100 Years of Investigative Journalism from Around the World

Silverfish Public Talk by Anya Schiffri

GLOBAL MUCKRACKING is now available at Silverfish Books for RM77.90 only)

Topic: 100 Years of Investigative Journalism from Around the World
Time and Date: 5:30pm on Saturday, 6 September, 2014
Venue: Silverfish Books, 28-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: +603-228 448 37 (email: info@silverfishbooks.com)

This is an open event. (We expect a good turn out, so please RSVP by email or telephone, to tell us how many will be coming.)

About the speaker

Anya Schiffrin is the editor of the soon to be published (August 2014) book: Global Muckracking -- 100 Years of Investigative Journalism from Around the World (New Press, 256 pgs, ISBN: 978-1-59558-973-6).

She is the director of the media and communications program at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She spent ten years working overseas as a journalist in Europe and Asia. She is also the editor of Bad News: How America’s Business Press Missed the Story of the Century and a co-editor, with Eamon Kircher-Allen, of From Cairo to Wall Street: Voices from the Global Spring (all published by The New Press). She is married and lives in New York City.

Other speakers

Ying Chan is journalism professor and director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at The University of Hong Kong. She has worked as a journalist in New York City for 23 years and has edited six books on the media in China.

Anton Harber was founder-editor of the anti-apartheid newspaper the Weekly Mail (now the Mail & Guardian). He is now Caxton Professor of Journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, chair of the Freedom of Expression Institute, a board member of the Global Investigative Journalism Network, writes a column in Business Day, and is the author of several books.

About Anya Schiffri's work

This (Global Muckracking) is no mere collection of exposés. It is a global look at the 20th-century writers who have dared to uncover stories of injustice and abuse. (Kirkus Review).

Anya Schiffrin (Media and Communications/Columbia Univ.; editor: Bad News: How America’s Business Press Missed the Story of the Century, 2011, etc.) literally dug through boxes of articles that disintegrated in her hands. Many of the included contributors suffered imprisonment or died at the hands of those they exposed. “This book is a collection of pieces that launched campaigns, exposed military atrocities, and called for justice for the downtrodden and the colonized,” writes the author. Each article includes an introduction and background information by carefully chosen journalists or activists well-informed and often deeply involved in the subject. The articles are especially noteworthy since the problems are indeed global, from the smallest villages in Africa to India, Colombia and New Zealand. Over the decades, a host of different writers have covered the same situations again and again. Schiffrin shows writings that span the entire 20th century, examining such situations as labour abuse, which has been evident in dozens of different locales across the world. Among the other topics are anti-colonialism, corruption, oil and mining, food shortages and famine, and military and police. What factors are required for these exposés to be effective? The author suggests that local interest and elite support is vital, as well as social movements pushing for reform; most importantly, wide media coverage brings the situation to the attention of the world. The collection begins with a 1904 article by E.D. Morel (introduced by Adam Hochschild), and other important contributors include Robin Hyde, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Alma Guillermoprieto and Christian Parenti.

The incredible amount of work that Schiffrin put into the selection of the articles and those who explain them makes this a top-notch anthology of significant journalism.

Silverfish 15th Anniversary Party

INVITATION

Yes, it has been fifteen years since Silverfish Books first opened its doors in Desa Seri Hartamas 1999, in the wake of the Asian Currency crisis,the Reformasi movement, and the public sacking of a Deputy Prime Minister. In the 15 years, we have made many friends, offended a few, published almost 60 books, five of which have been on the short- or long-list of various international book prizes since 2009, organised two International Literary Festivals in Kuala Lumpur, and organised many readings book launches an public talks, fought many battles, won some, lost some, still fighting others, and may have made a tiny dent in the Malaysian literary world. So to celebrate, we are inviting all Silverfish authors, other  Malaysian authors and old friends of Silverfish Books who have traveled with us on this often challenging the journey, who have helped make it all possible, who have made a difference, to our fifteenth birthday party.  So, please, please, please accept this invitation and come to our do on:

Date: Saturday, June 21, 2014
Time: 5.30 to 7.30 pm,
Venue: Silverfish Books, 28-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru. Tel: 228 448 37

Special invitations will be going out to all Silverfish authors (some of whom are pictured below), including Antares, Chua Kok Yee, Dina Zaman, Farish A Noor, Huzir Suleiman, Isa Kamari, Kow Shih-Li, Matthew Thomas, MA Quayum, Rozlan Mohd Noor, Salleh ben Joned; non-Silverfish authors like Alfian Sa'at, Cecil Rajendra, Amir Muhammad, Chua Guat Eng, Kee Thuan Chye, Mahbob Abdulah, Mohamad Jayzuan, Peter Brown, Rehman Rashid,  Robert Yeo, Rumaizah Abu Bakar, Sufian Abas, Tash Aw, Tan Twan Eng, Tengku 'Abidin Mukriz, Wong Phui Nam, etc; and friends of Silverfish who have grown with us. (We do not know how many will be free to turn up on the day, though.)

The occasion will be a time for us to forget about books and simply have a party: There will be no readings, no book launches, and no public talks, only mingling, the odd book signing (if you manage to corner your favourite author) and makan and minum, that is, a mini literary festival of authors and readers without the boring stuff.

And talking about makan and minum, since this is a party for friends, feel free to bring a pot (or a tray) or a bottle. We will be organising some refreshments, of course.

