Rewriting Lovers and Strangers Revisited

                                                     

Every few years I get this urge to rewrite the 17 stories from Lovers and Strangers Revisit­ed.  No doubt that seems silly and a waste of time for most writers since the book has already been published.  Had I not done so, it wouldn't been published a second or a third time!  Originally published in Singapore as Lovers and Strangers (Heinemann Asia,1993, Writ­ing in Asia Series), I revisited the stories in 2005 when a Malaysian lecturer requested to use the collec­tion for a course on Malaysia and Singapore literature.  The book—after consulting with an editor and going back to the original inspiration for each story, vis­it­­ing many of the ori­gin­al settings and over­hauling the stories, adding new scenes, back-stories, and endings—was repub­lish­ed as Lovers and Strangers Revisited (Silver­fish Books).

                                                   

In 2008, a third revised ver­sion with two additional stories was published by MPH, which I wrote about in a blog about publishing in Malaysia and Singapore, that later won the 2009 Popular-The Star Reader’s Choice Awards and was translated into French.  To complement the MPH edition, I wrote a blog series, The Story Behind the Story, about the devel­op­ment and the sig­nif­i­­cant changes of each story that led to their various mag­azine/lit­erary journal publica­tions—often used as writ­ing/teaching aids in schools, colleges, and uni­ver­sities.  The main char­acter from the story “Neigh­bors”  was featured by an expat teacher in the New Straits Times, “Are You Mrs. Koh?” 

So why revise the stories again?  I’ve always felt that Lovers and Strangers Revisited, based on its publishing track record, deserves a wider audience both inside and outside of Ma­lay­sia/Singapore.  For example, the collection is still available in French by Editions GOPE as Trois autres Malaisie.  In fact, the publisher will be exhibiting the collection along with his other Malaysian titles at a French book fair in Kuala Lumpur on 24 March 2024, which should translate into more sales!.

                                                          

So far, thanks to rewriting those published stories, the individual stories have been published 83 times in 12 coun­tries (12 stories in USA and UK); taught in Malaysian secondary school literature for six years (“Neigh­bors”), as well as in Cana­da and USA (Ohio University); and several stories have been taught for years in various Ma­lay­sian universities and private col­leges.  Film stu­dents at Ohio Univer­sity found the original collection in their library, came to Malay­sia, and filmed, “Home for Hari Raya.”  

Maybe because of this persistent belief that these stories (individually and as a col­lec­tion) are still relevant—they are still being taught in Malaysia as of May 2023 and are still being published in the USA (“The Stare” appeared in Thema, Spring 2021,and "On Fridays" will be out in 2025).  As I began editing again (clarifying details, cutting need­less words or phrases, tightening the writing), I could see significant improvements in each story.

Also, the process feels like a trip down memory lane, both as a writer and as an expatriate living in Malay­sia.  “Mat Salleh,” for example, was my first published story, a non­fiction short story, 28 January 1986 (New Straits Times) and my first published story in the UK (My Weekly).  "Teh-O in K.L." was my first published short story is USA (Aim). The other stories, all published but one, are all loosely based on my early ex­peri­ences or on my ob­­ser­va­tions of kam­pong and modern-day life in Malaysia.  Not all the memories are good—a failed mar­riage for me (“Dark Blue Threads”) and a neighbor com­mitting suicide (“Neighbors”); nevertheless, these stories are my Malaysian roots, so to speak, having lived in Penang as an expatriate for twen­ty-one years and taught creative writing at USM for ten years, before moving to Sarawak to grow new roots.

The real payoff, of course, is that these revised stories now have a chance for future publica­tions in the US or UK or Australia or elsewhere—the main reason I do it.  Or the collection, fingers crossed, is republish­ed to a wider audience.  Or the play that I added as a bonus, “One Drink Too Many,” a comedy adapted from the short story, “Neigh­bors,” is produced in Malaysia or Singapore.  Preferably, all three!

What helps me to keep the faith in Lovers and Strangers Revisited (and the individual stories) is rereading the MPH back-of-the-book reviews and other review snippets that I include while marketing the collection to agents and other publishers: 

MPH Publisher’s synopsis and reviews from the back of the book:

In this collection of 17 stories, Robert Raymer portrays the traditional in modernity, the unexpected in relationships both familiar and strange, the recurring theme of race even as contemporary Malaysia finds ways to understand its multicultural milieu.

