This is the writer's voice, new fiction from The New Yorker.

I'm Deborah Treasman, fiction editor at The New Yorker.

On this episode of The Writer's Voice, we'll hear Rachel Heng read her story before the Valley from the June 7th, 2021 issue of the magazine.

Heng is the issue of the magazine.

Heng is the author of the novel Suicide Club,

which was a national bestseller in Singapore and has been translated into 10 languages.

A new novel, The Great Reclamation, will be published next year.

Now here's Rachel Heng.

Before the Valley Before the Valley The candles were already lit when Huibin arrived.

Her mistake, she'd missed the announcement at breakfast saying today's party would take

place in the big hall instead of in the rec room.

What was wrong with the wreck room, she mentally complained,

while taking her place in the crowd. Birthday celebrations were always in the wreck room.

But catching a glimpse of Potbelli Kepal in his wheelchair, Huibin softened. Likely the change

had been made because Kerpao was so popular and more residents than usual were expected to attend.

Typically, birthdays were local affairs. Huibin was in Ward 4, one of the 14 Ben wards, which was a bad

thing every day of the year except her birthday, when it meant that she could count on at least

13 other people showing up to her party. A relief since Huibin had never been good at making friends,

even before. Before was the shorthand residents used for their lives prior to Sunrise Valley.

Before wasn't talked about often, it felt unseemly somehow self-indulgent to dwell on one's past life.

What did it matter, for example, that Cynthia from Ward 8 had been an actress who'd starred

in the horror films that used to be made here in Singapore, back in the 60s, or that Hasme

...