RSVP: info@silverfishbooks.com

Book event: The Sum of Our Follies

Yes, we are not calling it a book launch (it is such a cliche), but a book event. Shih-Li will talk about the process of writing her book, which she says took longer than she expected. We can imagine the process and thoroughly enjoyed editing her work (which turned out to be minimal). No sledgehammer work here, nor slash and burn.

Details:

Speaker: Shih-Li Kow (Author)
Venue: Silverfish Books, 28-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-228 448 37
Date and time: Saturday, 12 April 2014, 5.30pm.
Admission is free.

About the author:

Shih-Li Kow is a home-grown Malaysian writing sensation who came to light with her first book of short stories, Ripples and other stories, in 2009, which was immediately shortlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award that year, beating Ali Smith and Kazuo Ishiguro to the list.

Shih-Li Kow's short stories have appeared in several anthologies since her first publication in 2007. She currently works in real estate management and lives in Kuala Lumpur with her extended family, cat and a beehive.

About the book:

Stylish, subtle and funny, Shih-Li is an amazing storyteller. The Sum of Our Follies is the story of characters living in a backwater town, Lubok Sayong, in Malaysia with no claim to fame apart from its annual floods, a dubious legend and entrenched mediocrity, struggling with modernity; one that could be compared to the little towns and characters of Amado and Narayan, with just a touch of Calvino. It is not surprising that it attracted much interest in Frankfurt in October last year, and Italian rights have been sold. (All this before the manuscript was finalised and published!)

An extract:

“Call us Tim and Peggy,” they said. Mami kept getting their names wrong and she called them Tom and Jerry. I thought that she did it on purpose. I wondered if Tim and Peggy shared my suspicion. They wanted to know about the house. Everyone who came wanted to know about the house.
“My father built this house. He was an unnatural man,” said Mami.
“An unnatural man?” Mr Miller raised his eyebrows at his wife. They didn’t know that Mami used the word ‘unnatural’ a lot. They must have thought she meant her father was a perv.
“Yes, unnatural. Funny funny, you know. Not normal, not your usual father. He built this house for the loves of his life,” explained Mami. “He had many loves in his life, but the greatest were these four. The rest, he did not marry. More interestingly … eh … Jerry, was that these four agreed to marry him, considering he was not half as good-looking as your Mr Tom here. My father was as ugly as a monkey crossed with goat, but he was very charming. He could talk birds down from trees.”

Rabindranath Tagore book event by Prof Dr MA Quayum

(This event is in early May, but I may not have enough time to send out the mailers before that because I will be back from the US just then.)

Speaker: Prof Dr MA Quayum (of the International Islamic University Malaysia)
Venue: Silverfish Books, 28-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur
Date and Time: Saturday, 3 May, 2014 at 5.30 pm
Admission is free.

The book, The Ruined Nest and other stories was planned to be released in 2013, 100 years after Rabindranath Tagore's Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. But Prof Quayum, the perfectionist that he is, decided it would be better to publish a good book late than rush one out that we're not fully satisfied. This is in full agreement with the ethos of Silverfish Books. The date for the book event was not picked accidentally, as the 153rd anniversary of Tagore's birthday would fall on 7 May, 2014.

After reading just one of the 20 short stories (the title story is actually a novella), we were convinced that this was not the work of a journeyman translator but by a master and a lifelong scholar of the works of Rabindranath Tagore. Add this to the fact that Prof Quayum is a native Bengali speaker and a professor of English, and we have a work that can only be described as beautiful. Although universally acknowledged for his poems, and dubbed gurudev (master teacher), kabiguru (master poet) and bishwaskabi (world poet), Tagore was a master of the short story form in Bengali, having written 95 and compared favourably to Anton Chekhov and Guy de Maupassant.

Praise for Prof Quayum from The Daily Star, Bangladesh. (There are literally dozens of them, but this is one we like).

In any translation it is very difficult to keep intact the sense of each context. Quayum’s translation is as close as one can get: clear, contemporary and accessible to a modern English-reading global audience. It is not handicapped by the ignorance of the translator of certain delicate nuances of the Bengali language, especially in the context of intimate household expressions. There is commendable fidelity and honesty in Quayum’s translation. It once again opens up the possibility of discovering a relevance of Tagore's creations more than a century after they were composed…. Without hesitation I recommend Professor Quayum’s volume as an authoritative and eminently readable translation, an essential Tagore for collectors. It should find a place on every discerning reader’s shelf.   

About the author

Mohammad A. Quayum is professor of English at International Islamic University Malaysia, and Adjunct of Professor in the School of Humanities, at Flinders University, Australia. He has previously taught at universities in Bangladesh, Singapore and the United States. Quayum is the author, editor or translator of 27 books far too numerous to be listed here. His essays on American and Postcolonial Literatures have appeared in prominent literary journals in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, the UK and the USA. Quayum is a leading literary scholar in South and Southeast Asia. He is the Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief of Asiatic: IIUM Journal of English Language and Literature, and is on the Advisory Board of several distinguished literary journal around the world.

