tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post5552969412100588119..comments2024-01-06T00:28:45.062+08:00Comments on Bibliobibuli: New Award for Local Authorsbibliobibulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-48819883983208909262008-05-27T07:48:00.000+08:002008-05-27T07:48:00.000+08:00the winner is actually being announced this p.m., ...the winner is actually being announced this p.m., antares. i am supposed to go along but laziness might win out.<BR/><BR/>whether you win or not - well done!bibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-36414286706880132102008-05-27T03:10:00.000+08:002008-05-27T03:10:00.000+08:00Gee... wish I had so many commenters on MY blog! B...Gee... wish I had so many commenters on MY blog! But where was I when this debate triggered by the Star-Popular Readers Choice Awards began? A whole month ago.... guess I haven't poked my nose in here for a bit! Found it googling for the results which were supposedly announced in The Star on May 24th... have no idea if I won anything... sure could use some prize money! I have no pride when it comes to winning contests. Five years ago I got a 34" TV, a night's stay in a luxury hotel suite,and tickets to a New Year's Eve dinner show - courtesy of Vincent Tan - just for answering three obvious questions! The TV still works.Starmandalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03349987009726416189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-59387748848907653262008-04-18T00:27:00.000+08:002008-04-18T00:27:00.000+08:00"Isn't the point of writing to make money ? let me..."Isn't the point of writing to make money ? let me ask you a question, if you made no money at all from writing, would you write as much ? are you in this for the money and/or attention ? or do you write because you enjoy it ?"<BR/><BR/>Hehe ... I don't write much except in replies to blog posts, and I sure don't get paid for it :) <BR/><BR/>Anyway, you're right. People 'should' write for fun. But the post here is about prizes for published writing. So, the writers' motivations here are a bit different, no? I exclude diary writing because it's personal writing and not necessarily meant to be published and to compete for prizes. As for Anne Frank's diary ... well I for one wouldn't like to have my diary published. Too many incriminating details. But I digress ...<BR/><BR/>I guess what I was trying to say, in my long ago post (and you can see now from the murkiness of my expressions why I don't get paid to write) is that if you are writing for an audience, as all published writers (I think) are, then ideally your writing should affect somebody. If you're writing for the art of writing, as so many published writers claim to, well it's not quite such great art if it's not appreciated is it (although of course here we can go off into another whole branch of argument as to what constitutes art and you can call me uncultured and I can call you snob and we can call everyone else awfully rude names). <BR/><BR/>Anyway, long story short, I did not mean to attack writing for fun. Go ahead and write for fun by all means. I do it myself plenty often. Like right now. But I don't expect to win a prize for my fun.<BR/><BR/>And do you have a name for the sculptor? Otherwise you're using fiction to bolster your argument. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-37701253591463006792008-04-16T19:56:00.000+08:002008-04-16T19:56:00.000+08:00"The point of breathing is to take in air to live...."The point of breathing is to take in air to live. Whether people see you breathing or not, you still want to live, don't you?"<BR/><BR/>Exactly. You don't stop breathing because no one sees you breathe, or no one cares whether you breathe or not. But if no one pays you any attention (or money) you stop writing. Right ? that's what you're implying.<BR/><BR/>"The point of writing is to express your ideas to - somebody - hopefully somebody other than yourself."<BR/><BR/>Isn't the point of writing to make money ? let me ask you a question, if you made no money at all from writing, would you write as much ? are you in this for the money and/or attention ? or do you write because you enjoy it ?<BR/><BR/>And why do you exclude diary writing ? People write in diaries that no one reads. What's the point of keeping a diary then ? remember Anne Frank ? that was writing. You can still feel her innocence after all these years. "In spite of all this, I still think people are good at heart." <BR/><BR/>"giving life to your words just to see them die"<BR/><BR/>There was once a sculptor who spent years on a sculpture. Then one day he set fire to it. People always said what a waste that was, but it made a powerful statement. In fact it made a lot of statements. <BR/><BR/>People are funny that way. I run for fun. Some people are paid to run. Some people run for attention, they enjoy gaining attention from people when they run.<BR/><BR/>But I run for nothing. I just like to run. I don't care if no one sees me run, I'm not paid to run, I don't care whether anyone sees me run, does that mean I shouldn't run ?<BR/><BR/>No one thinks that way any more. Apparently there should be a purpose for writing. Writing for fun, for nothing and no one, is absolutely unthinkable in this day and age.