PAPER & TEXT: THE TRIALS AND TRADE OF MALAYSIAN LITERATURE

Edited by William Tham Wai Liang

Publisher: Gerakbudaya Enterprise

ISBN: 9789670311692

 

“As Han Suyin reminded us in the 1960s, the classification of literature in our society must be by content, and not the medium of expression.”
Show Ying Xin

A translator. Two academics. A publisher. A bookseller. They share their thoughts on the state of Malaysian literature and the book trade, an ecosystem right on the edge of a permanent digital transformation, still navigating the familiar issues of identity, of belonging and Othering. Here we dive deep into the workings of the local literary ecosystem, including largely invisible steps such as translation, publication and distribution – as well as the communities that sustain the creation of literature. Paper & Text is a useful introduction to the dynamics of the book trade, and attempts to address that ubiquitous question: What is Malaysian literature?

Featuring essays by Lalita Sinha, Alicia Izharuddin, Show Ying Xin, Rosalind Chua and Fong Min Hun. Edited by William Tham.