Silverfish Public Talk -- March 2014

Topic: Uneasy Alliances, Writers and the University: A Report from Both Sides of the (Diasporic) Border by Shirley Lim
Venue: Silverfish Books Sdn Bhd, 28-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-22844837
Date & time: Saturday, 15 March, 2014 at 5.30pm

An abstract by Ms Lim says: "While writing is often constructed as a solitary endeavour undertaken by an individual talent, works of literature, particularly contemporary fiction and poetry, achieve their reputation and after-life through the circuits of public reception, often with academics and scholars as gatekeepers. This talk looks at the cognitive dissonance, complicity and negotiations undertaken in that relationship in the U.S., and asks what and why is the state of that relationship in Malaysia."

Okay. If that was a mouthful, Shirley clarifies: This will NOT be an academic paper with endless citations, but an Alice through the Looking Glass, let's go down that rabbit hole together evening ...

As Malaysians, we like to claim Shirley Lim as our own. Universities teach her books, she continues to sell steadily in our bookshops, and she has lots of friends and relatives here. If Lin Yutang was right when he said, "What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child?" then she is thoroughly Malaysian. Yet, by citizenship she's American, and a proud one at that.

Her biodata is a mile long, so we shall simply highlight a few points.(If you want to know more, look here.) She was born in 1944 in Malacca, Malaysia, and describes herself as "a wild girl who ran with the boys and alone through the streets" (Among the White Moon Faces, 49). In interviews, she has talked about her "stubborn spirit" that she utilized in school, making her a leader as well as an outcast. She has reportedly said, "Growing up when I did, there weren't many other recreational alternatives, and I had a pretty unhappy childhood ... Reading was a huge solace, retreat, escape. I was a really obsessive reader. Somewhere along the line, I had a sense I should write about things I knew rather than read about things I didn't know. I wanted to write my own voice, my own community."

Her early education was at a Catholic convent school under the British colonial education system. She won a federal scholarship to the University of Malaya which she attended from 1964 to 1969, earning a BA with First Class Honors in English. In 1969, at the age of twenty-four, she entered graduate school at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, earning her Ph.D. in English and American Literature in 1973.

She says that poetry is her driving passion. "That was my first form of literary expression and is the most primal for me." Her first poem was written and then published in the Malacca Times when she was ten. Her first book of poetry, Crossing the Peninsula and Other Poems, won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize in 1980. She was the first woman and the first Asian to receive the award.

Shirley Lim is disarming, articulate, intelligent and a wonderful human being. So, come, let's go down that rabbit hole together with a glass of red -- bring a bottle  if you can! -- or tea, or water (plain or sugared).

Admission is free, but do RSVP by replying this email, or call Phek Chin at the number above. (We need to know how many chairs we need to put out.)

The Shirley Lim writing workshop is here again

This is the third time we are holding a writing workshop by Shirley Lim. The last two were sold very quietly. She is a very good teacher indeed.

Sources, Selves and Stories: Mimesis and Mirrors.
Silverfish 2014 Writers Workshop, facilitator Shirley Geok-lin Lim.
Sunday, March 16, 2014, 9.30am -- 5.00pm. (One-day workshop)
Fee: MYR: 400.00 (Earlybird fee of MYR360.00 will apply to fully paid registrations before 5 March 2014)
Limited to 16 participants.
Registration link: http://www.silverfishbooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=1987

The day’s prompt is writing on what you know, what you see, what you don’t know, and what others see. The time is dedicated to generating writing as content and as literary stylistics. The workshop is structured as quadrants, with individual, small group and whole workshop activities.

Schedule summary:

9.30 am --11.00 am: The first quarter is composed of introductions, as others see you, as you see yourself, and to know your own strengths and goals.
11.00 am --1.00 pm: The second quarter will focus on time spent on writing, either beginning a new project or working with an on-going project.
1.00 pm -- 2.00 pm: Lunch break
2.00 pm  -- 3.15 pm: The third quarter is workshop-focused: small group sharing, critiquing, revisioning the big picture, and minding/mining the particulars.
3.15 pm -- 4.15 pm: The last quarter is rewriting the workshop project: reframing, cutting, expanding, refining, and polishing.
4.15 pm -- 5.00 pm: The last segment of the workshop is celebrating your work with readings and final assessments on takeaways.

About the facilitator:
Shirley Geok-lin Lim’s  (Fulbright and Wien International Scholar; Ph.D. Brandeis University) Crossing the Peninsula received the Commonwealth Poetry Prize. She’s published seven poetry collections; three books of short stories; two novels (Joss and Gold and Sister Swing); a children’s novel, Princess Shawl, translated into Chinese; and The Shirley Lim Collection. Her memoir, Among the White Moon Faces, received the American Book Award. Author of two critical studies, she edited/co-edited Reading the Literatures of Asian America; Approaches to Kingston’s The Woman Warrior; Transnational Asia Pacific; Power, Race and Gender in Academe; Transnational Asian American Literature; The Forbidden Stitch: An Asian American Women's Anthology (1990 American Book Award winner); Writing Singapore; and other volumes; edited/co-edited Journal of Transnational American Studies and other journals. She served as Women’s Studies Chair (UCSB) and Chair Professor of English (HKU) and is Research Professor at University of California, Santa Barbara. Awarded the Multiethnic Literatures of the United States Lifetime Achievement Award and UCSB Faculty Research Lecture Award, she has taught at CUNY, SUNY, MIT, National Institute of Education (NTU), National Sun Yat-Sen University, National University of Singapore, and City University of Hong Kong.

