“Home for Hari Raya” finds a home in Turkey

I know it’s two months early for Hari Raya here in Malaysia, but my short story “Home for Hari Raya” from Lovers and Strangers Revisited (MPH 2008) has just been published in Istanbul Literary Review, the book’s 80^th short story publication. Turkey has become the twelfth country that one of the stories from this collection has now appeared.

Of course, come August that number will take a spike when Lovers and Strangers Revisited gets published as Trois autres Malaisie by French publisher Éditions GOPE.  The collection will then appear in about a half dozen countries, several in Europe will be new.  That number will steadily grow as the stories  reach other French speaking countries, or countries that have a large French speaking population to warrant either a French bookstore or a French section of a bookstore like the one in Singapore that has already pre-ordered the book as I blogged about earlier this month in gearing up for the French

Now that the translation has been completed by Jerome Bouchaud, author of Malaisie - Modernité et Traditions en Asie du Sud-Est, whom I met recently in Kuching, the publisher has begun the editing process.  They’re also comparing the translation with the original, and that brings me back involved in the process.  Initially, I revised all of the stories before passing them along for the translation, and now I’m answering questions about the English text to ensure the accuracy of the translation.  For example, I had to clarify in “Mat Salleh” if the “outhouse” that I mentioned in back of the kampong house was in fact a toilet or a wooden shed.

After reading  "Home for Hari Raya", here’s the storybehind the story.   Wishing all those who celebrate Hari Raya, a two-month early Selamat Hari Raya!  By the time Hari Raya does come, those who read French can read the story in French for a fascinating cross-cultural experience.

Update: Now "Home for Hari Raya" is being adapted into a film by Ohio University.

 *Here’s the link to the French blog for Trois autres Malaisie.

**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 

Autographing Books at Tun Jugah and Country Number Twelve!

This just came up at the last moment, but Borneo Tom and I are autographing our books at Tun Jugah here in Kuching today (Saturday) and Sunday 11-4. So if you know anyone in the Kuching area that may be interested, please have them drop by. Next week, I’ll be conducting two workshops in KK and signing more autographs.  This is the best part about being an author, signing those autographs.  Of course, cashing that royalty check is pretty nice, too.  Right now the sums are in Malaysian Ringgit, later this year I’ll be earning them in Euros and that’s a nice feeling.  Of course a mid six-figure to seven-figure advance on one of my novels would look pretty nice in my bank account.  It has happened to some of my friends and to other writers that Tom knows.   

“Home for Hari Raya” has just been accepted in Istanbul Literary Review, making Turkey the twelfth country that has published at least one short story from Lovers and Strangers Revisited.  I had suggested that they use the link to The Story Behind the Story. That’s the 80^th publication of one of those stories, which I find absolutely amazing! “Home for Hari Raya” a sentimental favorite of mine finally breaks out of Malaysia.  Since I recently rewrote all of the stories for the French translation, I want to start submitting them again.  Hey, you never know.  

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