William Tham

has been published in NANG, PR&TA, The Best of World SF: Volume 2, and the Southeast Asian Review of English. He co-edited The Second Link: An Anthology of Malaysian and Singaporean Writing.

21 posts

Rethinking Industrial Heritage: Charcoal As Black Gold In Kuala Sepeteng

5 min read

BOATS NEGOTIATE MANGROVE-LINED waterways towards the Sepetang’s river-mouth, the smell of charcoal from domed kilns permeating the…

by William Tham

On Relationality and Geography: An Interview with Madeleine Thien

5 min read

In anticipation of Madeleine’s appearance at the George Town Literary Festival (GTLF), she talks about her new novel, the writing process and her identity.

by William Tham

Facts, Anecdotes and speculations: A Review of 63-65 Notes From A Separation

6 min read

The Present AN ALTERNATIVE PRESENT haunts Boo Junfeng’s “Happy and Free”, a speculative karaoke video commemorating “a Malaysian Singapore…

by William Tham

Our Food Goes Wherever We Go

4 min read

Totem Park Maggi Mee (Dormitory version)Ingredients:1 x packet of Maggi Mee1 x eggInstructions:Boil water. Pour into rice cooker and turn on.A...

by William Tham

Economy Rice Stalls – A Digest of Malaysian Struggles

9 min read

On the surface, the concept of economy rice is deceptively simple. You will always recognise the economy rice stall. There will be a simple buffet-style display...

by William Tham

The George Town Literary Festival Persists through the Pandemic

7 min read

THE INITIAL PLANS for the 2020 George Town Literary Festival (GTLF) were for it to be celebratory – to look back on 10 years of work, while also looking f...

by William Tham

The Troubled Malaysian Book Trade and its Possible Recovery

8 min read

2020 WAS SUPPOSED to be a robust year for the Malaysian book trade, but that is not to be. The Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (KLIBF) was postponed by sev...

by William Tham

Keeping Alive Penang’s Reputation as a Jewellery Design Centre

9 min read

RETURNING CUSTOMERS ARE always welcome, even if they arrive to the little shop at the corner of the KOMTAR Gold and Jewellery Centre with a list of detailed spe...

by William Tham

Penang’s Gold and Jewellery Trade: A Generational Shift is at Hand

6 min read

THE SUDDEN MARCH rush to buy gold took even Penang’s seasoned jewellers and goldsmiths by surprise. A few timely factors had converged, such as the loosening of...

by William Tham

Absorbing the Ambience of the Peninsular North by Train

4 min read

THERE IS SOMETHING romantic about railways. In Penangite Wan Phing Lim’s essay, Slowly, Slowly into the Night, she documented her journey from Johor to Bu...

by William Tham

A Market that Reeks of History

6 min read

Is there a need to choose between the heritage and day-to-day market life, or the option of a new building like that of nearby Chowrasta Market, or to transform into a decidedly upmarket venue?

by William Tham

Traces of Penang's Role in the Age to Revolution

5 min read

LEBUH ARMENIAN AND Lebuh Acheen meet at Lebuh Carnarvon. I used to walk along either one of them each day on the way to work, picking the sense of history that...

by William Tham