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Category: Features

Read an exclusive excerpt from Sarah Silvestre’s Travel Blog

Posted on by simransingh

Sarah goes on a quest for seven waterfalls all over Philippines- from Tanay, Rizal all the way to Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. She documents her adventure in her journal which she then turns into a travel blog called Sarah, the Seeker. 

We are sharing exclusive snippets from her blog updates.  

*** 

Captivating Kawasan Falls, Cebu  

Amid the verdant canopies of Cebu, where the sun plays hide and seek with the leaves, lies a spectacle of nature’s artistry—Kawasan Falls. The journey to its basin is as much a part of the experience as the destination itself, with each step through the winding paths and each breath of the moist, earthy air heightening the sense of anticipation. 

As I followed the trail, I could hear the distant sound of rushing water filling me with excitement. The sound grew to a crescendo, from a quiet murmur to a powerful roar, a clear call that I was nearing the heart of the falls. The air grew cooler, the mist more pronounced, and then, suddenly, the canopy parted to reveal the majestic cascade of Kawasan Falls.  

The water was an astonishing shade of blue, reminiscent of a gemstone freshly unearthed. It cascaded down rocky tiers, each layer a different note in the harmonic masterpiece of the landscape. Each drop that hit the water’s surface sent ripples that danced in the sunlight like liquid crystals.  

The main pool is a natural amphitheatre, with water crashing down into it from the cliffs above, sending up plumes of spray that catch the light like diamonds against a sunbeam. To stand in the basin of Kawasan Falls is to stand in the midst of a perpetual rainbow. The spray creates a fine mist that surrounds you, and as the sunlight filters through, the colours of the spectrum come alive.  

I dipped my toe in, and the chill of the water sent a tingling sensation up my spine. The atmosphere was tranquil, only punctuated by the music of nature—the rustling leaves, chirping birds, and the constant hum of the waterfall. The latter is all-encompassing, a sound that reverberates through your body and insists on a moment of reverence.  

Even the air had a unique character. It was thick with moisture but also refreshingly cool. Each breath I took felt cleansing, like inhaling the essence of the Earth itself. 

The water was so inviting, cool, and refreshing against the skin, a welcome respite from the heat. Swimming in the pool beneath the falls, you’re at the mercy of the current, pulled into the rhythm of the water. It was a powerful reminder of nature’s gentle strength and untamed beauty.  

As I left Kawasan Falls, the sensation of water droplets on my skin evaporated, but the imprint of the experience stayed with me. It was a reminder that sometimes the most beautiful places on earth require a journey, physical and spiritual, to truly understand their magnificence.  

And, of course, let’s not forget the local flavours. I thoroughly enjoyed my little picnic of lechon, pusô, and Coke. The lechon itself will be the topic of a totally different blog on its own. After that, sipping fresh coconut juice from a husk, the nutty sweetness perfectly complemented the sensory spectacle of Kawasan Falls. 

So, why I did I go to Kawasan Falls in the first place? It’s all thanks to @MaverickMarley [Check out her awesome blog here]. A month ago, I would never have dreamed of setting foot in these falls. My baby brother introduced me to Marley, hoping to cheer me up after a couple of setbacks (in life and in love). At first, I thought I just wanted to get moving, get fit. But it became more than that. After I visited Batlag Falls in Rizal and successfully completed my first river trail ride with her to Kinabuan Falls (also in Rizal), I was obsessed. There’s just nothing like the exhilaration of finding a waterfall. It’s never an easy hike. You have to go down a trail and go up again. But it doesn’t matter. Just being in a waterfall basin is the best feeling in the world.  

After Batlag and Kinabuan, I asked myself, ‘What if I visited five more waterfalls?’ Everyone said I was crazy. 

But here I am. 

I hope you, dear readers, can one day experience this wonder for yourselves. Until then, let’s keep seeking the extraordinary in the ordinary world.  

Happy travels,  

Sarah, the Seeker 

*** 

Read more about her adventure in Steady Sarah. Available online and at bookstores.  

 

 

New Reads for November

Posted on by simransingh

As 2024 wraps up, it’s the perfect moment to grab some fresh reads and crush those reading goals. This month, we’ve got an awesome lineup that spans genres and vibes—perfect for cozy nights in or whenever you need a good escape.

Whether you’re looking for self-help that actually gets you, thrilling mysteries that keep you guessing, or stories that spark deep thoughts about the world, we’ve got you covered.

