Spirit of Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur to Colorado

My brother, who lives in Colorado, recently wrote that he and his wife were at a friend's house for a party.  His friends had just come back from visiting several different countries in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur).

My brother said he happened to notice a copy of my book Spirit of Malaysia lying around (I wrote the text), something that his friends had picked up during their travels.  He held it up for everyone, pointed out my name on the cover and told them, "That's my brother." 

They all thought that was pretty cool, quite a coincidence too.

For me, it felt good being the life of the party, at least for a few minutes, and also knowing that my book gets around—from Kuala Lumpur to Denver, Colorado…

Books are available from the publisher EDM.

        --BorneoExpatWriter

The Month of August and my 500th Publication!

“Capturing the Spirit of Malaysia” published in the July-August issue of Senses of Malaysia, which I posted yesterday, is my 500^th publication, and it falls on August, too.  I love August, my birthday month, which over the years has often been a good month for me as a writer.  August is a big month this year for Malaysians, too.  Not only is it the fasting month of Ramadan, but also its Hari Raya and then Merdeka! (Malaysian’s Independence Day).

Last August Cha: An Asian Literary Journal accepted my 100^th short story sale, “On Fridays” and even linked it with the blog, The Story Behind the Story.  Most of those short story sales have come from Lovers and Strangers Revisited (the French translation is due out very soon, originally slated for August, though it’s looking more like September), including my last short story sale “Home for Hari Raya”.  Just in time for this year’s Hari Raya.

In August 2009, I had a short story, “The Merdeka Miracle” (written with Lydia Teh and Tunku Halim) published in the August issue of Going Places, an article “Becoming Malaysianized” in Pop Club (Popular Books), and then I won the 2009 Popular The Star Reader’s Choice awards for Lovers and Strangers Revisited—a rather nice belated birthday present.

Of course for reporters and those who write weekly newspaper or online columns, 500 isn’t such a big deal.  They’ll reach that in 10 years, assuming they write nothing else.  My friend Mary Schneider, who I just met with in Penang and who writes for The Star (and has a birthday in August) has already passed her 700^th column!  (Not easy to come up with all those ideas, she tells me.)  So I have a long way to catch up to her and I began publishing years before she did.  Hmm, perhaps I should look into writing a column of my own. . . . My 500 total, by the way, doesn’t include the 224 blog posts.  Many in fact are actual articles that have gone onto being published elsewhere.

“Capturing the Spirit of Malaysia” will also be repeated in the August issue of The Expat (still awaiting my copy).  I have another article or two that should be coming out this month (not confirmed), plus this weekend I do have a creative writing workshop in Kota Kinabalu (if you haven’t signed up, or know someone who may be interested in KK, please contact the organizers).  Already this August is shaping into a pretty good month (we even spent my birthday in Penang) and there’s still 21 days to go! Of course my birthday wish this August is an agent and a book contract for one of my novels (two did rather well in the recent Faulkner-Wisdom novel contest). That would make this particular August absolutely divine…

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 

Capturing the Spirit of Malaysia-Senses of Malaysia July-August 2011

*Here's a link to Table of Contents and sample pages with more great photos (taken by others!)

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 

Booktalk on 7 May, at MPH The Spring, Kuching

                                                                  
Please excuse the really short notice, but I have a Booktalk on Saturday, 7 May, 3-4 at MPH The Spring in Kuching.  In addition to autographing all three of my books Spirit of Malaysia, Tropical Affairs, and Lovers and Strangers Revisited, I will be giving a short talk.  The title and subject: The World is Yours—Bring the world to you as a travel writer, or tell the world your own story through creative non-fiction, or create your world through fiction!

Booktalks in bookstores, I have to admit, can be a funny animal, because as a speaker, you never know what to expect.  In recent years I’ve given about a dozen such booktalks inside bookstores, which are often the hardest place to speak because you’re never quite sure who your audience is.  Rarely do you have a proper sit down audience (thankfully MPH The Spring finds a way to create one by shifting some of their aisles around).  My last one in Singapore, I hardly had anyone directly in front of me because the space was too narrow with a display of my books in the middle.  Instead, people were spread out on both sides, so I was forced to swivel back and forth to make eye contact.