In the title story, a selfish writer gets more than he bargained for when two former lovers haunt him in more ways than one. In another story, a man's loneliness turns into obses­sion when he shares a taxi ride with a Malay woman. A Clark Gable lookalike is a bar­rister wannabe with a shocking secret and gossipy neighbours reveal more about them­selves than the man who commits suicide. Elsewhere, expats cross the border to Had Yai to experience a good bargain in the Thai flesh trade before going home to their wives in America.

In this republished edition of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, Raymer's snapshots of scenes from various walks of life provide an insider-outsider view on love, family and culture, and urges a second look at ourselves in the mirror of self-awareness.

Praise for Lovers and Strangers Revisited

'Raymer not only writes from his own viewpoint as a foreigner and observer, but also delves into the minds of desperate Malay woman, a young Indian girl, an adulterous Chinese couple, and an old Chinese man who survived the Japanese occupation... He has an uncanny ability to hold a mirror up to the people of his adopted country, not as a for­eigner but as one of us. His stories are full of personalities that you know, you work with them, or live next door to them, or eavesdrop on them at the kopi tiam.' The Borneo Post

'This account ("On Fridays") of a crammed ride with strangers in a taxi may well stand as a metaphor of Raymer's own experience of living among Malaysians... He imbues each of the characters in his stories with a realistic, genuinely believable voice even as he tempers it with the valuable perspective of an observer.' New Straits Times

'Raymer gives a lushly and rich and multi-layered rendition of the Malaysian way of life as colored and influenced by his own experiences from his twenty years as an expat here... These stories are some of the few authentic portrayals of the inner workings and inner plays of the average Malaysian's life in all of its robustness and unique cultural settings.' The Expat

A little ego boost for sure, something all writers need now and then.  Also, it’s good to touch base, like stretching before exercising.  Awfully glad I rewrote those stories.  Now that 2023 is over (having rewritten eight books—six novels and two collections of stories—in two years), I’m ready to embark on new writing projects for 2024 and beyond... 

—Borneo Expat Writer

 My interviews with other Malaysian writers:

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, finalist for the Commonwealth Writers Prize 2009. 

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

Malachi Edwin Vethamani, author of Complicated Lives and Life Happens.

 

Publishing Books in Malaysia and Singapore-Updated (2007-2017)

UPDATE: I originally wrote this as a comment for Lydia Teh’s blog about book publishing in Malaysia back in 2007.  Then I used it to start my own blog.  Since I still keep getting hits on a regular basis and had planned to link to an upcoming interview with a Malaysian writer publishing in Singapore, I thought I should update it.  It’s been ten years!

Yesterday, I was visiting bookstores in Kuching in order to convince them to stock my book, Lovers and Strangers Revisited (Silverfishbooks 2006), since tomorrow 20 May 2007, there will be a profile of me and a review of my book in The Borneo Post. I was told by both Times and Popular Bookstores that the KL office does the ordering for them, so they faxed a copy of my NST review (16 April 2006) with some cryptic notes from me, which I followed up today with a lengthy email to lobby my books into their Kuching stores (hopefully all over Sarawak and Sabah).

Having the interview/review coming out boosted my confidence and gave me credibility since I wasn’t known in Kuching, having recently moved here from Penang, as did the fact that “Neigh­bours”, one of my short stories from the collection, had been selected by the Ministry of Educa­tion to be taught in 2008 SPM Literature, thus guaranteeing a lot of interest among teachers and students.  Plus they will be discussing my story on an online forum on the MELTA website.

UPDATE: MELTA had over 20,500 hits and 276 comments on my story alone before it was archived and later removed. And “Neighbours” was taught from 2008-2014!  Denis Harry had written an article for New Straits Times about my character Mrs. Koh, who has become this stereotype for a busybody neighbor in Malaysia, “Are you Mrs.Koh?”

My Malaysian publisher Silverfishbooks had told me that their Singapore distributor was making excuses about sending my books to Sarawak because of the shipping costs.  For a publi­sher, having a good distributor is imperative or your books won’t be placed in bookstores.  Even getting the books into the stores in Penang (where I lived for twenty years) and on campus at USM (where I taught for ten years), took some arm-twisting and follow-ups on my behalf.  Now I have to start all over again in Kuching.  Hope­fully something will come of the contacts I made yesterday, the emails I wrote today, and phone calls I’ll be making on Monday.