Here are the books releasing this month:

 

Know more||

Written and designed by Puty Puar, Self-Improved Me offers a toolkit that doesn’t promise a one-size-fits-all method. It’s about the discovery process itself. With bite-sized writings and illustrations, it aims to help get us to know ourselves better and appreciate our unique way of progressing in life.

 

Buy here||

Written by an award-winning writer Suzanne Kamata, River of Dolls and Other Stories is a collection of short stories, many of which riff on traditional Japanese folk tales and lore and explore the lives of individuals caught between desire and duty, as well as the conflicting expectations of different cultures.

 

Buy here||

Written by Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Saving the Planet is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the intersections between politics and climate change, as well as for an authentic voice at the frontlines of climate action in the Global South. 

 

Know more||

Written by Kantarin Leelahuta, One Night Stand is a thrilling mystery featuring three famous girls who have it all – the looks, the fame, and the boys. The lives of these inseparable friends change as one of them dies, but, who killed her and why?  

Buy here||

Written by Larry Nyanti, A Rei of Sunshine is a coming-of-age tale that weaves together the threads of two former lovers separated by circumstance over many years. However, when their paths meets again, things only get more complicated with a twist of supernatural elements.  

Buy here||

Written by Edmund Terence Gomez, Misgovernance unveils covert and deeply disturbing political-economic trends in Malaysia, necessitating an urgent re-think of the meaning of ‘corruption’. Three major paradoxes emerge from this book’s insights into the inner workings of Malaysia’s monstrously vast GLC ecosystem. 

Buy here||

Written by Earl Valencia and Dan Gonzales, Startup Mindset unveils the secrets of the Silicon Valley ecosystem and guides readers on the mindsets that differentiate the leaders who were trained from the industrial economy of the past from those who have grown and transcended into a digital-first world. 

 

Found a book that instantly spoke to you? Keep an eye out on our Social Media pages to know when they come out.  

Happy reading!  

 

 

 

Books that will haunt your dreams if you skip reading them!

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Gather ’round the flickering candlelight as we dive into tales of mystery, suspense, and the supernatural. From haunted houses to mischievous spirits, each story invites you to explore the eerie and the extraordinary. So, don your favorite costume, grab a warm mug of cider, and prepare to be spellbound—these pages are alive with the spirit of Halloween!

 

🎃🎃🎃

Ascension||

First, you need to give it something precious to you. Then, a shelter, a doorway… Something lives in a rotting house in the town of Santa Clara. Emilia returns to her hometown to attend her friend’s wake. But she finds her way back to Santa Clara, to her circle of friends who rekindle memories of a bizarre ritual left unfinished.

Little Lovely Lily||

Dark romance of your dreams is here. This is not a ghost story. This is a love story. The ghost lore has it, Heartbreaker spellbinds girls into becoming his eternal lovers in afterworld. But, he falls for Lily, like it’s breathing for him. Will their love triumph in blurring the boundary of reality and fantasy? Or will the grip of logic force them to part?

The Hantu House||

Real estate agent Eric Foo is tricked into spending a night in a haunted house he’s trying to sell. Will he become the next victim in the sinister narrative of the haunted house? He discovers an eerie ability—he can sense ghosts. Finding himself drawn into a murder mystery and a web of supernatural intrigue, Eric races against time to uncover the truth behind a series of untimely deaths.

Horror,He Wrote||

A murder mystery meets horror fantasy, this compelling tale of love and redemption will send a chill down your spine with every twist and turn. A writer gets the help of a ghostwriter to write his book, only in his case and actual ghost who has a story to tell the world.

The Power Above Us All||

A novel of ordinary decent criminals and extraordinarily brutal cops weaving together and colliding inside the giant slum of ‘Dreamland’, within the megalopolis of Metro Manila, Philippines. A crime thriller with ordinary decent criminals and extraordinarily brutal cops weaving together and colliding inside the giant slum of this, ‘Dreamland’. 

A Stitch in Time||

Clare is alone in her school’s tunnel walkway when a famous teenage stage actor strides into sight – and promptly disappears! Caught in an avalanche of supernatural incidents, she soon discovers that the actor, Gavin Lai, has become invisible. A magical tale of mystery and self-discovery, set in the 90s where ghosts of the past intertwine with the present. But, only Clare can see this handsome ghost!

