Raffles Hotel Singapore is opening a new visual chapter in its literary legacy with Singaporean graphic novelist, author and artist Sean Lam, who has completed his tenure as the hotel’s fifth Writer in Residence.
Developed during his residency, Raffles Hotel: The Grande Dame and the Waving Blade is a historical graphic novel that brings a visual storytelling approach to the Raffles Writer’s Residency programme. The work reflects the hotel’s ongoing commitment to literature and its evolving forms of creative expression.
Introduced in 2019, the Raffles Writer’s Residency programme celebrates the hotel’s longstanding connection with literature and its history of welcoming renowned literary figures as guests and sources of inspiration. The programme provides contemporary creative voices with a retreat in the heart of Singapore, allowing them to develop original works inspired by the hotel’s history and cultural significance.
Raised in Singapore’s multicultural environment, Sean Lam has developed an international career spanning Asia, Europe and the United States. He has worked with publishers including Seven Seas Entertainment and Macmillan, while his recent works have received honours such as an IPPY Award, a New York City Big Book Award and Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. He also engages with young people and communities through creative workshops, public art and visual storytelling focused on contemporary social issues.
Set in Singapore in 1902, Raffles Hotel: The Grande Dame and the Waving Blade follows three individuals from different backgrounds whose lives become intertwined at Raffles Hotel Singapore. Through a story of love, sacrifice and belonging, Lam explores connections across cultures, languages and social boundaries.
Combining historical research with detailed illustrations, the graphic novel looks beyond the hotel’s architecture to the people and encounters that shaped its history. The story moves through Singapore’s bustling harbour as well as the hotel’s kitchens, stables, verandahs and halls, portraying Raffles Hotel Singapore as both a setting and witness to a city undergoing significant change.
The story will also be brought to life through new cocktails at Writers Bar. From 27 August 2026, three creations inspired by the characters, emotions and key moments of the graphic novel will be available at S$35++ each.
Kilat takes inspiration from the wild horse that plays an important role in the characters’ journey. Maker’s Mark bourbon forms the base, complemented by ginger leaf syrup, port wine and grapefruit soda. The cocktail is finished with ginger leaf to reflect the energy and movement of its inspiration.
See You, Raffles explores themes of memory, departure and what one generation leaves behind for the next. Gin, Yellow Chartreuse and maraschino are combined with elderflower and lemon, with olive brine adding a savoury element. Lime powder and rose perfume complete the drink with a bittersweet and aromatic finish.
Merlion’s Keris & Seashells draws from one of the graphic novel’s more tender expressions of love. Hibiki Harmony is combined with orange juice, Picon Amer and laksa leaf infused Chinato vermouth, bringing together mellow whisky, bittersweet citrus and warming spice. Laksa leaf provides a distinctly Singaporean touch.
The graphic novel Raffles Hotel: The Grande Dame and the Waving Blade is now available online and in store at Raffles Boutique for S$58.
With Sean Lam’s residency, the Raffles Writer’s Residency programme expands its literary tradition into the world of graphic storytelling, offering a fresh interpretation of the people, places and history surrounding one of Singapore’s most recognisable landmarks.