Silverfish Public Talk -- Rehman Rashid

     Silverfish Public Talk -- January 2014

Topic: Articulating a Nation
Venue: Silverfish Books Sdn Bhd, 28-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-22844837
Date & time: Saturday, 18 January, 2014 at 5.30pm

Rehman Rashid's A Malaysian Journey, when it was first published in 1993, practically exploded on the Malaysian cultural and literary conciousness with its warts and all, non-tourism approach to the society and culture. It was a nation we all knew existed, which we loved (and still do) immensely, but dared not (and many of us still dare not) speak its name. It was a book that dared to escape (no, tear off) long-existing literary (and cultural) shackles of parochialism that had confined us to our own race and religion for so long, and to embrace our real identity as all-inclusive Malaysians. A Malaysian Journey told us that it's all right to love ourselves for what we are; no apologies needed. One could say, it was a much-awaited (and needed) turning point in Malaysian literature.

Rehman Rashid's A Malaysian Journey commemorated its 20th anniversary in 2013, with a new edition in hardback, with a new preface and end-paper maps. The book, that was hailed as a 'modern Malaysian classic', still is now, perhaps more than ever before, speaking to a new generation of readers, explaining why things are the way they are in this country.

The author's topic for the public talk at Silverfish Books, Articulating a Nation,  will focus "on the need to speak for others in a nation now composed entirely of them." A reviewer wrote in Amazon.com that "as more Malaysians become like Rehman, the accuracy of this book will fade into fable." Sorry, not happening. More Malaysians are, certainly, thinking like Rehman Rashid, but we are also seeing more circling of wagons.

Expect Rehman Rashid to be articulate and engaging. It will be an interesting evening. (Bring a bottle of red if you can!)

Admission is free, but do email us if you are attending, for us to estimate the numbers.

Launch of Rozlan Mohd Noor's new books.

Rozlan Mohd Noor will launch his new book, Bayu, on Saturday, December 7, 2013, at 5.30pm at Silverfish Books, 28-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: +603-22844837.
Everyone is welcome, but do let us know how many will be turning up.

Bayu is a departure from the Inspector Mislan series, and is altogether more ambitious, telling the story from the point of view of the criminal.

You know the author, here's something about the book:

“Encik, how shall I address you?”
The line goes quiet as TJ considers the question. He remembers the breeze as he lay on the beach cooking up this scheme.
“You may call me Bayu.”
“Bayu, you mean like the wind?”
“Yes.”
“Encik Bayu, how do we contact you?”
“You know you cannot contact the wind. You can only hear it when it chooses to let you,” TJ chuckles.

Bayu is a master criminal, also known as The Planner, who wants to retire with a signature caper, by testing his wits against the best. What better way to achieve that than to kidnap an American and engage the CIA, he reasons. Robberies give quick highs and rewards, but he is interested in worldwide notoriety. He settles on kidnapping because the adrenalin rush lasts longer and he’ll get more coverage.

“No, this is no ordinary kidnapping. He is taking this public and it is to his advantage. He is not communicating with the family and that can only mean he's not open to negotiations.”
“More importantly, by not communicating with the family, he has eliminated the one method we had to nail him,” Ong points out. “We can’t track his calls.”
The two men look at him.
“He calls himself Bayu. Does that mean anything?” Jack asks.
“Bayu is wind or breeze in Malay. He is telling us we can hear, feel and see his handiwork, but not him.”

But there is one problem: the target he chooses turns out to be the grandson of the US Secretary of State, and the second anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden is coming up. When news of the kidnapping gets out and into the press, every one is on the alert: governments, every Islamic terrorist group trying to make a claim to fame, the CIA, the Interpol and ... very quickly becomes an “oh, shit!” situation. A wonderful romp.

Barbara Ismail at the Lincoln Corner

This is on short notice, yes.  The Lincoln corner is organising a roundtable with  Barbara Ismail (the author of Shadow Play) on Saturday, November 9, at the Lincoln corner at the Kuala Lumpur Library (Jalan Raja/Dataran Merdeka) at 10:00 am – 11:00 am. She will be discussing the influences on her writing work, her passion, and her time in Kelantan. She would also like to get a feel for Malaysian writing and publishing while she's here.  Please email Gerard George of the Lincoln Center:  GeorgeG2@state.gov if you are interested to attend. We believe that places are limited.

About this author
Barbara Ismail spent several years in Kelantan, Malaysia in the 1970s and '80s, living in Kampong Dusun and Pengkalan Chepa, studying Wayang Siam and the Kelantanese dialect. She holds a Ph.D in Anthropology from Yale University, and is originally from Brooklyn, New York. Shadow Play is the first in Barbara Ismail's series of "Kain Songket Mysteries" based in Kelantan.

Islamic Feminism for dummies

Silverfish Public Talk by Norani Othman
Subject: Islamic Feminism for dummies
Date and time: 26th October, 2013 at 5.30pm to 7.30pm
Address: Silverfish Books, 28-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur

Briefly

My Muslim friends tell me that Islam is a simple religion. Yet to others, everything seems frightfully complicated. To make it worse, it appears that there constantly is, 'A battle outside and it is raging.'  Thank God for some sane voices like Norani Othman who will try to unravel it for us.

Synopsis
Islamic Feminism: The current Islamic-feminism began in Malaysia and Indonesia (and some other Muslim countries in the Middle East) in the 1980s. It is now part of a global movement in which Islamic feminism seeks to speak out against patriarchal distortions of Islam. Dr Norani's presentation traces the formulation and emergence of an Islamic feminist movement in Malaysia, and of alternative interpretations of its laws. It describes the various strategies of the Islamic feminist group in Malaysia: SIS Forum Malaysia, better known as Sisters in Islam.