Infinite Lives Infinite Deaths||

A collection of stories that straddle genres such as horror, magic realism, metafiction, and science fiction, while stitching together elements from world mythology and folklore, Philippine history and society, and the Chinese-Filipino experience in a nightmarish version of Manila.

Mouths to Speak Voices to Sing||

A collection of unpredictable stories of various genres–fantasy, sci-fi, horror, crime, and the supernatural, alternating between the everyday and the extraordinary. Singing Chinese antiquities. Ghosts that only one young man could sense. A house with a sentient A.I. that becomes a part of the family. A cricket that acts as a tragic voice of reason. A man born and bred for neural mass surveillance.

Diary of a Rich The Ghost of Mount Hantu||

Once you enter Mount Hantu, you may never leave … A summer camp at Mount Hantu turns
deadly when a vengeful ghost from a warring past haunts the campers. Before long, terrifying things begin to unravel. From a brush with death to the disappearance of a fellow camper, Mount Hantu seems more forbidding than ever. Robin must unravel the dark secret before it’s too late.

🎃🎃🎃

Found anything interesting? Get your copies today and keep a tab on our Instagram page for more spooky vibes this Halloween.

New Books releasing in October 2024 🍁

Posted on by simransingh

It’s the perfect time to fall in love with books all over again, as October ushers in a season of cozy evenings and colourful leaves. From fascinating non-fiction books to a very unique fictional story – you will be inspired, motivated and moved all at once when you look at this list. So grab your pumpkin spice latte and settle in—October’s literary harvest is here to delight.

                                                                                              🍁🍁🍁

 

How We Came To Be||

Written by Andrea Dee, How We Came To Be is a very different story about relationships. It follows two people in college who accidentally meet again after being sort-of-strangers in high school and fall into an unlikely yet shockingly easy friendship. The story explores themes of aromantic-asexuality and takes you on a journey of their bond.  

Rewrite The Rules||

Written by Ritu G Mehrish and Rajita Saxena, Rewrite the Rules is a book that empowers Asian women leaders to challenge the status quo and redefine success on their own terms. It is a call to action that invites you to embrace your power, break free from limiting beliefs, and forge your own path to success. The book also features diverse experiences of over 200 women leaders across Asia, and focuses on the five core areas essential for thriving as a female leader. 

The Female Digital Revolution||

Written by Nimisha Tailor, The Female Digital Revolution provides a unique insight into the changing role of women in the digital economy which is growing at an unprecedented rate. Through a collection of powerful real-life stories and research, the book brings to life current and future digital changes that are reshaping the role of women. 

The Balikbayan Artist||

Written by Eileen R. Tabios, The Balikbayan Artist is inspired by and dedicated to Venancio C. Igarta (1912–2000), the real-life leading artist of the Manong Generation. It will take readers from the early twentieth century to the present day when Vance Igorta’s art is being discovered anew. This is the captivating story of Vance, a farm-laborer-turned-artist who returned to the Philippines as a balikbayan after nearly fifty years in the United States. 

Fearless||

Written by Sylvia Yu Friedman as a memoir, Fearless is an anthology of experiences drawn from philanthropy, journalism, and cross-cultural workplaces which offers a wellspring of hope and insights on identity, overcoming heartbreak and toxic environments, finding love, and conquering self-doubt. It’s Sylvia’s letter to her younger self, a rallying call to laugh unabashedly and harness the power of love.     

🍁🍁🍁

 

Did you instantly connect to these stories? Stay tuned on our Instagram page to know when they come out. Happy fall reading!  

 

 

 

Read an exclusive excerpt from The Siege Within

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The Siege Within is the untold story behind the political crime that continues to make world headlines, and why a nation so full of promise has been brought to its knees. Read an exclusive excerpt from the book below. 

*** 

Two elements are critical in a bond swindle.  

The first is securing the right coupon and the YTM rate.  

In mid-April 2009, Jonathan Manifold, the head of risk management at AmBank, emailed the bank’s top management overseeing the planned TIA scheme to say he estimated the fair market YTM for the TIA bond issues at 4.72 per cent, based on the 4.72 per cent yield US Treasuries were fetching at the time, and by assigning a so-called 25 basis points spread. This would have roughly been the rate for any typical bond issue guaranteed by the Malaysian government.  

