Manifested Forms Of The Past And Future: A Review Of A Song Of Crossing To The Southern Seas
4 min read
WHAT I HAVE always found magical about Potehi, or glove puppetry, is the amount of life that a once-inanimate…
On The Uncertainty of Being Dua Darah Explore Mixed-Race Identity
5 min read
Dua Darah explores identity beyond rigid racial categories, following a Malay-Chinese Muslim navigating faith, memory and duty. Intimate and layered, it opens space for difficult conversations on belonging in Malaysia.
A Recap of George Town Literary Festival 2023
5 min read
A weekend extravaganza that brings in writers, performers, translators, publishers and readers, GTLF now boasts visitors numbering in the thousands from dozens of countries.
Imaginings of Nationhood: on “Negaraku”, a Collector’s Show by Bingley Sim and Ima Nurbinsha
6 min read
The exhibition “negaraku” may borrow its title from the anthem, but its version of the story hardly toes the line of official sources—each artwork offers its slice of truth, which, put together, forms a more complete picture.
Keeping the Curtain Open for Peking Opera
7 min read
GuoGuang Opera Company, formed in 1995, was the outcome of the historical development of jīng jù in Taiwan. Today, it is celebrated for its innovative approach of presenting the stories of traditional opera through a modern lens, alongside creating new scripts for performance.
Raging Against the Machine: Reflections on Pendatang, Abang Adik and Maryam Pagi Ke Malam
5 min read
What do (a) a family living in a speculative, segregated Malaysia; (b) two brothers squeezed into a Pudu flat and; (c) a woman of royalty who owns an art gallery, all have in common?
Exposing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary
5 min read
A Play Review: Material Woman in the Beauty World. Written by Leow Puay Tin, directed by Tung Jit Yang, performed by Ling Tang. Featured as part of the George Town Festival 2023.
What Writers Think About Writing
7 min read
Penang’s vibrant literary scene is home to writers, poets, translators, and more. With the George Town Literary Festival on the horizon, a spotlight falls on local talents whose works transcend genres, mediums, and languages.
Book Review: The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010-2020, Exploring the Faculty of Malaysia’s Fictioneers
4 min read
In The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010–2020, each of the 19 stories seems to answer the question of what makes a short story successful in its own way, constantly challenging and reshaping the reader’s expectations.