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Winners of the ITBM-PENA-BH Writing Competition

17/11/2015

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Category: Novel
1st Prize
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Title: Ah Fook
Author: Jong Chian Lai
Pages: 718
ISBN: 9789670869803

Yong Ah Fook’s family has lived in poverty for three
generations in China. Disillusioned by communism , Ah Fook travels to Borneo, leaving behind his wife and
two children, to try and acquire wealth in a foreign
land. He manages to find work in the mansion of a
Chinese kapitan when he arrives in Sarawak. However,
fate soon intervenes when Japan expands its power in
South East Asia and occupies Sarawak. Ah Fook marries
a local Chinese-Melanau woman to save her from
cruelty at the hands of Japanese soldiers. Also he
wanted to forget his own children after his wife still
back in China was forced to marry another man due to
hardship.
2nd Prize
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Sarjana Bangsa
(The Nation’s Scholar)
Author: Hasanuddin Md Isa
Pages: 329
ISBN: 9789670869735

Muhammad Isryaf Eilmy believes the strength of a
nation lies in the power of knowledge, brilliant ideas
and the efficiency of the heart to rein in its desires. As
one who provides knowledge, he projects himself as a
firm person. His determination and firm belief reveals how society can progress and be on par with other civilised nations when every member of society has a yearning for knowledge and is imbued by the teachings
of Islam.
3rd Prize
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Title: Embargo
Author: Zahari Affandi
Pages: 396
ISBN 9789670869742

Datuk Alang Bahadur plans to retain his position as a
supreme Council member of a political party. He faces
many challenges while defending his position not only from the party but also his family. The party members try to take advantage of him and at home his son has been influenced by pluralism and liberalism while his
daughter is involved with the Islamic State. Furthermore, his political enemies are trying to discredit him by highlighting his wife’s past as a dance club entertainer.

Category: Short Story
1st Prize
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Title: Pascasejarah
(Post History)
Author: Fadh Razy
Pages: 174
ISBN: 9789670869872
Pascasejarah (Post History) is a collection of dystopian and post-apocalyptic tales based on historical events. Disputes, arrogance and greed are toxins that continue to fill the cities of humanity in these twelve short stories chronologically arranged to reflect an era: Pascasejarah (Post History). Indeed, history is the shadow of the foreseeable future.
2md Prize
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Title: Lela Rentaka
Author: Syahidatul Munirah
ISBN: 9789670869872

Leela Rentaka was a small cannon in the ancient world
of Malay warriors. The boom of the cannon shook the earth and also its enemies. It was incomparable, even the Portuguese and Dutch cannons were no match.
It is common that in tales, gallantry is unsustainable
often unsustainable of them ending in darkness. History
is written by the victors while the vanquished are obliterated by the passage of time. Leela Rentaka is the author’s debut collection of short stories to retell long forgotten tales of a glorious past.
3rd Prize
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Title: Pembunuh Anarki
(The Anarchy Assassin)
Author: Jasni Matlani
Pages: 129
ISBN: 9789670798943

This collection of short stories highlights the author's reaction to power struggles in the postmodern world. The stories unfold against a background inspired by historical facts and events.

Category: Poetry
1st Prize
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Title: Dondang Pembukaan
(Introductory Ballad)
Author: Lutfi Ishak
Pages: 67
ISBN: 9789670869636

Dondang Pembukaan (Introductory Ballad) expresses the poet’s conviction about the thought provoking issues often discussed in society. The poems are arranged chronologically to trace a young man’s spiritual and intellectual journey to seek the truth in a tumultuous world.
2nd Prize
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Title: Matahari Itu Jauh
(The Far Reaches of the
Sun)
Author: Rosli K. Matari
ISBN: 9789670869667

This collection of 56 poems reflects the poet’s memories, experiences, observations and thought through his journey from Medan, Kabanjahe,
Sibolangit, Penatapan, Brastagi to Sipiopiso and Lake
Toba in north Sumatra at the end of 2014
3rd Prize
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Title: Dongeng Perkebunan
(Tales of the Garden)
Author: Jasni Matlani
Pages: 46
ISBN: 9789670869469

One of the poems in this collection of 46 poems contains the line – siang mencari matahari yang tak pemah ada, (the day looking for the sun that never appears) which is metaphor for self-discovery. The poet hopes that the reader will gain valuable ideas from these poems to make them more compassionate and considerate to others in this garden.