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-67350962486507572052008-04-16T05:28:00.000+08:002008-04-16T05:28:00.000+08:00Last night, I became a DJ here in the beautiful ci...Last night, I became a DJ here in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires. <BR/><BR/>I felt quite popular! <BR/><BR/>Then I had to buy my own damn drink.Amir Muhammadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08144421497045270238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-91604914119887383762008-04-16T05:22:00.000+08:002008-04-16T05:22:00.000+08:00""what's the point of writing if nobody reads (and..."<BR/>"what's the point of writing if nobody reads (and hopefully likes) what you write?"<BR/><BR/>See there you go. What's the point of breathing if no one sees you doing it ?<BR/>"<BR/><BR/>That's a faulty analogy. The point of breathing is to take in air to live. Whether people see you breathing or not, you still want to live, don't you?<BR/><BR/>The point of writing is to express your ideas to - somebody - hopefully somebody other than yourself. Otherwise you're giving life to your words just to see them die. Why bother putting them on a medium as permanent as paper? If the act of writing itself is so precious, why have a "save" button on the computer? After all, the less you save, the more you can write! (although with current hard disk sizes I guess that's not a constraint anymore) (I exclude hereby diary writing, navel gazing and healing - as in feeling venting - writing).<BR/><BR/>Just because something is pretty, doesn't mean it shouldn't a purpose.<BR/><BR/>-JenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-41202804980007550722008-04-15T23:27:00.000+08:002008-04-15T23:27:00.000+08:00"what's the point of writing if nobody reads (and ..."what's the point of writing if nobody reads (and hopefully likes) what you write?"<BR/><BR/>See there you go. What's the point of breathing if no one sees you doing it ?<BR/><BR/>You write because you're a writer. If you're a writer, you write like you breathe. You write because you have to write. That's why you write. Or at least that's why people used to write. But not any more I think. <BR/><BR/>Writers were artists once, but now they're just manufacturers. The idea and concept of writing has changed a lot through the years. <BR/><BR/>"literary awards are sponsored by organizations wanting to gain publicity and enhance their image - think of the booker (sponsored by man plc), the orange (sponsored by a mobile telephone network), the IMPAC dublin prize (sponsored by 'the World's Leading Specialists in<BR/>Management Productivity Improvement')"<BR/><BR/>I suppose the difference lies in where the emphasis is. The "readers choice award" is a thinly disguised marketing ploy, and the Booker/Orange is a sponsored award with proper nomination and judging and all that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-84889414042993043592008-04-15T21:50:00.000+08:002008-04-15T21:50:00.000+08:00Whew! So many comments flying back and forth! Shar...Whew! So many comments flying back and forth! Sharon you have unleashed a tornado! <BR/>Firstly, may I congratulate all those authors whose books are on that list. So what if it is a popularity contest? At least it means that readers out there liked what you wrote and have read it.As a local author myself, I would rather have a book that people would want to read, than some high-brow 'literary' book that nobody can identify with. <BR/>I don't think we should quarrel about semantics- popular fiction does not always equate with poor quality writing, and many literary novels are just plain boring!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-15296271868593403582008-04-15T16:08:00.000+08:002008-04-15T16:08:00.000+08:00Maybe it would be a "literary award" if merit rath...Maybe it would be a "literary award" if merit rather than popularity were being measured?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-87451936122368113462008-04-15T16:06:00.000+08:002008-04-15T16:06:00.000+08:00we're splitting semantic hairs here and it doesn't...we're splitting semantic hairs here and it doesn't really help. i mentioned "literary" as awards of this nature are referred to generally and often generically as "literary awards".<BR/><BR/>let's just refer then to this as a "book award" like <A HREF="http://www.publishingnews.co.uk/bba/pnbb_winners.asp?#2" REL="nofollow">the nibbies</A><BR/><BR/>everyone happy?<BR/><BR/>nice words whitearrow!<BR/><BR/>don't agree with you yusof/ martin that there isn't "literature" on the list. but we can debate this on saturday when you come along to read at seksan's (hmmm how literary do you think your writing is? you're publsihed in snw7 but don't consider snw6 literature?)bibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-20111526129816718412008-04-15T13:52:00.000+08:002008-04-15T13:52:00.000+08:00yusuf/martin: READ STARMAG last sunday-Nobody clai...yusuf/martin: READ STARMAG last sunday-Nobody claimed it's literature award. It's a award to recognised the local authors EFFORRTS. Also, the list comes from Popular 2007 Local Bestsellers. <BR/><BR/>whitearrow: Well done! I just saw Popular voting/ contest form in Star Two today and they have this 20% discount cut-out coupon for all the 20 books! until..err..let me check...8/6/2008.