I always approach readings with more than a modicum of trepidation, and this one with probably more than most.
Literary oriented groups can — in the west — be horribly anti-sf&fantasy, you see, with the attitude that if it’s good, then it can’t possibly be fantasy. It must be magical realism or a satire or a neosurrealism or something equally literary.
I need not have worried. The people who turned up at Seksan’s were just great.
In fact, they started out by buying almost all the books I brought with me before I had even given the reading, which showed a remarkable faith! Thanks all…love you guys.
I wasn’t actually the star of the show. That had to go to Kam Raslan, Kee Thuan Chye and Animah Kosai the contributors of Kee’s book, March 8th, The Day Malaysia Woke Up. (That’s him in the blue T-shirt above).
The story/music group called the Happy Unicorn Collective (see photo above) were great fun, and a reading about Malaysian ghosts was fascinating, from Danny Lim.
I also had a lovely surreal moment when two old friends (and boss) turned up from my working environmental life of the late 90s and early 2000s. I was so thrown that I must have spent a full minute looking at Ligea and thinking to myself, well I know that looks like Ligea but it can’t be because she wouldn’t be here. Sorry, guys for being so idiotically gobsmacked. It was absolutely great to see you.
{Lesson, Glenda — hey, people do read your blog. }
Oh, that does sound like fun! And how nice that your friends from the past turned up – that must’ve been a lovely bonus
Yes, of course people read your blog, Glenda. And your books. Roll on the next one:-)
Fantastic! I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. And you look spectacularly swish, I must say!
Karen. Google still won’t let me sign in. Sigh.
It great to finally have gotten to meet you, Glenda! Hope I’ll get to meet you again soon. I’ll be dragging along more books for you to sign 😀
Glenda,
It was great meeting you and hearing your comments on Malaysia.
All power to you and your writing.
Cheers,
Thuan Chye
Yes you look great Glenda, very colourful. Sounds like the whole afternoon was a big success as well as lots of fun. Nice you met Ted and other new people.
All kudos to people like Sharon and Bernice who dreamed of doing something like this on a regular basis and then made it happen. It is wonderful to know how many talented people there are out there and how many enthusiastic readers.
It’s always fascinating to find that the picture you form of someone you know virtually is never quite the same as they really are.
Ted is either a very mature, thoughtful young man, or an older guy who looks a great deal younger than he is – either way, I wish I could say the same about myself…lol.
And what people like Kam and Thuan Chye and Animah had to say was fascinating. I learned alot.
loved having you there and invite you back once the book is published!!
it’s just good that there is a chance to get folks doing all different kinds of writing together.
my account of the afternoon is finally up
Yeah, I agree, I really enjoyed your reading, and found your comments on people’s perceptions on fantasy and so on to be very enlightening. (Don’t know if you remember me, I was the guy who asked you about the Malaysian market for fantasy, haha.) Reading your book now, on the second chapter, its really gripping!
Hi all, yep, loved you guys.
Hope you continue to enjoy the book, Terence.