The George Town Literary Festival (GTLF) 2023 in Penang is just around the corner, starting this Thursday (Nov 23). Still not sure which events you should go for throughout the four-day festival? We’ve made it easier for you to choose with this list of book launches. Though some other events will require pre-registration, GTLF is open and free to all members of the public, so book lovers shouldn’t miss out!
A SPOONFUL OF MALAYSIAN MAGIC
Venue: Loft 29, Main Hall
Date: Nov 23 (10am-11am)
Penang-based Teaspoon Publishing is presenting A Spoonful Of Malaysian Magic: An Anthology at GTLF. This anthology of short stories offers fresh takes on Malaysian folklore and fairytales, adds enchantment to the ordinary, and bursts with new, wonderful flavours. Stir a little spoonful of magic into your tea, whether you’re from these shores or from far away. Join the book’s launch with editor-publisher Anna Tan and authors Joshua Lim, Zufar Zeid, Joni Chng, Ilnaz A. Faizal, Sharmilla Ganesan, Julia Alba, Hamizah Adzmi and more.
DIAM DALAM GEMPITA
Venue: Mano Plus
Date: Nov 25 (10.30am-11.30am)
Nusa Centre presents Diam Dalam Gempita, the latest collection of stories by writer-theatre practitioner Fazleena Hishamuddin. It features 14 short stories addressing topics such as freedom of speech, social stigma, discrimination, taboo subjects and the role of women in these contemporary and challenging times. Join Fazleena and poet-publisher Hafiz Hamzah from the Svara journal for an insightful discussion covering the book’s creation, artistic journey and thematic explorations. The session will be conducted in Bahasa Malaysia.
SALLEH BEN JONED – TRUTH, BEAUTY, AMOK AND BELONGING
Venue: Mano Plus
Date: Nov 25 (1pm-2pm)
Not long before the death of poet and public intellectual Salleh Ben Joned in 2020, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation released a podcast about his life by his eldest daughter Anna Salleh. After this biographical project, Anna was encouraged to produce a book that would give more attention to Salleh’s works and provide a visual insight into the man. Now she presents Salleh Ben Joned -Truth, Beauty, Amok And Belonging, which uses abundant imagery, personal correspondence, prose and poetry as a vehicle to explore Salleh’s literary journey. Anna will be in conversation with Malachi Edwin Vethamani and joined by a number of readers and speakers, including Amir Muhammad and Helen Musa.
INK-CANTATIONS: WRITTEN SELF-PORTRAITS FROM BORNEO
Venue: Mano Plus
Date: Nov 25 (3pm-4pm)
Borneo is a vast repository of oral and written traditions encompassing myth, storytelling, poetry, songs, incantations, and local knowledge. Edited by Izzuddin Ramli, Ink-Cantations: Written Self-portraits From Borneo is an anthology that features poems, short stories, personal essays, excerpts of oral literature and an essay by Dr Markus Litz that reflects on the Western perspective of Borneo. This multilingual edition looks at how contemporary writers and poets of Borneo respond to, reinterpret or reject their inherited oral traditions. If you’re interested in listening to Borneo – its past and future, reflected in the voices of the present, be sure to come.
MAYA PRESS: A TRIPLE TREAT
Venue: Mano Plus
Date: Nov 26 (11am-noon)
All good things come in threes. A new collection of award-winning short stories from the 2022 short story writing competition, A Chance Encounter At Sungai Chiling And Other Stories, edited by Malachi Edwin Vethamani and Sharon Bakar, will be launched at this session. Maya Press isn’t stopping at one book here. It also has two debut collections of poems, Risks And Other Poems by Vernon Daim and Elaha! Elaha! Malaysian Hybrid Poems by Elizabeth Marshall, which are titles ready to impress book lovers.
IT’S A FIXI SOIREE!
Venue: Black Kettle
Date: Nov 26 (5pm-6.30pm)
Independent publisher Buku Fixi will launch four very different books in this event. Two of them are in English: The Sabah-set crime novel Big Trouble In Little Paradise by Nathaniel Sario, as well as the short story collection Bone Weight And Other Stories by acclaimed writer Shih-Li Kow. The two other books that will be launched are in Bahasa Malaysia: Indonesian writer Nuril Basri’s Gula takes us on a precocious journey of self-discovery, while M. Navin’s Sigandi (translated from Tamil by Saravanan Sathianandan) is a gritty urban tale of prostitution and drug-dealing. Pre-registration is required.
More info and festival schedule available here.
