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A publication of Penang Institute, Penang Monthly is the voice of Penang and an inspiring read for the curious Malaysian. Publishing articles concerning the well-being and good folks of Penang.

Are You Reading This?

10 min read

In two studies published in 2006 and 2009, Mar et al. found that fiction readers empathise with people, understand them and can see the world from another person’s perspective better.

by Sheryl Teoh

What Bliss A Hidden Bookstore Brings

5 min read

“BOOKSTORES ARE LONELY FORTS, spilling light onto the sidewalk. They civilise their neighbourhoods,” said John Updike. The truth is, they are even lonelier thes...

by Yeoh Siew Hoon

The Benevolent Madam Tan Say Seang: Penang philanthropist par excellence

9 min read

ON SATURDAY, 14 December 1907, at 12.30pm, the sentry on duty at the police station in the rustic village of Tanjung Tokong “noticed that one of the buildings i...

by Eugene Quah

Penang Nyonya Recipes: Preserving Our Important Heritage

4 min read

A collection of old recipes accumulated over time will provide a record of changing tastes with regard to Penang Nyonya cuisine, and we would be able to recreate the “old and traditional taste” (what Hokkiens call kochabi) from recipes retrieved from the repository.

by Dr. Ong Jin Teong

Individuals in Business with Books

5 min read

THEY ARE THE caretakers of worlds. As most bookshops (especially chains and distributors) move online, indie ones stand as a triumphant testament that bookshops...

by Rachel Yeoh

Books Are the Preferred Medium: Even for the Gods

3 min read

“BEST PRACTICES” is quite a clever term. I had trouble accepting it at first, trained to be relativistic as I am by the social sciences. I had to ask questions...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Exploring New Territory at the 2023 George Town Literary Festival

4 min read

THE GEORGE TOWN LITERARY FESTIVAL (GTLF) will be held this year from 23 to 26 November. A festival thoughtfully curated each time to bring book lovers together,...

by Samantha Khoo

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.

by Yee Heng Yeh

What Are the Penang Monthly Editors Reading?

6 min read

In between books and wondering what to read next? Here are the books Penang Monthly’s Editor and Assistant Editors are currently reading.

by Rachel Yeoh & Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng & Sheryl Teoh

On Libraries, Printers and Publishers

1 min read

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by Philip Khor

Women Powered by Digital Alliances

4 min read

AT A RECENT Accelerate Women Entrepreneurship with Exabytes (AWEWE) 2023 Conference hosted by Exabytes, a web hosting company, Penang Monthly had the privilege...

by Iylia De Silva

An Hour with the Author: Tan Twan Eng. A Global Penang Tale on Meaning and Marriage

11 min read

Tan Twan Eng, one of Penang’s most famous authors today, was in town in July. He granted Penang Monthly an interview at the E&O Hotel, where some key scenes...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

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As Penang Monthly continues to evolve, we aim to deliver better quality reads. At present, our three current issues are free for public access. But we need your financial support as we endeavour to be the voice of Penang and an inspiring read for the curious Malaysian. Every RM100 contribution from individuals (or RM1,000 for corporations) will be entitled to tax exemption receipt.

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