But the TIA bond was a lot more. It was an elaborate exercise in fraud to siphon money and to use it to create a political slush fund for Najib. The rate Manifold had recommended would have been devastating for Project Tiara.  

This was a huge problem. A higher coupon would be crucially beneficial for the plan to succeed. Never mind that the Malaysian taxpayer would have to pay a high annual rate of interest for the thirty-year bond. The overriding objective was to create conditions that would provide all the latitude for the schemers to structure the deal in ways that would allow them to squeeze money up front.  

Manifold’s all-important email on the recommended rate for the TIA bonds quickly disappeared into the ether. AmBank’s Teng and Chan began arguing that the TIA bond proposal was far from being a typical government-backed bond issue.  

Further, Teng and Chan had personally lined up four foreign parties that had expressed a keen interest in underwriting the bonds. The only notable name in the list was the BNP Paribas chapter based out of Singapore. The other three were:  

  • Thailand-based Adkinson Securities, a listed financial outfit that was later renamed Country Group Securities, and which was controlled by the Taechaubol family; 
  • Little known Shikumen Capital Management Ltd, which was incorporated in the Cayman Islands and had operations in Hong Kong; and 
  • Aktis Capital Singapore, a financial advisory and fund management outfit headed by banker Cheah Teik Seng, who worked in the Malaysian Finance Ministry and was known to be close to Nor Mohamed. 

Now, the second element for the swindle would kick in— the mode of issue for the bonds. Depending on the nature of the bonds issues and arrangers, financial advisors would suggest one of three routes—a Private Placement, a Book Building exercise, or a Bought Deal. A Private Placement by a little-known company known as TIA was likely to face some hurdles. The most obvious track would be Book Building, simply because the bonds would be in keen demand to investors as the papers carried a government guarantee. All AmBank had to do was to underwrite the amount that investors would not have taken up. But there was no money to be made in these two approaches. Low and his team of schemers then decided to cherry-pick elements from all three modes of issue to create a financial structure that would enable them to extract as much as possible from the bond issue upfront.  

Project Tiara would apply a Bought Deal, which is usually utilized for cases involving high-yield papers, where the issuer’s credit standing is weak and a higher coupon is required to attract investors. 

***

This is Malaysian journalist Leslie Lopez’s first book, and it delves into the writer’s own archives of previously unpublished material to go back in time and show exactly how it was possible for a Malaysian prime minister to envisage his treacherous crime, and then to execute the dastardly deed. Get your copy now.

Read an exclusive excerpt from The Global Citizen

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The Global Citizen by international investor and philanthropist Patrick Tsang is a timely and relevant exploration of the cultural nuances that define the increasingly interconnected business world of the 21st century. Read an excerpt from the book below.  

*** 

While learning from notable successes is helpful, and gleaning their advice from their interviews, books, podcasts, and so on can certainly help you, it is a one-way relationship that will never be as helpful as a real-life mentor. Finding good mentors is vital. Remember, learning and education are two very different things.  

You need someone who knows you, cares about you, can give you constructive criticism, help you through your problems step by step, and most importantly, inspire and help you grow. You need to learn from someone who has been where you are now. I was lucky—my best mentors lived with me and were around me all the time, sharing their wisdom both directly and indirectly every moment of every day.  

If you are not so lucky to be born into a family of inspiration, you can find influential mentors in your workplace or elsewhere. The best mentors are people who are where you want to be. If you are looking for a mentor at work, try searching for people at a level (or several levels) above you in the company. Ask yourself why you admire these people—is it their speed, their knowledge, their competence, the way they can gain the attention of a room?—and then ask them personally how they built up these skills independently. 

Then, use their advice where possible and applicable. Do not let the hard work discourage you; apply their advice to grow, and soon you will find yourself at their level (perhaps even surpassing them).  

The best mentors are successful in their careers because their time is used well, so be sure to make yourself worth their time. Consider buying them lunch or a drink and exchange ideas. Their mentorship is valuable, so make sure it is clear to them that you understand and respect its value. At the very least, thank them genuinely for their time. 

*** 

Structured into three parts – Integrity, Empathy, and Self-Improvement– The Global Citizen delves into topics such as mentorship, resilience, personal values, and the balance between Eastern and Western cultures. Get your copy today.  

 

Read an exclusive excerpt from Worship the Body

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Told from different but interlocking points of view, Worship the Body is a story that becomes a song complete with recurring refrains and a coda, intimating that there are silences to the body that are essential to our understanding of happiness. Read an excerpt below.  