ITBM - Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia (Malaysian Institute of Translation & Books)
PENA - Persatuan Penulis Nasional Malaysia (National Association of Writers, Malaysia)
BH - Berita Harian, daily Malay newspaper

For more information, contact: Mr Sakri Abdullah, General Manager, email: sakri@itbm.com.my

This listing was taken from the Malaysia @Frankfurt 2015 tabloid, published by the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) - National Book Council of Malaysia as part of their initiative to promote Malaysian companies, authors and books at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.
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Malaya as seen by Colonial Authors

16/11/2015

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The Fiction of Colonial Malaya
Author: Mohamad Rashidi Pakri
Published by Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia
Number of pages 89
ISBN 978983618458
Year of Publication 2015

“An invigorating, ethical review of the
fiction of Malaya’s colonial adminstrators.”
Henry S. Barlow, author of Swettenham
This book is a study of the writings of four colonial authors, Frank Swettenham, Hugh Clifford, George Maxwell (all colonial officers) and Anthony Burgess a teacher at the Malay College for Boys. Their books were written at the height of colonial British rule and although they were about Malays, Chinese and Indians they were written for colonial consumption and were not for local readers. Each author has his own section in the book and the analysis of their writings against the norms of society at the time helps explain why their stories seemed to be almost remote from the inhabitants of Malaya. This analysis by Dr Mohamad is valuable in that it gives the reader an understanding of life in Malaya in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and how two communities, local and expatriate, lived parallel lives with limited social interaction.

This article first appeared in print in the Malaysia @Frankfurt 2015 tabloid, published by the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) - National Book Council of Malaysia as part of their initiative to promote Malaysian companies, authors and books at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.
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Mohana Gill joins Best of the Best, World Gourmand Award

16/11/2015

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News Update: Mohana Gill has won Best of the Best World Gourmand Award for her book, 'Fruitastic' at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.
Healthy eating advocate and cookbook author extraordinaire, Mohana Gill will be honoured at the World Gourmand Awards Best of the Best celebrations at the Frankfurt Book Fair this year. This honour is given to past winners of the Best in the World Awards. This celebration is also the 20-year anniversary of the World Gourmand Awards.
Mohana Gill, World Gourmand Award
Mohana Gill with her Best in the World award at the World Gourmand Awards in Beijing, 2014.
In 2014, Mohana's book, Myanmar: Cuisine, Culture and Customs won Best in the World for Best Asian Cuisine from Asian Books. In this travel cum cookbook, Myanmar-born Mohana visited places she had known since childhood and shared the special recipes found there.
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Mohana receiving her Best in the World Award at the World Gourmand Awards in London, 2008.
In 2008, Vegemania! received Best in the World Award for Best Vegetarian Book.
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Mohana with her Best in the World Award at the World Gourmand Awards in Beijing, 2007.
In 2007, Fruitastic! received Best in the World and Special Jury Award for Best Fruits Book.
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Following from the success of Fruitastic! and Vegemania!, Mohana spinned off two books for children. Her hope is that children will learn to eat healthily from a young age and what better way than to get to know their fruit and vegetables. The two books are filled with colourful and bright illustrations by Tan Vay Fern.

CONTACT: Hasri Hasan <hasri@kotabuku.my>

This article first appeared in print in the Malaysia @Frankfurt 2015 tabloid, published by the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) - National Book Council of Malaysia as part of their initiative to promote Malaysian companies, authors and books at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.
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Back to the past adventure stories for children

16/11/2015

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“My aim is to write a
good story that
children will enjoy
reading.”
Children’s book author Heidi Shamsuddin’s first series of books feature three children who find a mysterious door under a stairs at school that transports them to the past. 'The Mystery of the MissingNational Anthem' and 'The Case of The Talented Trio' are well written and researched books that have all the necessary ingredients for a good mystery yarn. The books are ably illustrated by Lim Lay Koon’s black and white illustrations.