At other stores, I’d have people roaming all around me looking for, what else, books!  They’ll also be juggling books and/or tugging at spouses or children to get their attention.  One friend even dropped by with a baby stroller and she wasn’t even married; just happened to be babysitting her niece or nephew that day. 

At Silverfish Books in KL, they have a separate room for talks, which makes it ideal, and with months of advance publicity through their monthly online newsletter.  They know how to make it into an event that people plan in advance to attend.  At MPH, they have a talent for making signs and displays.  One I even had framed and another I brought back from Singapore for my office.  It states: Calling All Fans of Robert Raymer! My wife, bless her heart, laughed.

For publicity, I usually announce booktalks months in advance on my website, but lately I’ve been rather slow updating it.  Some people may hear about it from a flyer or an in-store promotion.  Some hear about it from a Facebook announcement, an email reminder, or an SMS.  Most just happen to be in the store at around that time, or were passing by the store and noticed me standing near the entrance speaking into a microphone.  When I was in Singapore last year, midway through my talk, we actually had a little crowd going just outside the store. 

In some stores people sit or stand right in front, while others stand pretty far back, though in my direct line of vision.  Some listen attentively from an aisle or two away, while others lend an ear from wherever they happen to be, while perusing a book, often out of eyesight or even somewhere behind me.  Others pop in and out of the store, pausing for a few minutes to listen, and then hurry off to their next appointment.  One Australian gentleman was so eager to hear me speak in Singapore he came a day early and wondered where everyone was.  Thankfully, he came back the following day.

It’s relatively easy to talk to an audience who are sitting or standing in front of you, but not so easy in stores when people are roaming all around looking for books. Sometimes when you start out, you really don’t have an audience per se, though potentially you do if you can catch their attention.  Those are the times I wonder, if I just start talking will people think I’m some madman rambling in a bookstore, or will they start to gather round and form an audience?  Or will they shush me because they're trying to read! If you’re holding a microphone, that’s always an attention getter, but there have been times, I admit, I’ve been tempted to announce, “Your attention please, does anyone want to buy a book?  It comes with a free autograph!”

One time in Penang, when I had over-scheduled myself with a couple of workshops, two separate talks and a booktalk all in the space of two days, I was actually relieved when I had no audience at all.  For the first time I could just relax and mingle and casually talk to a few stray people who just happened by about my books.  Even managed to sell a few.  Then my son showed up an hour late—teenagers—and asked, “How did it go?”

By the way, if you’re free on Saturday and you happen to be in Kuching and at The Spring at around 3, do drop by.  If not, I'll try to catch you later in some other bookstore, or feel free to check out one of my books or any other book that may interest you... 
         Borneo Expat Writer 

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 

Libraries, a Wonderful Place to Find Your Own Books!

A friend introduced me to Worldcat.org where you can find books in world libraries, including your own. Just out of curiosity I punched in my name and after eliminating a few others with my name, including one who wrote about mining in several Western states back in the mid-40’s, I found some surprises, like Silverfish New Writings 4, that I edited, is in the University of Michigan library and the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies.  Tropical Affair is in National University of Singapore and as I blogged before in the Expatriate Archive Centre in Holland.

The Heinemann Asia version of Lovers and Strangers is in such places as Harvard, Yale, Cornel, University of Wisconsin-Madison and  Ohio University, as well as in two branches of the British Library.  Lovers and Strangers Revisited is in some of those same places, plus UCLA, University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, Columbia University, and of course the Library of Congress.  So is The Spirit of Malaysia, but since it’s new it has yet to make its way to the libraries yet and Trois autres Malaisie.will soon be in French libraries.

But right now I’m picturing some student in Harvard or Yale picking up that old version of Lovers and Strangers Revisited and thinking, wouldn’t it be cool to move to some tropical island and write books.

*Update: Expatriate Archives Centre just reviewed Tropical Affairs!

**Another update:  Someone at Ohio University did pick that old book and now they're adapting my short story "Home for Hari Raya" into screenplay and film! Also two short stories from the collection was taught there and I skyped with the students.

***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 

Expatriate Lifestyle - February 2011

Not sure why this can't be clicked and enlarged.  It works for the one below!

