Asiatic in June

The June edition of Asiatic, IIUM's literary journal is up online with some very interesting articles, (there's a focus in this issue on the the work of Tagore), reviews and poetry. I found the interview with Malaysian laureate Anwar Ridhwan worth reading though it dismays me that he quotes Wong Phui Nam declaring Malaysian writing in English dead without making an attempt to counter it or move beyond it, when in fact there is plenty happening. 

If you want to submit to the journal, here is the information you need.

The Challenge Ahead

The development of serious literature in Malaysia is inhibited because the level of discussion in society is not high enough. In general, we are not a reading society. ...

Malaysia's new literary laureate is interviewed again, this time by Andrew Sia in Starmag.

Singapore Writers Fest Pays us a Visit

It is really nice to see the organisers of the Singapore Writers' Festival reaching out to Malaysian authors and book lovers. They were in town Thursday for a press conference at MPH Mid Valley.

Singaporean lawyer and award-winning author Philip Jeyaretnam (fourth from left) is the chairperson of the SWF 2009 Steering Committee)talked about the interface between Singaporean and Malaysian writers and how an exchange of readers between the two countries was very much needed. (You can read more about what he says about the festival on Eric's blog.)

Phan Ming Yen (second from left, above) Assistant General Manager of The Arts House, gave an overview of the festival, beginning with the history. He talked about the richness of the literature coming from the region (some of it works in translation) and how it deserves to be better known worldwide.

He explained that the theme of the festival - unDERcover - could be interpreted in various ways - tucking yourself under the bed covers with a good book; exposing silenced voices; uncovering works that had not been available before.

(The theme) has allowed SWF to present readers a rich diversity of authors whose works - ranging from horror through crime to 'serious fiction' - are at once accessible and fun but yet serve as a metaphor for social and humanitarian issues.

The festival this year spans 9 days of events; features 100 participating writers and 150 events on the programme; and has a 60-40 ratio of Singaporean writers to overseas writers. (Check out some of the writers and what they think about coming to the festival on Eric's blog, and also here.)

The biggest name, as far as local readers are concerned is Neil Gaiman, and the organisers have had to move the event to a bigger venue because of the enormous demand for tickets.

Khor Kok Wah, deputy chief executive officer and Director, Literary Arts of Singapore’s National Arts Council (centre) spoke of Malaysia's cultural links with Singapore, naming for example the Second Link theatre performances, and the fact than our new writer laureate's works are studied in Singapore schools. He also pointed out that many Singaporean writers were born in Malaysia and there was crossing of the border on a personal basis, and a deep sense of sharing between the two countries.

Then it was over to the Malaysian authors. Anwar Ridwan (right) spoke about the need to identify new writing talent and about how we needed to know each others writers well.

KS Maniam (left) talked about the relationship with Singaporean writers, particularly in his own case with Edwin Thumboo.

And of course Malaysian poet and playwright Wong Phui Nam, of course, provided us with the biggest surprise of the afternoon. One which I'm still mulling over. (As, it seems from the comments on that post, so are you.)

Anwar Ridhwan on the Malay Literary Landscape

I am happy that a few young writers such as Faisal Tehrani, Nisah Haron, Mawar Shafie and SM Zakir are still producing serious literature but I would like to see more youngsters doing so. ... [They aren't because] That is the influence from the popular culture. Today, people want recognition fast. People want more royalty. So they prefer to produce popular rather than serious literature. When you write serious literature, you have to be patient before recognition comes your way. ... It is also related to our school system, our reading habits and the level of discussion in society. All of them have not come to an intellectual level where it stimulates good writing. So it is difficult to get writers who can think seriously about life, people, the environment and culture.

Bissme S talks to Malaysia's new literary laureate, Datuk Dr Mohd Anuar Rethwan, alias Anwar Ridhwan in The Sun about the problems facing the Malay literary scene, and why there are so few non-Malays on it. Asked whether Malay literature can appeal to the international market, the author says :

We have very good Malay literary works. But producing good work is not enough. You need to translate these into English and other foreign languages, and most important of all, you need to promote and advertise these works. We have been translating some works but we have not been promoting these books aggressively outside the country. Mark Twain said, “Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.”

On Dewan Bahasa's not playing an active role in promoting Malay literature, he says :

To be fair, DBP is trying to be effective. But most of their staff are young and inexperienced. I believe they should work with outside publishers so the quality of their books can be improved. ... They should not only work with Malay publishers and distributors. They must also work with Chinese and Indian publishers as long as these publishers are willing to publish books in Malay. ... I have worked with DBP and I know the responsibility put on DBP is very heavy. They must have good in-house training for their staff. They must also learn to work fast. When they get a manuscript they must publish it within three to six months. But this is not the case. Some writers have to wait from one to two years to see their work published.

I would so like to see good Malay novels available in translation - not only for the international market, but in our own bookshops here too. The Sun also has this very interesting guide to laureates past (Click to full size.) :

Anwar Ridhwan - Malaysia's New Literary Laureate

If we do not grab this opportunity now, to improve and expand the usage and literary work, we will kill the language ...

says Malaysia's new National Literature Laureate : Datuk Dr Mohd Anuar Rethwan (who writes as Anwar Ridhwan) and Siti Nurbaiyah Nadzmi interviews him in The New Straits Times.

The appointment was, apparently, not without controversy.

His writings include poems, essays, and short stories (his favourite genre) in which :

... he delves into the theme of modernity and has always been critical of changing lifestyles and values.

Some years back I did read, and enjoy, Anwar's first novel, Hari Hari Terakhir Seorang Seniman, translated into English as The Last Days of An Artist by Harry Aveling. The novel depicts a nomadic storyteller who moves between villages telling traditional tales in the days before the Second World War.

In 1998 he wrote Naratif Ogonshotoa, a novel comprising 10 interlinked short stories :

... a magical tale of a fictitious kingdom torn by economic upheaval and political greed.

He says of the current flood of romantic Malay novels :

It is a healthy trend to publish popular fiction ... Because down the road the writers will want to write something more challenging, and the readers will develop their individual preferences. ... Eventually the market will offer what the reader wants and more genres will be available in the bookstores.

He also makes the point that :

Malay literature does not belong to the Malays alone ...

and predicts that in 10 year's time the laureate's mantel will fall to one of the many prolific non-Malay writers, naming Lim Swee Tin, Jong Chian Lai, Uthaya Sankar, Saroja Theavy Balakrishnan and Soo Cham as possible successors.