Background/Context: In the beginning of the third millennium, Muslim women throughout the world are still struggling to claim their rights in the private and public domain. A large part of that problem is the dominance of male-oriented, oppressive or misogynistic readings of the religious texts that promote practices, rules and laws that discriminate against women, these purportedly being requirements of ‘authentic' or 'pristine Islam’. More important, these interpretations have become so internalised that even moderate mainstream Muslims assume them to be the final truth. Yet these Muslims (half of them women) are increasingly confronted with different realities in their everyday lives that are far removed from the classical formative period of Islam.      

A bio of the author:
In earlier times, troublesome women, when their arguments became irresistible, were burnt as witches. These days their books are banned.

Norani Othman is a well-known academic and founding member of SIS Forum Malaysia, a Muslim Women's group, popularly known in Malaysia as Sisters-in-Islam. She is also the editor of the book, "Muslim Women and the Challenge of Islamic Extremism", published by Sisters in Islam that was 'banned' by the Malaysian Government, a prohibition order that was lifted only after a long court battle.

She graduated from the University Malaya in Sociology and Anthropology, and obtained her MPhil from the University of Hull, and later also pursued postgraduate studies at Wolfson College, University of Oxford. She was also a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia) and, from 2005 a Professor in Sociology (of Religion).

(Note: SIS & other feminist groups (their allies) in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, etc., also do work on health and reproductive rights of Muslim women as well as on equal access to education for the girls.)

Admission is free (but seats are limited, so do come early).

August Public Talk at Silverfish Books

Title: "Revisiting Magic and Magical Realism in South America".
Venue: Silverfish Books, 28-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 228 4448 37
Time and Date: 5.30pm - 7.30pm on Saturday, 24th August 2013
Admission is free. All are welcomed.

We have been hearing about this 'magic realism' thing for quite a while now, basically in relation to One hundred Years of Solitude by Garcia Marquez and Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. What is it, anyway? Is is something real, or merely an affectation of Europeans and American academics who can only exoticise and romanticise that they cannot understand. Magic is Asian culture too, as it is African and South American. (Ask any Malaysian.) Our lives include magic and realism daily, and the two can co-exist quite seamlessly.

Fernando Rosa Baragül examines the phenomena from an anthropological view, and gives an interesting perspective, different from, but complementary to, those of literary criticism.

"Magical Realism" has often been associated with Latin American fiction (and Salman Rushdie a proponent). The conjunction of 'magic' and 'realism' is intriguing and thought-provoking. Although some South American authors like Vargas Llosa (whose work is not 'magical realism') refer to 'lo real maravilloso' (literally, the wondrous real), South American writers do not label themselves 'magical realists' (García Márquez is an example). The works of earlier authors, like Machado de Assis, in late nineteenth and early twentieth century, works were both realist and magical.

The speaker is a Brazilian anthropologist based in Kuala Lumpur and Melaka. He has, before this, worked in the Caribbean, Cape Town, Kerala, and was until 1999 in Macau, China. He is also interested in Dutch-Afrikaans, Arabic, and Malay writings, besides Portuguese one, and the possible overlap between them.

Fynn Jamal at Silverfish Books

Rabak-Lit presents poetry of Fynn Jamal -- readings from Puisi Tepi Jalan on 6 July, 2013, Saturday, from 1.00 pm to 3.00pm at
Silverfish Books, 28-1 Jalan Telawi,
Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 22844837 (Call for directions only.)

Be prepared for an entertaining counter-cultural experience. (The last time we had her at Silverfish, it was quite a happening!)

Admission is free and all are welcome.

Below in Malay.
RABAK-LIT mempersembahkan 'Bacaan 'live' Puisi Tepi Jalan oleh FYNN JAMAL'

FYNN JAMAL akan membaca 'Puisi Tepi Jalan' dalam suasana santai intimate. Mungkin ada nyanyian, atau celoteh-celoteh bijak-gila dia yang biasa kita dengar. Acara ini untuk semua yang menyokong; untuk mendengar, bersosial, beramah-ramah dan berkumpul bersama-sama merayakan seorang penyajak kultus luar biasa.

MASUK PERCUMA!

Sebarang pertanyaan sila ajukan ke:

www.facebook.com/rabaklit
www.twitter.com/rabaklit

atau:

www.facebook.com/projekrabak
www.twitter.com/projekrabak

Silverfish's 14th birthday and public talk by Sean Matthews

Silverfish Books will be celebrating its birthday on June 26, 2013. Yes, it was fourteen years ago that we first opened shop in Desa Seri Hartamas. We made a lot of friends, offended some, published over 50 books, organised two International Literary Festivals and many readings and book launches, had a few battles, won some, lost some, still fighting others, and we had hope we made a small dent in the Malaysian literary world, and we believe we have. (The presence of so many indie publishers both in Malay and English is a testimony of sorts. We hope more will join the wagon.)

We are organising our fourteenth birthday party on Saturday June 29, 2013 at 5.30 pm, and on our invitation list will include all our authors including Antares, Chua Kok Yee, Dina Zaman, Shih Li Kow, Farish Noor, Ganese Jaganathan, Huzir Sulaiman, Isa Kamari, Iskandar Albakri, Matthew Thomas, Rozlan Mohd Noor, Rumaizah Abu Bakar,  and Salleh ben Joned, and several of our former editors.