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In the first book, The Mystery of the Missing National Anthem, the heroes meet Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia’s first prime minister who is searching for the right music for a new national anthem to be introduced on the day that the country gains its independence from Britain in just a few days time. The heroes discover the original source of the National Anthem and go back to let Tunku know where to find it. But it’s the wrong tune. Has someone else travelled back in time and altered history?

In Heidi’s second book, The Case of The Talented Trio, the heroes meet P. Ramlee, a Malaysian star of screen and stage. Ramlee is at the beginning of his career, he is at a loss of ideas and feels he doesn’t have the talent to be a star. The children research his award winning series and travel back to help him overcome his difficulties.
When the heroes try to unravel both mysteries they are confronted by the school bully and his gang. How can they escape his unwanted attention and succeed in their quest?
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These books will be followed by six more books to be launched over the next twelve months.

“My aim is to write a good story that children will enjoy reading,” says Heidi.

However, parents and teachers will no doubt be pleased that apart from being good stories that will get children reading, the series will also give them an insight into Malaysian history.

CONTACT: Heidi Shamsuddin <heidi.sham@gmail.com>


This article first appeared in print in the Malaysia @Frankfurt 2015 tabloid, published by the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) - National Book Council of Malaysia as part of their initiative to promote Malaysian companies, authors and books at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.
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The Adventures of Yaya and Fufu

15/11/2015

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It is human rights education simplified for kids! And further, it’s in Malay. Teaming up with Amin Landak, one of Malaysia's finest comic illustrator, Dr Mohd Faizal Musa (Faisal Tehrani) has created a series of amazing educational stories from the adventurous travelogue of Yaya and Fufu.

In Buku 1: Jangan Cakap Begitu (Book 1: Don’t Speak That Way), the emphasis is on Article 1 and 2 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yaya and Fufu fly to the corner of the world to stop racial slur and to educate the kids on being free and equal and how all of us should all be treated in the same way. With the help of old sage, Grandpa Adam, Yaya and Fufu fight human rights violation and refuse to bow down before the oppressors. Thanks to Fufu’s magic hat and Yaya’s wisdom book, now they can reassure all the kids to unite with them.

The first lesson as presented in this book is not to discriminate, to say no to bully and to respect everybody, whatever our differences. This book is rare and significant contribution in children literature genre. A book necessary for educators and parents. As childhood is recognised as a time for education, recreation, growth and discovery, human rights awareness is best to be nurtured during this time.

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About the writer:
Dr. Mohd Faizal Musa (Faisal Tehrani) is Research Fellow at Institute of the Malay World and Civilization (ATMA), National University of Malaysia (UKM). His current research areas are in adopting a human rights approach concerning religious minorities, and Human Rights in Malay Literature. He graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Sharia (Islamic Studies), University of Malaya; received his MA in Comparative Literature from University Science of Malaysia, in 2000 and a PhD. in Comparative Literature from Institute of the Malay World and Civilization (ATMA), National University of Malaysia (UKM) in 2010.

About the illustrator:
Amin Landak is a well-known Malaysian illustrator and comic artist. A graduate of the Malaysian Institute of Art, he is also a committee memberof PEKOMIK, the comic society of Malaysia.

CONTACT: fird_ahmad@yahoo.com

This article first appeared in print in the Malaysia @Frankfurt 2015 tabloid, published by the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) - National Book Council of Malaysia as part of their initiative to promote Malaysian companies, authors and books at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.
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Living Pathways

15/11/2015

 
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Living Pathways
Meditations on sustainable cultures and
cosmologies in Asia.
By M Nadarajah
Published by Areca Books, 2014
184pp; 226.6mm x 254mm
90+ colour photographs
ISBN: 9789675719097

“This book
should be placed
in the hands of
every head of
state around the
world.”
Ben Bernstein, Ph.D
Clinical Psychologist,
Educator and Author
(USA)
Living pathways deals with the challenges faced by the ecosystems and way of life as many Asian nations race for first world status and ape western norms. A beautifully presented book, it is full of wonderful pictures of the environment and life in Asia.