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-47266517311060444362008-04-15T12:32:00.000+08:002008-04-15T12:32:00.000+08:00It's interesting that ppl keep categorising books ...It's interesting that ppl keep categorising books as literature, literary etc. The fact is that there are many genres and many writers with varied writing styles. what one person calls literature, another might call muck. What one thinks is rubbish may two hundred years down the line be considered a classic. It's just really subjective and, at the end, comes down to an individual choice. Some of us may say we recognise good writing (i know i certainly do that pretty often- the Da Vinci Code i found to be pretty bad writing with a relatively ok plot) but that doesn't mean a thing really, because different writing appeals to different people. The fact is, so called 'literary fiction' picks and chooses where it likes, choosing i might add through all genres, kidnapping works from those genres to stay within it's own category, a category which if one were truthful is merely a name, a restriction on the writers whose works are so kidnapped. Yes, there are some aspects of a work that scream out 'well written', 'literary' etc but much of what we call literary stems from our own far from impartial views, from our own time in this century, from the easy dismissal of writing popular to the masses, and above all the themes and ideas we consider 'important' in our own mind. Give me romances and Enid Blyton, Shakespeare and Dragonlance, the Illiad and self-help books, fairytales and biographies, 'rubbish' and 'beauty'. I want it all. <BR/><BR/>WhitearrowAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-85344268431923483622008-04-15T10:39:00.000+08:002008-04-15T10:39:00.000+08:00yusuf/martin, your answers are in last Sunday's St...yusuf/martin, your answers are in last Sunday's Starmag. Who says anything about calling these books literary?Lydia Tehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10477088362900591404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-39090446658746760662008-04-15T09:34:00.000+08:002008-04-15T09:34:00.000+08:00Firstly WHO chose the list.Secondly by what and wh...Firstly WHO chose the list.<BR/>Secondly by what and whose criteria.<BR/><BR/>My comment - these are writing but I have reservations about calling any of them literary and certainly not literature.<BR/><BR/>Nice idea, but writing standards need to be raised - will this list do that? Honestly!Martin Bradleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02383493547993782756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-91434079070841968672008-04-14T21:53:00.000+08:002008-04-14T21:53:00.000+08:00chet - that sounds good! i'd like to see local au...chet - that sounds good! i'd like to see local authors given sponsorship to do writing courses or being mentored overseas by other authors or being given residencies.<BR/><BR/>i feel particularly sad that talented writers from here have been offered places abroad and have had difficulty finding funding (or have had to give up the dream)<BR/><BR/>there needs to be money made available for this, and for more locally run courses and workshops<BR/><BR/>anon - i used the term "literary" meaning books in general. and you are quite right, the word doesn't appear in the article. much too scary!bibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-9641563162643547042008-04-14T21:38:00.000+08:002008-04-14T21:38:00.000+08:00I think it doesn't matter if the award is meant to...I think it doesn't matter if the award is meant to be literary or for popular books. <BR/><BR/>Everything is chicken and egg. Which comes first? The egg or the chicken? It other words, in order to develop the local writing industry, we can't just promote literary work (esp. not in M'sia, where the reading culture is still low)and neither promoting pop fiction. The deal is to strike a balance...and I think the award is a good start. Obviously, half the titles nominated are lacking in literary values but if you only promote literary work, the local writing scene will always be lack sure. <BR/><BR/>To sustain the industry, you will need the readers' support and that means books get sold and not just gathering dust on the shelves. Give the readers something more interesting first and once they are more open and aware of local works could also be equally good as the rest of the world, maybe we can have award fully judged on literary value.<BR/><BR/>Congratulations to all the nominated authors. By being on the list, you're already winners. I wish one of my fav book, "A Backpack & a Bit of Luck" is in the list. But again, there's always next year.<BR/><BR/>p/s: I read the article from Star twice...Popular never claim it's literary award.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-63805210580774775042008-04-14T20:40:00.000+08:002008-04-14T20:40:00.000+08:00We may not have a large enough body of published w...We may not have a large enough body of published writers in Malaysia to make it feasible for a literary award the size of a Booker or Orange.<BR/><BR/>Actually, what we need is a literary prize to encourage both published and unpublished writers. Something along the lines of the David T K Wong Fellowship managed by the University of East Anglia's Faculty of Arts & Humanities (formerly knonwn as School of English & Amerian Studies).<BR/><BR/>The prize would be open to both published and unpublished writers who have to submit an outline of a writing project they would like to work on if they have the time and space. The prize is this time and space for the winner to complete the proposed writing project.<BR/><BR/>In the case of the David T K Wong Fellowship, the prize included a year living and working on campus at UEA, and money to the tune of ₤25,000.