Special guest and speaker for the evening will be Dr Sean Matthews, the Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts, University of Nottingham, Malaysian Campus. His areas of expertise are Twentieth century and contemporary literature and theory; cultural studies, internationalization and transnational higher education. Sean Matthews teaches at all levels of the International Communications Studies programmes, specialising in cultural theory and intellectual history. He directed the 2007 D.H. Lawrence International Conference, 'Return to Eastwood', and co-curated the exhibition 'Lawrence Among the Women' at the Weston Gallery.

Dr Sean Matthews will talk about DH Lawrence at Silverfish Books on June 29, 2013 at 5.30 pm as part of our 14th Anniversary celebrations and 100 years of Sons and Lovers.

In May 1913, a 27-year-old DH Lawrence received an advance copy of his third novel and wrote to his literary advisor and editor Edward Garnett expressing his pride in it: “Sons and Lovers has just come – I am fearfully proud of it. I reckon it is quite a great book. I shall not write quite in that style any more. It’s the end of my youthful period.” The enduring appeal of the celebrated Nottinghamshire author’s most autobiographical novel is to be marked by Dr Sean Matthews' talk at Silverfish Books on 29th July 2013, 100 years after its first UK publication.

This is an open invitation to all friends of Silverfish Books who have supported and nurtured us to adolescence. Well have food, drinks and balloons!

(RSVP: Tel: 22822837, or email phekchin@silverfishbooks.com -- we only need to know numbers.)

Silverfish Public Talk by Jothiratnam

Topic: What Darwin did
Time and place: 5.00-7.00pm, Saturday, May 25, 2013, at Silverfish Books, 28-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03- 228448 37

Who's Jothi?

A quick visit to the website, Jothi's World, will indicate a man inordinately curious about all manner of things, and has been trying to understand the way the world works, in all its myriad facets, works, as well as to convey his understanding of this to all and sundry for most of his life. Originally trained as a scientist, he has explored the world of knowledge widely, and has tertiary-level academic qualifications in a variety of different fields, ranging from the hard sciences, through the social and behavioural sciences, to the humanities. He's studied, lived, and worked in several countries, and as a result speaks several languages.

As a college professor, he has taught a range of subjects (from mathematics & the hard sciences, through the soft sciences, to the humanities). He has worked (in no particular order) as a professional photographer, a DJ, a bartender, a research scientist, a wildlife biologist, a clinical psychotherapist, a theatre lighting-designer, and a musician. In addition, he part-owns a chain of bars and restaurants, and manages a variety of industrial investments. He has serious professional and personal interests in physics, chemistry, biology, palaeontology, geology (especially tectonics & vulcanism), evolutionary theory, ecology & conservation, astronomy, cosmology, particle physics, string theory, number theory, bio-mechanics, engineering & technology, neuropsychology, cognition, critical & scientific thinking, the sociology, history & philosophy of science, history, political theory, political-economics and literature. He enjoys extreme sports, and flies, sails, and rides both motor-cycles as well as horses, camels & elephants.

All things told, Jothi Ratnam is an incredible person, a wonderful gentle human and Malaysian. We have chosen What Darwin did as first his public talk at Silverfish Books. (We certainly hope to have more, if he's willing.)

Darwin wrote: ‘From my early youth I have had the strongest desire to understand and explain whatever I observed - that is to group all facts under some general laws ...’ One Hundred and fifty years after the Voyage of the Beagle we're still reeling from its aftershocks. Let's here what Jothi has to say.

When Silverfish Books was established in 1999, a keystone of our vision was to raise the level of intellectual debate in the country. The talk by Terrence Gomez on April 22 the first in a series of monthly events we hope to organise for people who are curious, who want to know a little more. Jothi Ratnam is our second speaker.

We have organised many author events at Silverfish Books. This present endeavour will be a series of talks by people who read widely, and who know stuff. Topics could cover literature, art, philosophy, political theory (not political), history, science, economic theory -- generally anything that contributes to knowledge and points the lay public in the right direction. Suggestions for speakers and topics are welcomed.

You may wish to bring a bottle of red (Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, whatever) to share with your friends. Water (both mineral and sugared) will be on the house. We will organise tea, as well. (Would anyone likes to volunteer cookies?)

Children's Book Week

Update on Children's Book Week, 11-18 May 2013 at Silverfish Books, 28-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-228 448 37

Children's Book Week is here again. Selected Malaysian children's books will be available at special promotional prices throughout the week. There will be storytelling and activity sessions for children on Saturday, 11th May and 18th May, in addition to meetings with children's book writers and illustrators. And lots of balloons will be given away! The Children's Book Week is organised by Yusof Gajah Lingard Literary Agency and Oyez!Books for Children, with the support of Silverfish Books.

Saturday, 11th May 2013;  3-5pm
Make your own picture book - for parents and children.
With the help of an instructor, guide your child to make his/her own picture book. Your children will learn how to build different parts of a book and they get to take home their work. All material will be provided by the organisers. Limited to 8 children. This is a joint activity for children and parents. All children must be accompanied by their parent/s. (This session is now closed as we are fully subscribed.)