*** 

Indeed, in restaurants like this, Jaime had never seen a table for one. Places like this never allow any accidents to happen. All the movements of the employees are measured. From the guard who would open the door for him, to the head waiter who would direct him to his table, to the waiter who would attend to him. And so, it took a while for the accident to happen. He gave his order after taking his time perusing the menu, even though he had already decided he would only have a drink. He thought slowly, with the menu before him, as though he was waiting for he knew not what. Finally, the beer arrived and it was set in front of him. That was when he thought he needed a glass. He wouldn’t drink the beer right out of the bottle. He wanted a ritual that evening. 

He wasn’t looking to get drunk. He couldn’t get wasted because he was going to drive home. So, he asked for a glass. There was a ritual to the pouring of beer into the glass. Not like just quaffing it from the bottle. 

That was when the accident happened. No glass shattered. No one slipped on the floor. No one threw up. No one choked. His eyes and the waiter’s met. Just like that. In that orderly restaurant that didn’t allow accidents, Jun’s and Jamie’s eyes met when Jun set before him the glass with ice in it because Jamie wanted a ritual that evening. He didn’t expect that someone would join him in his ritual in that restaurant that had no table for one. That was when Jaime understood that around him, it had become rare for people to look each other in the eye. 

*** 

Hidden within a network of intimate relationships, Jaime, Jun, Ria, and Maya try to forge an extraordinary family in urban Manila, as they discover that secrets also have their own joys. Get a copy to read their stories.  

 

 

WE BRING HOME TWO SINGAPORE BOOK AWARDS 2024, THIS YEAR!!

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Leaders People Love by Yeo Chuen Chuen and The American Boyfriend by Ivy Ngeow win at the Singapore Book Awards 2024 

 

Singapore, 24th July 2024: Penguin Random House SEA (PRH SEA), one of the leading publishing houses in the region, is excited to announce that its publications Leaders People Love by Yeo Chuen Chuen and The American Boyfriend by Ivy Ngeow won at the Singapore Book Awards 2024. Leaders People Love won Best Professional Title and The American Boyfriend won Best Marketing Campaign.  

 

Leaders People Love features a host of accessible leadership lessons. Undergirded by a contemporary and relevant mindset, these strategies consistently yield excellent results and prove a point: becoming an effective and well-loved leader is possible if you know how. 

 

The American Boyfriend is a page turning thriller about a forty-three-year-old single mother with a dead-end job in Southwark who goes to Florida to meet her long distance boyfriend. Everything that comes after makes her question her safety.  

 

Talking about her big win, Yeo says, ‘It takes partnerships to make any book a success. I’m grateful to the team at Penguin Random House SEA, and the distributors for their advice and support. Most importantly, I’m thankful to my readers and leaders who support my cause to elevate leaders at every level. This Asian woman is on her way to change the world, one workplace at a time!’  

 

Ivy shares her thoughts by saying, ‘All I wanted was for my book The American Boyfriend to find readers, and for them to find me. It seemed such a simple but unattainable aim: how would I as an individual reach a worldwide audience? And how would they know of me? Winning the Best Marketing Campaign in the Singapore Book Awards 2024 proved what we could, would and did achieve together as a team. The relentless efforts of Penguin’s publicity, PR, sales and marketing teams exceeded my expectations.  I am forever grateful for their unbelievable hard work round the clock, and most of all belief in me and my book. As such, this Award is so much bigger than us. Guys, we made magic happen.’  

 

Nora Nazarene Abu Bakar, Publisher, Penguin Random House SEA, is elated about the wins and says, ‘WE WON! WE WON! Singapore Book Awards awarded us Best Professional Title for Leaders People Love by Yeo Chuen Chuen and Best Marketing Campaign for The American Boyfriend by Ivy Ngeow. Although optimistic, I did not think we would walk away with anything, so did not prepare any speech. I accepted the first award all dignified but for the second, I just went crazy when the winner was announced. Last year we won Best Professional Title and this year we’ve won it again. So maybe next year we’ll just submit for Best Professional Title.’ ‘Thank you first and foremost to our amazing author who has written about agile and authentic leadership to bring out the best leader in us. As a woman leader, I’m incredibly proud of this book because [Yeo] is an authentic Asian female voice, whose work is also read by people in the west, both men and women. After all, we’re all about bringing voices from this region out to the world. Thank you to the team at PRH SEA and to SBPA. And thank you to our distributors Times Distribution and Alkem.’ 