**

Malay Mail - Spirit of Malaysia- review 1 March 2011

It's always nice (and a relief) to get that first good review out of the way. 
The hardest part of this project was to cut the words down to their bare
minimum.  There was tons to be written, but the space requirements for the
text was severely limited. The publisher purposely wanted to maximize the
photos and minimize the text, except for the five-part introduction, by far
the hardest to write.  Again, because I had tons of material to work with!
It was a matter of organizing it and distilling it all down the the essentials. 
 I'm glad we did it this way. Love the cover, too!

*Here's a link to the table of contents and an e-book link to view some 
of the photos. 

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

My Copy of Spirit of Malaysia Has Arrived with an Added Surprise!

Spirit of Malaysia  (Editions Didier Millet, 2011) just arrived at my house in Borneo!  Finally I get to see all of those 150 stunning photos in color in book form.  While working on the project, I had them available on the computer so I could describe them for the photo captions.  My two mock copies that I worked from, one with pseudo Latin text for layout and spacing purposes, and the final version to edit were both in black and white (no color printer at home).  I had forgotten how great those photos were. 

Again, I can’t take credit for them—the photo credits are all listed on the last page.  For a sneak peek, see the link below!  The photos were chosen by Editions Didier Millet even before I was brought on board to write the text.  I was just glad for the opportunity to help out, though initially a challenge for me to relearn Malaysia after 25 years of living here—so much has changed, so many news things to discover! 

Deadlines and a signed contract, by the way, are powerful motivators.  Without them, many books would never get written!

Introduction:

To think of the spirit of Malaysia is to conjure up images of celebration and festivity, a sweeping panorama of kampongs to longhouses, temples and mosques, sleepy provincial towns and modern cities.  A fascinating fusion of tradition and modernity is set amidst a tropical backdrop of lush rainforest, languid rivers and stunning beaches.  Here too are to be found an alluring mix of peoples, religions, customs, architecture and experiences—with Malays, Chinese, Indian, European, Arab, Thai, and indigenous influences blending to create a truly unique nation, rich in culture and heritage.

Table of Contents

Introduction

            History and heritage

            People and cultures

            Food glorious food

            Geography and economy

            Getty Around

Kuala Lumpur

Langkawi and Penang

Malacca

Johor and Negri Sembilan

Northwest Mainland

Pahang

East Coast

Sabah and Sarawak

And for the added surprise, a cool sampling of the photos and turning those pages check this out.  If you've never done this before, put your cursor at the bottom right corner to turn the pages and drag it from right to left.  After a few tries you’ll get the hang of it.  You can also click on it and other places, too.  Just try it and have fun.  This was a first for me, too.  My first entry into the e-book world.  Now I see what the fuss is all about – how they’re making it more like a real book experience.   

Of course, I still prefer the book I just got in the mail today.  This is something I can sink my teeth into! Then there's that new book smell. And the photos are much better!

* 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

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

Spirit of Malaysia - a first look at the new cover

Here's the first look at Spirit of Malaysia, an Editions Didier Millet book that I was asked to write the text for, a state-by-state overview of modern Malaysia, a good learning experience for me and a pleasant opportunity to revisit all of Malaysia, if only from my computer and via stacks of guide and reference books, after living here for twenty-five years.  Amazing how much I learned, which is often the case with every book that you write.

The copyright holder of the series provided the photographs, and the layout was already done for me.  Just needed to come up with the text for each section and for the photos, too.  Sounds easy, but initially when writing this it gave me fits -- I was fighting it!  But then I found a way to break down each section, from the economy to transportation, from background history and heritage to diving sites and tourist resorts and just stuck with it.  The problem was always an overload of information from far too many sources and finding a way to distill it all down to a few paragraphs here and there.  Having a deadline and a signed contract helps!

The book will make a perfect gift for those wishing to know more about Malaysia, a happy balance between fascinating and well-chosen photographs (three or four per page) and just enough background information and depth to keep it interesting, without weighing you down.  At 80 pages, it's portable too, in a soft cover, so it's easy to slip into your luggage or backpack or mail overseas to your family and friends.

For advance orders you can go to Amazon.  In the US it sells for $15. In Malaysia RM49.90

Finally, I'm on Amazon, if you don't count some old copies of Lovers and Strangers from the Heinemann Asia Writing Series(1993):  two used from $75.23 and one collectible (an autographed copy) from $49.95.

Let's share the Spirit of Malaysia with the world.

*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