Author appearance
Author and illustrator Emila Yusof will be at Silverfish Books to talk about her work as an illustrator and her new books.

Saturday, 18th May 2013; 3-5pm
Storytelling with Linda Tan on two of Mama Tok's books.
Award-winning Malaysian storyteller, Mama Tok, has published two books, The Greedy Eagle and Nyam-Nyam Nyit. The story telling (in English) will be followed by a drawing and colouring activity. (This session is now closed as we are fully booked.)

Author appearance
Author and illustrator Yusof Gajah will be at Silverfish Books to talk about his new book, Dill the Little Elephant.

Malaysia's 13th General Elections: Policies, Institutions and Social Change

INVITATION

Talk by Prof. Dr. Edmund Terence Gomez of Department of Administrative Studies and Politics, Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya.

Topic: "Malaysia's 13th General Elections: Policies, Institutions and Social Change"
Address: Silverfish Books, 28-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Date and time: 5.00pm to 7.00pm, Saturday, April 20, 2013.

Edmund Terence Gomez specializes in state-market relations and the linkages between ethnicity, politics and capital development. He received a doctorate in Development Studies from the University of Malaya in 1993. He is Professor of Political Economy at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya, which he joined as a lecturer in 1994, and where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on developmental state and social change, Malaysia's political economy, and state, business and ethnicity in Southeast Asia.

The G13 election buzz has been going on for  months (or should that be years) and the date has been finally announced, May 5, 2013. Many discussions take place daily, everywhere in the country, mostly from positions of total ignorance based on prejudice, hype, soothsayer predictions and speculation. This will be a non-partisan talk by a world renowned expert (not by one between inverted commas) who has written and spoken extensively about Malaysian politics and the economy for two decades.

When Silverfish Books was established in 1999, a keystone of our vision was to raise the level of intellectual debate in the country, which was, as it is today, dismal. This talk by Terrence Gomez is the first in a series of monthly events we hope to organise at Silverfish Books for people who like to think.

So far, at Silverfish Books, we have only organised author events. We feel it would be good to have a series of talks by people who read widely, and who know stuff. Topics could cover literature, art, philosophy, political theory (not political), history, science, economic theory -- generally anything that contributes to knowledge and points the lay public in the right direction for further enlightenment (or merely to look clever).

If you like your spirits a little elevated during the talk, you may wish to bring a bottle of red (Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, whatever) to share with friends, but if you prefer to remain firmly grounded, water (both mineral and sugared) will be on the house. We can organise tea, too. (Would anyone likes to volunteer cookies?)

Admission is free, but do RSVP by email to info@silverfishbooks.com by Thursday, April 18, because we can only accommodate about 50. (Feel free to pass on this email to friends you think might be interested -- contrary to popular belief, we do hot have everyone's email.)

Children's Book Week 11-18 May 2013

Children's Book Week is here again at Silverfish Books, 28-1  Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100KL. Selected Malaysian children's books will be available at special promotional prices throughout the week. There will be story telling and activity sessions for children on Saturday 11th May and 18th May, in addition to meetings with children's book writers and illustrators. And lots of balloons will be given away! The Children's Book Week is organised by Yusof Gajah Lingard Literary Agency and Oyez!Books for Children, with the support of Silverfish Books.

Saturday 11th May 2013;  3-5pm
Make your own picture book - for parents and children.
With the help of an instructor, guide your child to make his/her own picture book. Your children will learn how to build different parts of a book and they get to take home their work. All material will be provided by the organisers. Limited to 8 children. This is a joint activity for children and parents. All children must be accompanied by their parent/s. Participation is FREE. Suitable for children 5-12 years. To reserve your place, contact lindalingard@gmail.com or sms 012-3320937.

Author appearance
Author and illustrator Emila Yusof will be at Silverfish Books to talk about her new book, My Mother's Kitchen.


Saturday 18th May 2013; 3-5pm
Storytelling with Mama Tok
Award-winning Malaysian storyteller, Mama Tok, will tell stories from her books; The Greedy Eagle and Nyam-Nyam Nyit. This will be followed by a drawing and colouring activity. All materials will be provided and participation is FREE. Limited to 10 children. Suitable for children 4-12 years. To reserve your place, contact  lindalingard@gmail.com  or sms 012-3320937.

Author appearance
Author and illustrator Yusof Gajah will be at Silverfish Books to talk about his new book, Sang Mongtel or Tiny the Elephant.

Malaysian illustrators resource centre

Please visit the 100++ Malaysian Illustrators website sponsored by Kota Buku to see how it works.

If you are an illustrator who has done work for books, magazines, animation, games, walls and others, you can get listed on the 100++ Malaysian Illustrators site: www.100plus-malaysianillustrators.com to increase your profile.

Please send the following to lindalingard@yahoo.com
1. your photo (face must be shown)
2. your bio: current and past projects; education profile; interests and others
3. Awards received
4. Exhibition participation
5. Publications (please give title and year)
6. Your website
7. Your Facebook link
8. 3-5 illustrations in soft copy, or allow us to select from your Facebook/DA/website page

The London Book Fair

The London Book Fair this year is from April 15 to 17 at Earl's Court. I'm familiar enough with the city to know where that is, and I've been asked by several people if I'd be going to which I've saying,"No." I used to say the same about Frankfurt until four years ago, but the reasons were different (or at least that's what I tell myself). Those who had been to it would tell me that Frankfurt is an experience not to be missed by anyone in the trade, and it's not that I didn't believe them. It was just that I didn't think I was ready: I didn't have anything worth showing. (Many have gone to such shows and festivals with much less, but that's them, not me.) And when I finally thought I had something, and went to Frankfurt, I was stunned by what I saw. What do I like about it? First, it's a trade fair, not a consumer fair (though the public is allowed in on the last two days of the five-day event), and, second, it's amazing how much publishing there is in the world.