One bookstore did agree to take 25 books on consignment basis.  The problem seemed to be the shipping costs between East and West Malaysia, making the books less profitable for the dis­tri­butor and the publisher, so I agreed to use my own stock and cut a deal with the bookstore. The owner re­quested that his bookstore be men­tioned in the review tomorrow to direct customers his way, which the Borneo Post reporter, who had interviewed me, arranged.  She had even approached the book­store on my behalf (bless her heart!).  I merely sealed the deal with a phone call and delivered the books so I would finally have some books in Kuching before the profile/interview hits.

Timing is everything.  Just wished they were in all of the stores throughout Sarawak and Sabah!

Previously, the original version of my book was published by Heinemann Asia in Singapore back in 1993. 75 copies of my book were sold by a Times Bookstore in Penang—a lot for local fiction.  So when I asked them to restock the book, the manager said no. He said their policy was not to stock second editions except their own (Times Editions) books. I looked at him as if he had a hole in his head. They sold 75 copies!  I was in the store regularly to buy books and to browse and would guide customers his way.  I even held a successful auto­graph signing in his store.  But he refused to make an exception—that was Times Editions policy back in 1993!

Lydia Teh, whom I later wrote the short story “Merdeka Miracle” with (along with Tunku Halim) for Going Places, said that MPH published her third book and she was real happy with them (later her book won the Popular Reader’s Choice Award).  MPH has a good working relationship with MPH Book­stores (not officially related) and they have stores all over Malaysia (but not in Sarawak).  MPH books seem to get good media coverage, good in-store promo­tions, and nice listing in MPH magazine. 

UPDATE:  MPH Bookstore did come to Sarawak and did a great job promoting my book when I later switched publishers to MPH with Silverfishbooks’ blessing since they ran out of stock (and still couldn’t get my books in Sarawak).  I even gave a talk in their store...for three of my books.

Still my big concern about switching publishers…will the books get out of Malaysia/Singa­pore market, a lament I’ve had since my first experience in Singapore.  At least Silverfishbooks has a web­site where you can order my books (with free shipping all over Malaysia including Sarawak and Sabah) and an online news­letter.  But so far, most (if not all) publishers in Malaysia and Singa­pore only sell here; although some, past and present, have tried to make inroads into the UK/US markets.

UPDATE: Websites, online access, and the e-book market has changed that somewhat. Technically anyone around the world can order your book/e-book from your publisher’s website, but in reality they mostly shop at Amazon and other large forums so if your books aren’t there….Some Malaysian and Singapore publishers have recently opened offices in the UK and that’s exciting news for local writers. 

A good place to find a publisher is to browse the Local or Asian fiction section.  I used to jot down unfamiliar or new publishers and then check them out at book fairs in KL and Sing­a­pore, picking up their catalogues, even visiting their offices.  Now it’s much easier via the internet.  Publishers, some promising ones, still come and go, and self-publishing your books has become somewhat ‘acceptable’ but the quality will depend largely on you and who you hire to edit your books—believe me poor or no editing really shows and it’s cringe worthy!  Then there is the problem of getting your books into bookstores and into the hands of potential readers…

Some of these so-called publishers have become aggressive, even contacting unsuspecting writers on their bogs, praising their writing style, convincing them to publish with them and then slapping them with a bank-breaking fee.  Hey, they’re in it for the upfront money!  Oh, you didn’t read the small print?  Sorry-lah, but you still have to pay!  An editing client of mine, despite my objections, found this out the hard way; she was con­vinced it was legit—a mainstream publisher—and had to cough up RM19,000!  She wasn’t so naïve the second time around and followed my advice and took her non-fiction book to MPH.

So beware, investigate, and Google for complaints—they are out there!  Know what you are signing up for!  Also crowdfunding your book has become a safe win-win trend for writers and publishers.  London-based Malaysian author Ivy Ngeow, whom I recently interviewed, crowdfunded a novel in the UK and talked about the pros and cons.

As authors, whether in Malaysia or Singapore, we have to promote our books any way that we can—through websites, blogs, readings, and networking with other writers. Last year, I practical­ly sold more books on my own through a book launch, creative writing workshops, and eager students that I taught, than I did in book­stores and online orders.

For book launches, by the way, you don’t just have one and expect everyone to show up to buy your book. You got to turn it into an event.  Last year in Penang, I asked Penang Players to help (I used to stage manage their plays) and they agreed to sponsor the launch, read excerpts from four short stories, and gave an animated reading of my play, “One Drink Too Many” a comedy that I wrote based on the story, “Neighbours”.  Still I was told I’d be lucky to have 30 people show up.  We had over 100!  But that took a lot of emailing, publicity, a great full page review in the NST mentioning the launch, and turning the launch into an “event” where people talked about attending in advance and brought along friends and enjoyed themselves.  Penang Players were a huge help and very entertaining!