<BR/><BR/>The end result would be a published work added to the growing body of Malaysian literature.<BR/><BR/>Such a prize, I think, would be incentive for unpublished writers, too, who might otherwise feel left out by an award aimed only at published writers.Chethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10743260318771644192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-59733272671529343612008-04-14T16:24:00.000+08:002008-04-14T16:24:00.000+08:00lydia - i doubt the figure too but know yvonne rai...lydia - i doubt the figure too but know yvonne raised money for her medical fees by doing a whole host of things inc selling her t-shirts.<BR/><BR/>catr. - yes, controversy already so things are working as they should! i'd like it to work with the big sponsor and the judging panel and the glitzy event and a big wodge of money for the winners who could then go away and write for a year without worrybibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-69531421375144263042008-04-14T14:18:00.000+08:002008-04-14T14:18:00.000+08:00Wow, it hasn't really begun and it's already creat...Wow, it hasn't really begun and it's already creating a buzz!<BR/><BR/>Sharon: as for a local Booker -- I'm not sure how people select prizewinners, but simply aping their format would be the best. <BR/><BR/>If not, something ala Boh Cameronian is sufficient for Malaysian writers: a bunch of critics to make the judging panel, and a very generous sponsor for the prizes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-69152471252974006152008-04-14T11:53:00.000+08:002008-04-14T11:53:00.000+08:00These are the best selling books in 2007, though n...These are the best selling books in 2007, though not necessarily published in that year as can be evidenced by the inclusion of Yvonne Lee's book. <BR/><BR/>Yvonne Foong made RM250K from her book? I'm happy for her if she did, but I doubt the accuracy of that figure. I don't know how many copies she sold, but as pointed out earlier, most of them could be sold through channels other than Popular.Lydia Tehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10477088362900591404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-91670914195336207762008-04-14T08:49:00.000+08:002008-04-14T08:49:00.000+08:00Now that you mentioned it, maybe at Popular, too. ...Now that you mentioned it, maybe at Popular, too. I'm going there in a while and will keep an eye out for it. I need to get some yellow dry highlight markers.Chethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10743260318771644192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-59598884385365393472008-04-14T07:57:00.000+08:002008-04-14T07:57:00.000+08:00and what about popular? she may not have sold man...and what about popular? she may not have sold many copies through the shops ...bibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-59229757718635065072008-04-14T07:34:00.000+08:002008-04-14T07:34:00.000+08:00I've seen Yvonne Foong's book at MPH.I've seen Yvonne Foong's book at MPH.Chethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10743260318771644192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-83095603574502347612008-04-14T06:44:00.000+08:002008-04-14T06:44:00.000+08:00the anon before jen - unless there's a big fat pro...the anon before jen - <I>unless there's a big fat profit involved in it</I> most literary awards are sponsored by organizations wanting to gain publicity and enhance their image - think of the booker (sponsored by man plc), the orange (sponsored by a mobile telephone network), the IMPAC dublin prize (sponsored by 'the World's Leading Specialists in<BR/>Management Productivity Improvement').<BR/><BR/>can one make a big fat profit from sales of local books? - haha, i doubt it. plus most of the people who are interested in these books have bought them before the award is announced.<BR/><BR/>popular is clearly interested in sending out the message that they too are interested is supporting local authors and local publications, and this i think is a very good thing. mph has already very successfully sent out the message by supporting author events and through quill magazine. i know that they want to encourage locally published authors to let popular sell their books - in the past many have overlooked the bookstore.<BR/><BR/>i think the books are those published in 2007 (although yvonne lee's book is older)<BR/><BR/>was yvonne fong's book sold through popular? i know she sold the book mainly through her events and by mail-order<BR/><BR/>it would be interesting to have a malay language award as well<BR/><BR/>but actually why should there only be one award in a country? other organisations could set up their own literary award with a different anglebibliobibulihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456636355933524132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7912730.post-69548823739186403942008-04-14T04:13:00.000+08:002008-04-14T04:13:00.000+08:00aww ... come on peeps ... Personally, I'm pretty i...aww ... come on peeps ... <BR/><BR/>Personally, I'm pretty impressed already that the list of books drawn up was fairly credible (in my opinion anyway)<BR/><BR/>As for it being a popularity contest / whatever ... what's the point of writing if nobody reads (and hopefully likes) what you write? Personally I think all awards are sort of popularity contests anyway, the only difference is in who determines 'popularity'.<BR/><BR/><BR/>-JenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com