As  for London Book Fair, I'm not that excited. Someone (a Malaysian book-trade person) described it: "It's like Hall 8 in Frankfurt." Hall 8 is where all the American and British publishers are, and where one would find most countries that publish in English. I visited it the first time I was in Frankfurt. It's the only hall where there is a security check, and they look into your bags before you enter. (After three visits, I've still not been able to figure that out. Looking for suicide bombers? Why? Is there a threat?)

After three visits, I'm still kind of underwhelmed by Hall 8. What was I expecting to find, anyway? Surprises? Yes, surprises. While the other six halls are full of small publishers (apart from the big boys) with all sorts of interesting stuff, Hall 8 is predictable and boring (except for the free wine flow on the Friday of the fair), with the usual bestsellers, unimaginative book designs and the suits.

On my first Frankfurt Book Fair, I had the honour of sitting at the same table with Peter Weidhaas, then just retired as Director of the FBF. He asked me how I was enjoying the fair, and I admitted it did exceed my expectation. Then we talked about this and that, and then he told me something about Hall 8, "The Americans and the British only like to sell. I tell them they must also buy, but they only want to sell. For a successful book fair, one must buy and sell."

I have heard many versions of this since. Many UK, US publishers and agents tell you point-blank, "We are not interested in buying." I guess they feel that with so many people simply queuing up for their best-selling stuff, why bother? I've met several literary agents who've been intrigued by Silverfish titles in English and think publishers would be interested, but only if they have exclusive rights to the Malaysia/Singapore market. What good would that do for us? They'd like to buy the book, but want the market that we've taken years to build, as well. Duh?! We'd rather sell to the Europeans, and others. Some say that they only buy non-English books. That's fine.

So, I'm not very excited about the LBF. Maybe, things will change. (Maybe, things already have.) I'll wait until I receive some positive feedback from neutrals like, "You must go to the London Book Fair, it's fantastic!" For now, I'll sit out this year's.

Just for the record; The London Book Fair is little over forty years old. The Frankfurt Book Fair was started about 500 years ago, soon after Johannes Gutenberg developed printing in movable letters in Mainz near Frankfurt, by local booksellers.

Readings from Tash Aw’s new book

Silverfish Books has been invited (by MPH Distributors) to host a reading from Tash Aw’s latest book Five Star Billionaire.

Venue: Silverfish Books, 28-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-228 448 37  Fax: 03-228 448 39
Email: info@silverfishbooks.com
Date & Time: (originally proposed ) Saturday, February 23, 1.30pm – 3.00pm
(The date and time have been confirmed, but you may still befriend us on the Silverfish Fan Page on Facebook, at http://www.facebook.com/SilverfishBooks?ref=hl .)

A synopsis of Five Star Billionaire

In this stunning new novel, the award-winning Tash Aw charts the overlapping lives of migrant Malaysian workers, forging lives for themselves in sprawling Shanghai.

Justin is from a family of successful property developers. Phoebe has come to China buoyed with hope, but her dreams are shattered within hours as the job she has come for seems never to have existed. Gary is a successful pop artist, but his fans and marketing machine disappear after a bar-room brawl. Yinghui has businesses that are going well but must make decisions about her life. And then there is Walter, the shadowy billionaire, ruthless and manipulative, ultimately alone in the world.

In ‘Five Star Billionaire’, Tash Aw charts the weave of their journeys in the new China, counterpointing their adventures with the old life they have left behind in Malaysia. The result is a brilliant examination of the migrations that are shaping this dazzling new city, and their effect on these individual lives.

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Creating Books for Young Readers

Date: Saturday, 26th Jan 2013 (NEW)
 Time: 10am-5pm (with a one-hr lunch break)
Place: Silverfish Books, 28-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur
Fee: RM300 inclusive of all course materials.
Registration: Online (link) or at Silverfish books (Tel: 603-22844837, email: info@silverfishbooks.com)
Facilitator: Daphne Lee

Participants may also submit one manuscript per person for evaluation (which will be delivered via email not more than one month after the date of the course).

This 6-hr session is based on the many questions I receive from aspiring authors and illustrators who wish to create books for young readers, amongst them

    What should a children’s book be about?
    How many words are there in a children’s book?
    Should I write a picture book or storybook?
    Should I use difficult words in my story?
    Should I write in rhyme?
    Are there subjects I should avoid when writing a picture book/story book?
    What’s the difference between a picture book and illustrated book?
    What are the pictures in a children’s book for?
    What is a picture sequence and why is it important?
    Who will publish my book?

These and other questions will be answered and discussed with the aim of shedding some light on the art and science of writing and illustrating for children.

In this session, participants will also …

    Read and evaluate published and unpublished texts and picture book art.
    Learn the basics of creating good picture books/story books, including the fundamentals of planning plots, writing dialogue, creating characters, establishing a voice and deciding on Point of View.
    Be introduced to an interesting and wide range of picture books and story books.