Russell Lee (writer)

Russell Lee is a Singaporean author best known as the creator of True Singapore Ghost Stories, a series of books that has been one of the most popular sources of ghost stories in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong ever since the release of Book 1 in 1989.

As of 2017, 26 books in the True Singapore Ghost Stories series have sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide, making Lee Asia's top writer of ghost stories. The book series has also been made into a 13-part TV series.

Lee has had a lasting impact on Singapore publishing. His first book was the first of many that were published for the mass market. Before Russell Lee, a book which achieved sales of 3,000 copies was considered a bestseller. Lee surpassed 30,000 copies in three months.

Shortly after the success of Lee's first book, readers began to wonder about his identity. Lee has never provided any photograph of himself or revealed anything about his personal life. Whenever he appears in public, he wears a mask and clothes that cover every inch of his body. Some reports say Russell Lee is white, posing as a local Singaporean. Others say he is Jim Aitchison (aka James Lee), but this has never been substantiated. In the books, Lee swears he is Singaporean, with the "five stars and crescent moon imprinted on each blood cell".

Russell Lee released the True Singapore Ghost Stories 25th Year Special Edition in 2014. The book looks back at the first 25 years of the TSGS series.

Book 25, the latest in the series, was released in 2017. Lee has said he hopes to reach Book 50.