But first, you have to write a book that people want to buy (and hopefully read), then do some homework in Malaysia/Singapore to see who is the best publisher for you and make sure they have a good distributor or your friends will complain, “I went all the way over to so-and-so bookstore to buy your book and they didn’t have it!” Then court the media.  In 2006, New Straits Times did a full page review with color and my photo, so did The Expat Magazine.  Plus I had a few online reviews.  I was grateful for all of them. 

UPDATE:  If someone asks you for an interview, take it seriously.  Don’t be flippant and risk turn­ing away potential readers.  Answering well thought out interview questions in advance or via email takes a lot of time, but the payoff can be huge, especially if others share that on Facebook and Twitter, which could lead to other interviews.  Respect the interviewer’s time and be courteous and grateful.  They could’ve easily interviewed some­one else instead of you. 

The Star, unfortunately, did not review the Silverfishbooks version, even though Silverfishbooks and I had sent them books in KL and I sent them books in Penang.  I also met with Star reporters (including a former student) and a friend who does book reviews for The Star who initially said yes, that she would review the book, but she was already overcommitted and the timing was bad for her, so I forgave her.

UPDATE: This was before Silverfishbooks began to earn nominations for some major awards in Malaysia and overseas.  Their short stories have appeared in anthologies and one of mine was even picked up to be used in a Cambridge Exam that paid quite nicely—thanks to Silverfishbooks.

But I’m not giving up on The Star. I will be contacting them again as soon as The Borneo Post comes out…It’s all about persistence and believing in your work.  So far the individual stories from Lovers and Strangers Revisited have been published 54 times in nine countries, four of the stories have been taught in four universities in Malaysia.  Plus “Neighbours” will be taught all over the country.

UPDATE:  The seventeen individual stories from LSR have been published 80 times in 12 countries, taught in several Malaysian universities, private colleges and in secondary school literature, and also in Canada.  Two stories have been taught at Ohio University (USA) and students from Ohio University traveled to Malaysia to film one of the stories, “Home for Hari Raya”.  (For the MPH version, to help to promote the book, I wrote a blog series The Story Behind the Story that was taught along with the story itself.)

So it’s a bit frustrating that I’m having such a hard time in Kuching getting bookstores to stock my book that only came out last year!  Hopefully tomorrow when my interview/review comes out, all that will change.  I have to remain optimistic, and then build on that momentum for Sara­wak, if not all of Malaysia.  Maybe next time, instead of short stories, I’ll write on some­thing controversial, with a lot of sex and mayhem, so the media will jump all over it. Of course, that could backfire and get my book banned.  At least I could say, if only the book hadn’t gotten banned, it would have been on all of the bestsellers’ lists in Malaysia and Singapore!

 

UPDATE:  Later, thanks to Lee Su Kim whom I met at conference in Penang, I networked myself into a two-book deal with MPH, and the MPH version of Lovers and Strangers Revisited (with two stories added) was not only reviewed in The Star, but also won the 2009 Popular-The Star Reader’s Choice Award.  In 2011, it was translated into French.  So persistence does pay off! Never give up on your stories or your novel.  Just find another way.  I had to do that when I moved to Kuching, Sarawak on the island of Borneo.

    —Borneo Expat Writer

My interviews with other first novelists by me, also about publishing in Malaysia and Sarawak

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, finalist for the Commonwealth Writers Prize 2009.
Preeta Samarasan, author of Evening is the Whole Day, finalist for the Commonwealth Writers Prize 2009. 


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

Trust the Novel Writing (and rewriting) Process. 

Creative Writing Workshop—Two in Kota Kinabalu

Just back from two back-to-back workshops in Kota Kinabalu (Sabah, Borneo), one a six-hour workshop for Universiti Malaysia Sabah (above) and then a four-hour workshop organized by the KK Theatre Group, SPArKS (see below).

Mark Storey presents a gift to an exhausted Robert Raymer after
6-hour workshop at UMS

The first workshop at UMS, we started out with 30 academic lecturers and tutors, including someone who recognized me from Unimas, a former colleague from USM, and a fellow expat writer, Mark Storey, who organized the event.   