‘I really really really really wanted to win [Best Marketing Campaign] because it is high time we recognise that what happens after a book is published is just as important as what happens before.’ 

‘I’m not taking anything away from editors-you will always do great work. But nowadays, marketing is 50% if not 60% of what makes a book. So l urge all publishers to invest as much as you can in marketing. This is a sweet win.’

 

About Penguin Random House SEA 

Penguin Random House SEA was established in 2018 to discover and publish local and international voices across English-language adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction formats for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, and Myanmar. As part of Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade book publisher, the newly established company is also dedicated to its mission of nourishing a universal passion for reading by connecting authors and their writing with readers. Headquartered in Singapore, Penguin Random House SEA will bring the spotlight on local authors from the region and simultaneously open the Southeast Asian market to diverse international titles. In its first year of operations, the publishing house is bringing stories from across the region and publishing authors such as children’s writer Eva Wong from Singapore, Malaysian novelist Tunku Halim, award-winning author and journalist from the Philippines Criselda Yabes, Indonesian poet, essayist, and award-winning novelist and food writer Lakshmi Pamuntjak and author and journalist Akshita Nanda from Singapore, to name a few.  

 

  

 

 

 

New Books Releasing In September 2024

Posted on by simransingh

September has rolled in like a fresh breeze, bringing with it a feast of new releases that will have your TBR pile doing a happy dance. Think of it as a literary buffet where there’s something scrumptious for everyone—from heart-fluttering romances to mind-bending YA fantasy, non-fiction reads and beyond. This month’s book drop is sure to spice up your reading.

Here’s what’s hitting the shelves this September:

 

Little Lovely Lily

Little Lovely Lily||

Written by Ahmad Rizaq, Little Lovely Lily is NOT your average love story. Lily, who has moved to the Netherlands is going through all the teenage angst. Amid the classroom cruelty and shattered teenage dreams, affairs with a supernatural twist add to Lily’s troubles as a local legend featuring an attractive ghost, known as the Heartbreaker, plagues the town. Lily ends up being haunted by the ghost, who alternates between terrorizing her and defending her against her enemies, forging a romantic, paranormal bond. 

 

Cheese Donuts Are Most Definitely Not Subpar 

Cheese Donuts Are Most Definitely Not Subpar||

Melly Sutjitro’s romance book is with a classic enemies-to-lovers trope that you will adore. 23-year-old Ellie volunteers to sit in as an acting chairperson of the PTA in place of her sister where she meets Dion, a condescending yet attractive PTA co-captain who criticizes everything she does, including her choice of donut. Between meetings and rehearsals, stolen kisses and an orchestrated PTA coup, they begin to realize that maybe they don’t despise each other’s guts.

 

The Global Citizen  

The Global Citizen||

The Global Citizen by international investor and philanthropist Patrick Tsang is a timely and relevant exploration of the cultural nuances that define the increasingly interconnected business world of the 21st century. By combining his unique perspective as a global citizen with personal experiences and lessons learned, Tsang offers readers valuable insights into the cross-cultural environment that governs feelings, beliefs, and actions in a globalised era. 

 

The Siege Within 

The Siege Within||

Written by Malaysian journalist Leslie Lopez, The Siege Within is his first book that delves into the writer’s own archives of previously unpublished material to go back in time and show exactly how it was possible for a Malaysian prime minister to envisage his treacherous crime, and then to execute the dastardly deed. It is the untold story behind the political crime that continues to make world headlines, and why a nation so full of promise has been brought to its knees. 

 

Elven and The Puzzle Box  

Elven and The Puzzle Box||

Written by Gwen Lee, Elven and The Puzzle Box is a story of an orphan girl who rises above discrimination to find love. Elven has eleven fingers, no parents, and a skin tone that hints at murky origins. One day, she receives a wooden Puzzle Box belonging to her late mother, and an intriguing letter promising her love, only if she solves the puzzle. This starts her long journey of ups and downs and big reveals.

