A Touch of Fantasy

Last night was invited to a reading at a private art gallery. (Wonderful art - wish i had money and walls enough!) I'd known Glenda for a number of years (as a birdwatcher and environmentalist.) Only learned that she wrote some months ago when I was on the phone to her about quite a different matter. I was sad I hadn't known, as I could have invited her to the Litfest. "I didn't think you were interested in fantasy writers," she said. Actually I'd have loved to welcome in writers from a whole range of genres ...

About Glenda

Turns out that she's published several titles (including The Tainted, Gilfeather and The Aware) in Australia, Britain (even making the best sellers list!) and now also in the US. And she's being translated into other languages.

She read from her trilogy - well-turned prose, and I'm curious to read more - and then talked about her experiences of being published (painful) and her life as a writer (3,000 words a day!). Realise that fantasy is a genre I've more or less neglected (last one I read was Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy).

Also interesting is the idea, and this is why I have to read them, that although she is writing about a fantasy world, there is a great deal in them about the state of things in Malaysia. Things that you wouldn't be able to say out loud in a more direct way.

Met some of my friends there. Keep hearing from folks who were involved in the Litfest last year "When's the next one going to be? We want to take part ... ." For which I have no easy answer. I want to help organise it, but ... let's politely say I'd like things to be managed differently.

Also met members of a book group I hadn't known previously existed. "We keep ourselves very quiet. We have eight members and we want to keep it that." So how long have they been going? "Oh ... about 35 years ...".

Felt a little ... jealous .. can't help it ... to see Glenda's husband Ramli taking photos, being so proud and supportive of her ...