Goh Poh Seng was a pioneering Singapore writer, playwright and poet. The first to introduce Singlish to the theatre stage, he also wrote the first post-independence Singapore English-language novel If We Dream Too Long, which received the National Book Development Council of Singapore Book Award for fiction in 1976. A doctor by profession and a fearless champion of the arts, Goh served as chairman of the National Theatre Trust and co-founded Centre 65 and literary journal Tumasek. In 1982, he received the Cultural Medallion for his contributions to literature in Singapore.

Born in 1936 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Goh Poh Seng wanted to be a writer from a young age. Completing his early education at Batu Road School and Victoria Institution, he pursued medical studies at University College in Dublin, Ireland.

In Dublin, after an initial culture shock had turned into a cultural awakening, he started writing poetry in 1958, influenced by the thriving literary scene and poets whom he met such as Patrick Kanavagh and Brendan Behan. He left his medical studies midway to become a writer in London, UK but found it a struggle to make ends meets. A year later, he returned to Dublin and graduated with a Medical degree.

In 1963, Goh moved to Singapore and set up his medical practice. Soon, he felt the need to contribute to the literary development of the nation and started the literary journal Tumasek in 1964. Tumasek gave Singapore and Malaysian writers a valuable platform in which they could publish their works, and featured budding poets such as Edwin Thumboo and Robert Yeo, who had earlier only published his poems in school publications.

The next year, Goh, together with Lim Kok Ann, co-founded Centre 65, an arts and culture group to promote the arts in Singapore. Serving as the group's president, he and the members, comprising English-language writers and artists, met regularly for forums, talks, readings, exhibitions and plays. Goh also began writing plays that year, starting with The Moon is Less Bright. In 1967, he wrote The Elder Brother, which introduced Singlish for the first time to the theatre stage. In a time where English-language theatre in Singapore was predominantly represented by the Singapore Eurasian community, Goh was a pioneer who proudly wielded a distinctive Singaporean voice in his works.

In 1968, Goh began contributing his expertise and services to various arts and cultural organisations in a newly independent Singapore. The arts advocate served as chair of the National Theatre Trust and the vice-chairman of the National Arts Council, helping to lay the groundwork for the formation of institutions such as the Singapore National Symphony, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and the Singapore Dance Company. He also served as a member of the Board of Governors of the People's Association, a board member of the National Youth Leadership Training Institute, and a director of the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board.

During this period, he set up a publishing company—Island Press—with his wife, Margaret, to publish his first novel If We Dream Too Long and bring those of other Asian writers to a wider audience. Its story of a young Chinese man's search for self-realisation in an increasingly urban and materialistic post-independent Singapore resonated with local readers, and it became known as the first Singapore English-language novel.

In 1976, Goh received the inaugural National Book Development Council of Singapore Book Award for fiction for If We Dream Too Long. The book went on to be translated into other languages including Russian, Tagalog and Japanese, and used as a literature text by the University of Malaysia, National University of Singapore and University of the Philippines.

Goh also wrote and published his first poetry collection Eyewitness in 1976. Other successful books of poetry and fiction followed, including Bird With One Wing: A Sequence of Poems (1982), which sold out within three months of its release.

In 1982, Goh received the Cultural Medallion for his contributions to literature in Singapore.

The ’80s saw Goh spearheading the Boat Quay Conservation Scheme to preserve the historical buildings along the Singapore River, envisioning a revitalised Boat Quay as a lifestyle and entertainment area. He also set up the Bistro Toulouse-Lautrec, a poetry and jazz café, and the Rainbow Lounge, which was Singapore's first live disco and music venue.

Goh also presented and organised the first David Bowie concert, which was held at the National Stadium. It was the first time Singapore hosted a concert at such a scale. Despite mounting difficulties faced with the authorities who were against the concert, Goh ensured that the show was not cancelled.

In 1986, after being forced to close down the Rainbow Lounge, Goh moved to Canada with his family, eventually setting up a medical practice in Vancouver, splitting his time between his day job and writing. In 1995, Goh was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and he retired from medicine, focusing his energy solely on writing.

He went on to publish two books of poetry and two novels in the next 15 years. He again received the National Book Development Council of Singapore Book Award for fiction for his novel Dance of Moths in 1996, and his works were met with acclaim in Canada and internationally. Goh made appearances at literary festivals around the world, and returned to Singapore for a visit to be a keynote speaker at the Singapore Writers Festival in 2007.

On 20 Jan 2010, Goh passed away at the age of 73 from pneumonia in Vancouver, Canada. Described by Asiaweek as a "top-notch playwright, novelist and poet" and by Asia Magazine as "one of Asia's finest living poets", Goh's pioneering legacy lives on in Singapore English-language literature.