Deformity won't deter this 77-year-old immigrant writing his family book

Septuagenarian Joe is writing an online book about his family, in honour of his late mother. Photo: Jeremy Ratnam

What does a retiree do with plenty of time on his hands? Well, 77-year-old Joe Ratnam, a Singaporean, finds contentment in writing. He began writing an online book, about his family, in 2011.

The book, Singapura At The Last Turn Of The Century, is a true story of an Indian immigrant family. “I want to write a book of about 30 chapters and complete it by the end of the year,” muses Joe, who has so far finished six chapters.