The author spent a year travelling through Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and the Philippines visiting villages where he spoke to the headmen and villagers and spent time in universities where he talked at length with academics. He had discussions with politicians on future plans and elders on how things were in the past and how customs and communities are being threatened. Wherever he went he took many photographs and this book is filled with scenes of life and the environment.

Nadarajah’s 32 meditations link the destructive forces created by urbanisation and sustainable development that has pushed back the forests and destroyed the habitat of many small communities and endangered many of the native animals.

In meditation 21 the author expands on the topic of sustainable development from a western capitalist view point;
  • it’s a human centred worldview,
  • the emphasis is on growth from a capitalist market approach,
  • demonstrates a relative ignorance of the need for radical change in peoples’ demands on the earth,
  • it perpetuates the view that nature is merely a collective of natural resources that can be exploited by human beings, and
  • a faith that all environmental problems can eventually be solved by technology.
These articles are stipulated in the national development policies of many Asian nations and he continues in following meditations to discuss the consequences of sustainable development on small endangered indigenous communities which are part of the identity of a nation but have been marginalised by the increasing focus on development, consumerism and destruction of their habitats.

This is directly followed by a dissertation on the key differences between the Western way of life and the Asian way and how Western lifestyles and beliefs threatens Asian values. He focuses on the way spiritualisation impacts local communities and how they live in harmony with the environment. They live in integrated family systems where there is respect for the elderly and where consumption is not king.
__________________________
M. Nadarajah has spent his life working on the interconnected
issues of communication, process development and
management, culture, spirituality and sustainability. He has
written several books on these issues: Another Malaysia is
Possible and Other Essays: Writings on Culture and Politics for
a Sustainable World (2004) and his co-edited book Urban Crisis:
Culture and the Sustainability of Cities (2007) are noteworthy
contributions. He earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from Jawaharlal
Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, in 1993.
CONTACT: Areca Books <arecabooks@gmail.com>

This article first appeared in print in the Malaysia @Frankfurt 2015 tabloid, published by the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) - National Book Council of Malaysia as part of their initiative to promote Malaysian companies, authors and books at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.

Guide to Traditional Children's Games

15/11/2015

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Authors: Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, Ahmad Shahar Nasarah
Published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka


Children’s traditional games are one of the national treasures inherited from long ago. The games are passed on verbally from one generation to the next. Only a few remain in existence today. The uniqueness of the games can be seen through the patterns, game rules, materials used, and the dialogue in the games. The games display a high level of creativity and imagination among the players. This series is a collection of 100 types of children’s traditional games. Each title is complete with the background of each game, game rules, including ways to determine the winners, the voting system, and the glossary with specific terminologies. This guidance series is developed for the use of educators, librarians, researchers, and scholars of cultures.

Titles in this series:
RAM-RAM RIP, RANGKAI-RANGKAI PERIUK (POTS CHAIN),
DA DA KO, DATUK HARIMAU (GRANDPA TIGER),
JARUM MAS (THE GOLDEN NEEDLE),
CAK LERANG BENANG MAS (WEAVE THE GOLDEN THREAD),
TEBANG, TEBANG TEBUK (CUT DOWN AND BORE),
CONGKAK LUBANG SEPULUH (10-HOLE CONGKAK),
TINGTING GULA BATU (HOPSCOTCH),
GELEK TEMPURUNG (ROLLING THE COCONUT SHELL)

This series of books was introduced at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015, at the Malaysia pavilion.

CONTACT: Nor Aida <noraida2@dbp.gov.my>

This article first appeared in print in the Malaysia @Frankfurt 2015 tabloid, published by the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) - National Book Council of Malaysia as part of their initiative to promote Malaysian companies, authors and books at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.
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A Call to Travel, Muslim Odysseys

15/11/2015

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Author: Rumaizah Abu Bakar
Published by Silverfish Books
Number of pages 208
ISBN 9789833221509
Year of Publication 2014

'A Call to Travel' recounts the travels of the author, Rumaizah Abu Bakar to several Muslim countries, specifically Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. In each of these countries, she did the tourist thing and visited museums, mosques, old buildings and went shopping. In Saudi Arabia she performed the hajj at Mecca and it was interesting to read of her experiences as the hajj is an important event in a Muslim’s life but shrouded in mystery for non-muslims.