 

Steady Sarah 

Steady Sarah||

Written by Justine Camacho-Tajonera, Steady Sarah is a moving story of self-discovery and self-realization. Sarah is responsible, mature, organized, and has her life all planned out until one day when everything turns upside down: her longtime boyfriend breaks up with her and she loses her job. This leads to her packing up her bags and going on an adventure to see the seven waterfalls all by herself.

Found something you love already? Keep an eye on our Instagram page to know when they come out.  

 

 

 

9 Authors We’re Reading This Malaysia’s National Day

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It’s been over 6 decades since Malaysia gained independence and that calls for a celebration. Here’s a spotlight on 9 authors who have written books that have been celebrated by readers all over. 

 

Deborah Wong 

Deborah Wong is a Rhysling Award and Pushcart Prize nominated Malaysian poet. She holds a LLB (Hons) from University of London and the Associateship of the Malaysian Insurance Institute (AMII). A devoted fan-fiction writer, she finally answered the call to be a storyteller, by attending the summer intensive creative writing programme at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Her new book Me In Your Melody released recently and is a must-read for music lovers.  

 

Lee Su Ann 

Lee Su Ann started weaving stories since she was in high school, usually found scribbling in the shade of a tree under the watchful eyes of her school’s majestic clock tower. The clock tower of St George’s Girls’ School in Penang would later be the inspiration and setting for her second novel, A Stitch in Time. She published her first short story when she was 16. After graduating with a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Diploma in Comprehensive Writing, she has since then been a test-tube baby scientist, a medical writer and an amateur actress /scriptwriter in her church’s own stage production. 

 

Leslie Lopez 

Leslie Lopez, a Malaysian citizen, has reported extensively on political and economic affairs in the region since the mid-1980s. He has worked for local Malaysian newspapers along with working in Indonesia and Singapore. He has won multiple awards and has covered notable news items. His new book The Siege Within is set to come out soon and will surely be of interest to many Malaysians.  

 

Romen Bose 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An international correspondent with over 22 years of reporting experience in the region, Romen Bose worked as a Political Communications Consultant for former Malaysian Premier Najib Razak for six years and was a close confidante to decision makers in the upper echelon of the country’s political elite. Before setting up his own consultancy, Romen was head of Asian social media at IHS Markit and worked as a senior foreign correspondent with French news agency AFP based in Kuala Lumpur. Having extensive knowledge on the subject he has written two books with us – Shattered Hopes and Final Reckoning.  

 

Heidi Shamsuddin 

Heidi Shamsuddin was born in Malaysia, and after being all around the world during her childhood and college days she returned home and began to write fiction. Heidi has recently embarked on a project to collect and adapt the folklore, fairy tales, fables, myths, epics, legends, wonder and magic tales from all around the Nusantara region, with the aim of spreading and disseminating these traditional tales. Her two books Nusantara – A Sea of Tales and Zara and the Twelve Realms of Kayangan are must-reads for fantasy folktale readers.  

 

Ong Chin Huat 

Ong Chin Huat is a freelance writer, fashion stylist and TV Host and has contributed to The Star, Life Inspired, Luxurious Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Design Anthology, Elle and Conde Nast Traveller among others. This is year, he published his book Harmony Heights, which became a favourite of readers throughout. It is set in a condominium located in a forgotten part of town resides a microcosm of bourgeois Malaysian society. 

 

Malachi Edwin Vethamani

An internationally recognised author, Malachi Edwin Vethamani is a fictionist, poet, editor, critic, bibliographer and academic. He has received awards, got one of his stories adapted for theatre and has edited five anthologies of Malaysian Literature in English. His book of short stories Have I Got Something To Tell You will leave you wanting more.  

 

Jin Young Lim

 

Jin Young Lim is a PhD student at the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies at UC Santa Barbara. He is the co-founder of Spawo Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to nurturing holistic education, sustainability, health and wellness, and culture in the Himalayas. He has led multiple mindfulness-based expeditions to the Himalayas and has been engaging in various contemplative practices throughout his life. His new book The Dao of Flow is a spiritual guide that can change your life.  

 

 

Tutu Datta  

Tutu Dutta lives in Kuala Lumpur; she was born in India but grew up in Malaysia. She started writing children’s books when she lived in far flung cities as the spouse of a diplomat, including: Singapore, Lagos, New York, Havana and Zagreb. She has published two books with us – The Blood Prince of Langkasuka and her newest release The Fraught Lives of Nathan Kwan and Lapsang Souchong. 

 

Have you read all these local authors yet?