Thursday, November 16, 2006

Launch of Silverfish New Writing 6

Silverfish New Writing 6 edited by Prof Dr Dipika Mukherjee was launched on the 14 of November 2006 (Tuesday), at the Banquet Hall 2 of Impiana KLCC Hotel & Spa in Kuala Lumpur. The launch sponsored by HSBC for the Arts was attended by over one hundred. It is indeed wonderful that we have organisations like HSBC in the country that are ready and willing to sponsor the arts and literature given the present atmosphere that is almost anti-art and anti-intellectual. Of course, it helps that Dato' Zarir Cama is a banker who reads TS Eliot.


Dr Dipika Mukherjee was down from Amsterdam for the event. Amongst the writers who turned up in person were Junaidah Hussain, Nurfaizah Tubi, Peter Brown, Rebecca Chew, Saras Manickam, and Thaatchaayini Kananatu. Four other writers, Arun Subramaniam, Arthur Goh, S Gopalan and Wenxian Tan were represented by family and friends. Congratulations and keep the stories coming. We are now accepting submissions for Silverfish New Writing 7 - closing date 31 March 2007. Read the rules here.

Silverfish New Writing 6 is now available at all major bookstore at RM25.00. You may also order them (post free if you live in Malaysia) from our secure website here. See the slide show here.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Farish Noor - website launch - 28th Oct 06

Political scientist and activist Farish Noor spoke to another standing room only crowd (with no police presence) at Silverfish Books on the 28th of October. Also with him were Yusseri Yusoff and Mack Zulkifli who volunteered to help him put up the website: www.othermalaysia.org

Farish Noor made an impassioned plea to not let the real history of Malaysia be erased or marginalized. The website, which is funded entirely by him welcomes contribution from everyone … on issues of politics, religion, gender, culture, economics et. al… with the only condition being the writers take responsibility for what they write. No pseudonyms, and definitely no anonymous postings will be allowed.

This site was set up as a source of alternative information regarding the history of Malaysia. Othermalaysia.org will therefore attempt to highlight aspects of Malaysia's past and present that have been systematically downplayed or relegated to the background of the national
imaginary.
(That's Farish Noor for you!)

He further adds: Othermalaysia.org is committed to an academic culture that is free, open and democratic. Readers are encouraged to use the materials found in this site and all that we ask is that proper acknowledgement is given …

Visit the website and click here for a slideshow.