Spirit of Malaysia - advance information. In bookstores soon!

• 978-981-4477-35-6
• RM49.90
• December 2010
• Readership: General and tourists
• 80 pp
• 260 mm x 220 mm (portrait)
• Soft cover
DESCRIPTION
Malaysia – the multi-faceted tropical nation at the heart of Southeast Asia – has a spirit of its own. A melting-pot of Malay, Chinese, Indian, colonial and indigenous influences has created a stunning array of landscapes, architecture, culture and festivals. Spirit of Malaysia takes the reader on a whirlwind tour – from the bustling metropolises of Kuala Lumpur and George Town to the tranquil padi fields of Kedah and from the rainforests of Sarawak to the idyllic beach resorts of myriad tropical islands. Packed with up-to-date photographs of the country’s varied treasures this fascinating visual feast is the ultimate souvenir for visitors wanting to capture the true spirit of Malaysia.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Contemporary design
• Visually driven layouts containing more than 160 stunning photographs
• Maps of Peninsular Malaysia, East Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur
• Introduction covering Malaysia’s history, geography, economy, people, culture, arts and travel network

AUTHOR
Robert Raymer has lived in Malaysia for more than 20 years, and is now based in Kuching, Sarawak. He taught creative writing at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and prior to that was at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang. Hundreds of his articles and short stories have appeared in dozens of publications including The Literary Review, Thema, London Magazine, My Weekly, Silver Kris, Going Places, The Writer, and Readers Digest. He is the author of the books Lovers and Strangers Revisited (MPH: 2008), a heavily revised and expanded version of Lovers and Strangers (Heinemann Asia: 1993), and Tropical Affairs: Episodes from an Expat’s Life in Malaysia (MPH: 2009).
***
Above is the advance info sheet sent to bookstores from Editions Didier Millet for Spirit of Malaysia (though I messed up the nice graphics) soon to reach the bookstores. Here are a couple of links to photographers whose pictures are in side for a sneak peak. Most of them have already received their copy. My copy is on the way. Always an exciting moment for the writer, and for everyone involved in this project. A better moment is seeing it in the bookstores. And in someone's hand! While they are reading it. Caught in the act. This has only happened to me once outside of a bookstore, at the Kuching airport. Hey, that's my book!


*Here's an updated link with an e-book view of some of the photos.
** Here's also the first review.

***Update, the 20th anniversary of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, my collection of short stories set in Malaysia.

Here are links to some of my author-to-author interviews of first novelists:

Ivy Ngeow author of Cry of the Flying Rhino, winner of the 2016 Proverse Prize.

Golda Mowe author of Iban Dream and Iban Journey.

Preeta Samarasan author of Evening is the Whole Day. 

Chuah Guat Eng,  author of Echoes of Silence and Days of Change. 

Plus:

Five part Maugham and Me series

Beheaded on Road to Nationhood: Sarawak Reclaimed—Part I