Malaysian Tales: Retold and Remixed
edited by Daphne Lee
Book launch by Zi Publications
Sun 19 Jun, 2011, 2pm – 5pm
KL Alternative Bookfest, The Annexe Gallery, Central Market, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Free Admission
This stunning new collection features 16 classic tales as reimagined and retold by some of Malaysia’s brightest raconteurs. Preeta Samarasan, Kee Thuan Chye, Amir Muhammad, and other Malaysian writers spin new tales from old favourites like Si Tanggang, Singapura Dilanggar Todak, Raja Bersiong, Batu Berbelah, Batu Bertangkup, and the legends of Hang Li Poh, Admiral Cheng Ho, Puteri Gunung Ledang and Mahsuri.
The collection was edited by Daphne Lee who, after corresponding with for several years, I was thrilled to finally meet in person at the 2011 Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore. Daphne is a writer (she has published six picture books, as well as short stories in magazines and anthologies) and publishing editor of OneRedFlower Press, which specialises in Malaysian picture books. She also writes a weekly column about children’s and young adult books for Malaysian Daily and The Star (click here to read her article on my AFCC presentation), and runs reading initiatives for a Malaysian non-profit organisation. On her blog The Places You Will Go she shared her thoughts on how Malaysian Tales: Retold and Remixed came about:
When I first thought of collecting stories for this anthology, I imagined it would be for children. I didn’t grow up with Malaysian fairytales, myths and legends. Like many Malaysian children from English-speaking families, I was raised on the stories of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. I was baptised in the Catholic church and so Christian mythology was part of my life.
As an adult I felt something was missing. Why did I know European fairytales, myths and legends and not the fairytales, myths and legends of the country in which I lived and belonged? The obvious reason was because my parents never told me any of the latter. My mother would occasionally relate bizarre stories, of Chinese origin, about a filial son who went to incredible lengths to prove his love for his aged mother, but for most part she (and my sisters) read me stories which included fairytale staples like Snow White, Cinderella, The Goose Girl, The Bremen Town Musicians (my favourite) and Rumplestiltskin.
We had a few lovely hardbound copies of fairytales by Andersen and the Grimms. We did not own any collections of Malaysian traditional tales. This was why I thought of compiling one. However, this was several years ago and since then a few anthologies, including two fully-illustrated ones, have been published for children.
By the way, I think it’s worth mentioning that fairytales, myths and legends are not just for children. Collectively, these types of stories are often called folktales, a term that, in the strictest sense, refers to their original oral form, when they were shared with largely illiterate communities by amateur and professional storytellers. There was no idiot box to entertain then and, instead, common folk relied on travelling storytellers, or pengli
Silverfish Books (58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar, Malaysia) is having a Picture Book Week with Malaysian Illustrators from May 2 – 7 2011. New titles will be on display, illustrators will be in attendance and special guests (including Daphne Lee of One Red Flower Press) will be giving talks on 
how and why picture books are made. On May 7 esteemed illustrator Yusof Gajah will be hosting an Art & Creativity Workshop with children ages 12 and under. You must preregister your children for this event and can do so by contacting Silverfish Books before April 30th. Many of the illustrators taking part are members of SCBWI Malaysia so be sure to check SCBWI Malaysia’s Facebook page for photos and updates from the event!
Words+Pictures=Book, an exhibition of 30 original illustrations by 10 distinguished Malaysian illustrators, is currently ongoing until 3rd October at Galeri Petrononas in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Daphne Lee, respected Malaysian children’s book author and publishing editor of OneRedFlower Press, reviewed the exhibit in her weekly StarMag column. Here’s a part of what she says about it:
The exhibition was Badolhisham Mohamad Tahir’s, head of exhibitions at Galeri Petronas, idea. It was his past experience as an illustrator for The Institute of Language and Literature that led him to consider the possibility of a picture book exhibition. “I felt it was time for picture books to be highlighted as a valid art form and I wanted especially to show contemporary Malaysian illustration,” said Badrolhisham.
His initial idea was to showcase award-winning Malaysian illustrators. A little known fact is that six Malaysian picture book illustrators have won prizes at the Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations. Three of these receipients:Yusof Gajah, Jainal Amimbing and Awang Fadillah, are part of the exhibition.
What makes this exhibition particularly noteworthy, however, is that it doesn’t showcase art from existing picture books: instead, the participating illustrators were given just five days to create a picture book from scratch. Words+Pictures=Book has been quite a success, attracting up to 300 visitors a day. Although Daphne has some reservations about the way the illustrations are displayed, she concludes that:
While I feel Words+Pictures=Book fails to convey the complexities of picture book art creation, it at least serves to bring the art form to the attention of the Malaysian public and also to highlight the important role of visual art in children’s literature.
…And that can only be a good thing. If you go to the exhibition, do let us know your highlights.
Children’s author and blogger Daphne Lee recently posted about the new SCBWI chapter in Malaysia on her blog The Places You Will Go. Included in the post is information (and photos!) from SCBWI Malaysia’s recent Children’s Literature conference which featured an exhibition of illustrations from Malaysian picture books; a talk by artist, illustrator and writer Yusof Gajah on becoming a children’s book writer and illustrator; and two panel discussions (the importance of creating Malaysian children’s literature for Malaysian children and the use of illustrations in Malaysian children’s literature).
The president of the newly formed SCBWI Malaysian chapter, Linda Tan Lingard, is an avid reader and collector of children’s books and, like many Malaysians, has a passion for children’s literature. Lingard felt that there is a dearth of quality Malaysian children’s lit so she ventured into the publishing world to try and address her concerns. To date her company, Oyez!Books, has published over a dozen titles by Malaysian and expat writers and illustrators. Linda invites all those involved (directly and indirectly) in the production, promotion and distribution of Malaysian children’s literature to join the SCBWI Malaysia chapter. You can email her at lindalingard(at)yusofgajahlingard(dot)com.