In the second workshop, the ages ran from thirteen to mid-sixties, from secondary students to published authors, including fellow MPH writer, Tina Kisil, author of Footprints in the Paddy Field.  One participant flew in from Miri, one was the daughter of one of the UMS staff that I taught the previous day, and another, Farida, was the mother of a student I taught at USM years ago. In fact, her enthusiasm for bringing a creative writing workshop to KK brought both UMS (Mark) and SPArKS (Jude Day) aboard.  Suddenly I’m in KK conducting not one but two workshops to two very different groups.

Robert Raymer demonstrating the use of clustering.

Also attending the second workshop were two students from IPGK Gaya and three UMS students who were taking creative writing in Malay. They told me how different my approach was from the way they were being taught and how easily they can apply my ideas to generate their own ideas.  At UMS, they’re getting mostly theory but they don’t know what to write, or where to even start!  

I take the opposite approach by leaving the theory where it belongs in the textbooks (see “Tree Methodology”  from Tropical Affairs) and showing them some useful pre-writing techniques that actually work in the real world.  We also use sensory details and 5-Ws as prompts that flood them with even more ideas.  Within minutes they’re eager to write.  Several times, after getting them started, I had to stop them, so we could move on, so I could introduce more story-starter ideas! The important thing is they got started and later they can finish up what they began.

The workshops went so well in fact, it looks like I’ll be back to KK in August for another related workshop and possibly a follow up in November. The one in August, I will be creating two longer writing sessions (one for first-person non-fiction, the other for fiction) so they can produce two finished samples to add to what they’ve already started and hopefully completed. (My final exams at USM were one hour and I was always amazed what they came up with after investing some of their precious time with pre-writing).  Then a follow-up workshop (after they’ve had time to rewrite and polish) so I can critique their opening pages from one of those samples, as I did for the 2009 MPH Short Story Awards when I was one of their judges.  By limiting the size of the workshop to 20-25, we can devote 10 minutes for each participant.

When I did this in Kuching '09, this worked wonderfully. They all benefited no matter whose story we were discussing since the others made similar mistakes in their own stories.  (It’s easier to find mistakes in someone else’s story than your own!) 

When I tried this in Miri '09 (maybe because of all of the advance publicity), it wasn’t as effective because many of the writers had sent in stories via their friends or even their moms, so they weren’t even present for their own feedback, nor could they benefit from the feedback for the other stories! Other writers took advantage of the theater style seating and passed down multiple stories.  One submitted four!  I was furious when I found out later what was going on.  It was so unfair to the writers who were present with their own short stories because we couldn’t get to them all.  This time around, as I did in Kuching, where we sat around one long table, I will personally collect each story from each writer, so everyone present benefits.

When I put on my judging and editor’s hat (as I did briefly in KK), I can show them what is holding back their writing (be it grammar, organization, style, including word choices, repetition, and using tentative or trite expressions), so they, and all those who attend, can take their writing to the next level. Here are the judging tips that I posted for the MPH contest and workshop, the post-contest comments and a little inspiration to prove them wrong, and the story behind the story links, whereby I blogged about the significant changes that I made in the Lovers and Strangers Revisited stories that led to their various publications (80, so far, in 12 countries!)

A one-off workshop—although inspiring and motivating for all—is rarely enough.  One writer in Kuching, was so inspired by one of my workshops at Unimas, he turned his ideas into five hundred page book!  (It still has a way to go, but he sure got off to a great start!)  For others, they’ll eventually get around to doing some writing.  We all know about good intentions, but life and work often gets in the way.  The real learning comes from the actual writing. The doing!

      —Robert Raymer, Borneo Expat Writer

*One of the IPGK Gaya students blogged about the workshop. (Yes, our pictures came from the same source, but he added more!)  So did the gentleman from Miri.  Here's Tina's blog about the same event.

**Here is the follow up KK workshop in August'11.  And the third KK workshop 22 October '11

***Here's my workshop with Malaysian Nurses Association and International Tuition School in Kuching.

Here's a blog link about being interviewed on TV for Kuppa Kopi.  If you wish to contact me for a creative writing workshop at your school (for your staff or students or both) or your association, I can be reached at robert@borneoexpatwriter.com  



******Announcement latest workshops:  Writing Your Life Stories Workshop—Kuching! 23 June 2012 (with links to other workshops and writing tips!) and also a workshop in KK on 17 June 2012! 