As a Muslim woman travelling alone, Rumaizah faced some challenges but overall, apart from nosy locals, persistent shop owners, and bad taxi drivers, she travelled safely. A Call to Travel is a personal journey of the author and Rumaizah writes not only of the places she has visited and people she has met but also reveals her own views as a modern Muslim woman.

Rumaizah writes with an open mind and is often humorous, laughing at herself and the little ironies of life she encounters in her travels. This is not an adventure story, although there are adventures; it is not even a book about Islam; instead it shows the everyday life of ordinary muslims and for that it is eye-opening.
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What others say:
“The delicate sensibility of these stories endow them with a gentle honesty.”
Colin Thubron, award winning travel writer and novelist

“The stories are delightful shapes of time that leave an impression that life is very real yet elusive, shifting between transience and permanence. The reader can choose to observe and ponder, or travel and disappear in the stories.”
Isa Kamari, novelist, essayist, musician and playwright

“If you’re looking for the frenetic, the jangling, the adrenaline-filled tales of so much modern travel writing, you’ve come to the wrong place. To travel with Rumaizah Abu Bakar is to voyage into a world of the quiet and understated, a place where wonder unfurls in fine delight under a gracious and appreciative eye.”
Carl Hoffman, author of Savage Harvest (2014 NYT bestseller)
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Ephesus, Turkey

This article first appeared in print in the Malaysia @Frankfurt 2015 tabloid, published by the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) - National Book Council of Malaysia as part of their initiative to promote Malaysian companies, authors and books at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.
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Collecting stories of Princesses from around the World

15/11/2015

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At the Frankfurt Bookfair 2014, Malaysian author and illustrator Emila Yusof met with contributors for her planned book — a collection of stories of princesses from different countries. After sifting through more than twenty stories, a list of 13 countries was finalised and the book was ready to be showcased at the Frankfurt Bookfair 2015.

The publisher, Oyez!Books used a different approach to promote the book. Instead of showing one cover, the books were printed with 10 different covers and languages and displayed at the Malaysia pavilion where they attracted a lot of attention.

This was in line with the idea behind the book which was to present multi-faceted stories of princess characters that typically girls love. It followed the success of Emila Yusof’s first book of princesses,  Legendary Princesses of Malaysia, written by Malaysian author Raman.

“... to present multi-faceted stories of princess characters ...”
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This article first appeared in print in the Malaysia @Frankfurt 2015 tabloid, published by the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) - National Book Council of Malaysia as part of their initiative to promote Malaysian companies, authors and books at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.
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Innovation from Asia - eBook Rental at Airport

15/11/2015

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Faiz Al-Shahab of e-Sentral (Xentral Methods) was one of the speakers at the Frankfurt Book Fair's Forum Production in Publishing featuring innovation from Asia.  
 
In his talk, Faiz presented the eBook rental facility via Bluetooth beacon technology, a partnership effort between Malaysia Airports and e-Sentral (Xentral Methods).
 
This facility which consists of 40 ebook beacons strategically placed at locations of KLIA is the first of its kind in the world. It enables passengers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to download ebooks for their travels and during waiting time.
 
This smart facility which works on principles of geo-fencing location targeted technology operates via a Bluetooth beacon signal that communicates with the passenger’s smart phone application allowing them to access a special virtual library of ebooks for borrowing.
 
Currently, travelers in KLIA have a choice of more than 400 ebook titles at anytime ranging from all sorts of categories in English, Malay and Mandarin, and a maximum of two titles to borrow at anytime for two days.
 
Once the ebook is downloaded, the passenger can use the eBook without the need of Internet.
 
CONTACT: Faiz Al-Shahab <faiz@e-sentral.com>


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This article first appeared in print in the Malaysia @Frankfurt 2015 tabloid, published by the Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia (MBKM) - National Book Council of Malaysia as part of their initiative to promote Malaysian companies, authors and books at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.
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    This is the blog of Linda Tan Lingard, literary agent, book lover and people watcher. If you have stories especially from Southeast Asia and Asia, I would be pleased to feature them.

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