▁G im me ▁La o ! ▁was ▁Sebastian ' s ▁first ▁English ▁novel . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁final ist ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁Ep ig ram ▁Books ▁F iction ▁Prize , ▁short list ed ▁for ▁the ▁Popular ▁Read ers ' ▁Cho ice ▁Awards ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁- ▁English ▁( Ad ult ) ▁Books ▁Category , ▁and ▁short list ed ▁for ▁the ▁Singapore ▁Book ▁Awards ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁( Best ▁F iction ▁Title ). ▁His ▁second ▁English ▁novel , ▁The