If you are interested to bring one of my writing workshops to your organizations or association in Sabah/Sarawak/West Malaysia/Singapore/Brunei please contact me at robert@borneoexpatwriter.com  Thank you.

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 

  

Talking About Books in Singapore

After arriving in Singapore that morning and finding a place to stay, I made my way to the MPH bookstore at Raffles City.  Not wanting to be late, I found it a lot faster than I expected.  In fact, I arrived an hour earlier than requested.  Everything was already set up, with large poster greeting visitors near the entrance, plus two smaller posters (one on the table, one on the opposite shelf at eye level) that announced "Calling All Fans of Robert Raymer!  Promotion valid from 9-15 October, 20% off on Lovers and Strangers Revisited and Tropical Affairs!"  Tiffany and the store manager did a great job to make sure everything was perfect.  In fact, I would be the first author speaking in this store, so they were keen to make it an success.  The location was less than ideal and they had poor window exposure to display books.  In fact, you can't see the store unless you walk right by it and if you're not paying attention, you could miss it entirely!

Here's me with a poster of me.  Visitors would glance at the poster, then at me, and give me this double take.

This shot with the MPH sign was taken at the beginning, as I was testing the mike.

Because of the narrow entrance and where I was standing, it was hard to focus.  I had people to the right of me, inside the store, those in front of me, and then people started to gather to my left.  Plus further away, people would linger outside the bookstore as they passed by, curious to hear someone speaking about turning their experiences into books.  To make eye contact, I had to swivel around 180 degrees from left to front to right.  All in all it went fine, signed a few books.  One Australian was so keen to see me that he came a day early on Friday, not realizing until too late that I wouldn't be speaking until Saturday.  He came early on Saturday, too, so we had a long chat before my talk.  He was keen on writing about his experiences living in Singapore, but didn't know how to start. I was his perfect solution.

While I was there I picked up A Warrior's Life, a Biography of Paulo Coelho by Fernando Morais, which I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend.  It shows you what is possible once you make the commitment to actually do some writing as opposed to merely wishing for it to happen.

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 

BookFest@2010

Tropical Affairs didn’t win, so no two years in a row for me, but I did have a nice time. I finally met with Lydia Teh, whom I wrote “The Merdeka Miracle” with last year. Too bad Tunku Halim couldn’t join us.

I also met with authors Kuan Guat Choo and Peggy Tan Pek Tao, a former colleague of mine at USM, and this year’s winner for non-fiction for her book Life The Malaysian Style. So that’s two years in a row for USM!

Afterwards I met with Yvonne Lee, who gave me a copy of her latest book, Madness Aboard! for writing a blurb inside, after we met at the BookFest last year. I also caught up with Lee Eeleen, who has been making headway with lots of her short stories lately, reminding me about a big opportunity to publish some of my own short stories in Singapore that I overlooked! I also met with several MPH representatives, including Eric Forbes and Shirley Ng, whom I’m in contact with constantly over marketing and publicity and ordering books. She been extremely helpful!

After managing to miss me last year when I won for Lovers and Strangers Revisited though he did get to see the trophy before I headed back to Kuching, Zaini, who features in Tropical Affairs, cut one of his classes to give me some family support. When walking with him, all the teenage girls check him out!

The following day I was back with Zaini at the BookFest to meet with Christina Chan and eleven of her students, who are studying my short story “Neighbours” in SPM literature. One of the students, Shorolipi, had contacted me on Facebook, and within days, thanks to their teacher, we had an impromptu meet-the-author-session with lots of questions about “Neighbours” and writing. I may have even inspired one or two to become writers. Although I think they were more taken with Zaini….A friend of theirs wrote on Facebook, “Did anyone get his number?”

This is the press release that I wrote for the education section of the Star. Shirley, who coincidentally attended the same secondary school, contacted the press on our behalf, but they were short-handed for reporters. I’m still waiting for the official photos from Popular.

Press Release: From Facebook to Face-to-Face BookFest Meeting with Author Robert Raymer

Shorolipi Emma Chaudhury of SMK (p) Sri Aman, Petaling Jeya who is studying Robert Raymer’s short story “Neighbours” in SPM literature noticed that he was on Facebook and decided to contact him. Within days, she and ten of her classmates and their teacher Christina Chan and another colleague were meeting with Raymer, author of last year’s Reader’s Choice Award winning collection of short stories Lovers and Strangers Revisited (MPH 2008). As luck would have it, the Sarawak-based American author, who’s latest book, Tropical Affairs: Episodes from an Expat’s life in Malaysia (MPH 2009) was nominated for this year’s prize, just happened to be coming to Kuala Lumpur to attend the BookFest@ Malaysia 2010.

