The written word in a democratised world
5 min read
Literature and the individualThe only subject I was really excited by when I went to school four decades ago was Literature, both as a subject and in the form...
Letting little things talk
6 min read
Ooi Kee Beng follows up with Tan Twan Eng to chat about what motivates him and finds out that oftentimes, it’s the little things in life that inspire the most.
A Festival For All The Senses
3 min read
Penang’s In-Between Art Festival – so called because it literally takes place in between the George Town Literary Festival and the Penang Island Jazz Festival – is an event for Penangites as much as it is for visitors from near or far.
More to sailing than having a boat
4 min read
Sails, as far as the eye could see, stretched out on the gray horizon just off Straits Quay. It was a wet and drizzly morning in November last year, but for tho...
Between light and darkness
7 min read
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (feature film, 2010).Throughout the interview, Apichatpong Weerasethakul is soft-spoken and down to earth; I a...
Tokyo Trippin’
5 min read
Bursting with frantic energy, tradition and sakura blossoms, springtime in Japan’s capital offers visitors a surreal and magical time.
The Gay Side of Singapore
4 min read
Singapore is famous for its compulsively clean streets, rigid laws and structured way of living – even the idea of fun is clean and controlled. But like any other big city, Singapore too breathes secrets that it does not easily divulge to outsiders.
Bandung’s Creative City Image Grows Stronger
5 min read
With the support of its people and its government, Bandung builds on its existing dynamism to become a cultural hub.
Asean’s Response to Typhoon Haiyan
6 min read
Typhoon Haiyan was a natural disaster on a catastrophic scale. How did ASEAN react to this, and how good were its humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts?
The Rise of Islamist Conservatism in Malaysia
9 min read
Since gaining a foothold in South-East Asia around the 13th century, Islam has been a major influence on political life in the region. What lies ahead?
Whose Land Is This Anyway?
7 min read
The Sarawak perimeter survey conducted by the Land and Survey Department shows how much officials are – truly or deliberately – in the dark over the customary land rights of native Sarawakians.
Penang’s Punk Rock Haven
5 min read
Underground music is alive and well in George Town at a place called Soundmaker Studio. Contrary to being the Satanic boogeyman it is perceived to be, punk rock fosters ethnic relations and subculture in ways that only music can.