While exchanging a few Facebook replies, Raymer directed her to his blog series The Story Behind the Story of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, to “Neighbors, a Suicide and Making Choices” in Tropical Affairs, and to a MELTA forum for some insights into the story and how he wrote it. When Christina Chan learned that Raymer was coming to KL, she asked if it would be possible that he meet her and her Form 4 students, which he gamely agreed. Raymer suggested they meet at the BookFest, which then turned into an impromptu Q-and-A session about “Neighbours” and about writing.

“What’s a better place to meet an author than at a super huge bookstore?” Raymer quipped. “I thought that meeting them might be fun and that, perhaps, I may even inspire one or two to become writers.”

Christina Chan agreed and told him afterwards, "I honestly don't think the students anywhere actually ever get to meet the authors whose stories they are studying. That's why my girls are very privileged to have met you."

Raymer, however, felt the privilege was all his. He was tickled to learn that several of the students were involved in putting on a play based on his short story. He even met the student who would play the busybody character Mrs. Koh!

Although in the past students studying his short story in SPM literature (or other stories in Malaysian universities and private colleges) have contacted him on Facebook, through his blog on writing, this was the first time they actually got to meet! And it happened so fast!

As a bonus, the students also met Raymer’s 19-year-old son Zaini who features in Tropical Affairs as a boy growing up in Penang. Yeah, they added him to Facebook, too!

Several students and their teacher even managed to pick up autographed copies of Raymer’s books, all thanks to Shorolipi’s Facebook initiative that quickly turned into a face-to-face BookFest meeting with the author—something they’ll never forget.

*Update, the 20^th anniversary of Lovers and Strangers Revisited

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 

The Writer – Four Years to Publication!

Funny how these publishing things turn out. Nearly five years ago, 27 January 2006 according to my records I received the good news that The Writer has accepted by article “How to Overcome the Fear of Writing through Pre-Writing.” Originally they weren’t sure if they’ll be using the piece in their magazine or on their website. Then they decided in the magazine and even paid $350 for the article on 26 May 2006, bless their hearts.

I told my writing friends to look out for it, but it never came out. Maybe they decided to use it on their website, but I got caught up in more important things, like this massive move from Penang (Peninsular Malaysia) to Kuching (Borneo) in October, a new teaching job at Unimas in December, and a new baby in January 2007 and never checked, after cashing the check. If I wasn’t paid, I would have been checking it constantly!

Month after month, year after year, I did check each issue of The Writer. During that time they also changed editors, and I’ve experienced being lost in the shuffle before when a new editor takes over. It happens. Sometimes I’ve even benefited when a new editor takes over and they discover me! Eventually, I just gave up on it – after all, I did get paid!

Two days before Christmas I got an email from one of their editors informing me that they’ll be using my article in their May 2010 issue! Nearly four and a half years after they first accepted it! Of course I’m bowled over. Great news! The original article, adapted from my creative writing units, was about 2500 words, which I had cut down from about 4000 words) and then they’ll be cutting that down to 1695 words to make it fit on two pages, which is fine since it serves their needs.

Two days ago I got my first look at how they edited it, now titled, “How to Use Pre-Writing Techniques to Get Started”. I didn’t compare it the original because that's always a painful process. So I read it as it’ll appear in The Writer. Naturally I recognized my own writing (but had forgotten what I had written!). I know of at least one section that got lopped off at the end, an essay sample on how to overcome the fear of writing written within the article. I did recommend a couple of changes because of repetition, which may have been in the original version, and they suggested another change, too. Later I’ll get to see the galleys before it goes into print, glad for this second chance, glad to have another look at it.

In the brief bio at the need of the article they’ll be naming my two MPH books and my website, and no doubt I’ll attract something good out of that. Already I’ve mentioned three other articles that I’m planning to send them, two of which began in this blog and a third, from The Quill, linked here, too.

So now I’m telling my writing friends all over again to check out their May 2010 issue! I definitely will! It feels like a whole new article sale. What are the chances that they'll pay me again? Hey, you never know. It's a New Year!

The Star/Starmag 30 August 2009

Click on page to read

*Update, the 20th anniversary of Lovers and Strangers Revisited 

 

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