31 May 2023

Trying to Fit Everything, and the Kitchen Sink Too

Priya Kulasagaran @ Priya K is a freelance writer based in Kuala Lumpur. After (barely) graduating law school, she began her career as a journalist, specialising in feature reporting on education, health, and lifestyle matters. Priya has since delved into various other forms of storytelling, including theatre, film, performance poetry, and video games. She is currently juggling between writing corporate copy, and getting back to creating more personal work.

Priya was part of the Malaysian Writers and Readers Get Together event on 14 May 2023. She shares her creative experience in an interview conducted by Uthaya Sankar SB.

 

What was your ambition as a child?

I wanted to be either a palaeontologist or the Prime Minister, but ended up being more interested in digging up stories about politicians.

 

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

Probably around my early teens, as I become more interested in learning about the craft itself. Before then, I just saw writing as a means to better articulate my jumbled up thoughts to other people (and sometimes even to myself).

 

Who are your favourite Malaysian authors?

At the moment, Salleh Ben Joned.

 

Where do you get your ideas or information for your writings?

I sometimes genuinely have no clue, but I’ve found inspiration from news headlines; other art works (books, films, music); eavesdropping on strangers’ conversations; and people-watching.   

 

Which was your hardest book/piece to write?

The current piece I’m working on — a script on identity, political beliefs, and idealism. It has been something I’ve kept putting aside (because I was trying to fit everything and the kitchen sink into it) and returning to (because I can’t stop thinking about it) over the past few years.

 

What do you do when you are not writing or reading?

Painting, making small arts-and-crafts projects, watching bad horror movies, and wasting too much time online.

 

What does your family think of your writings?

My parents have always been kind and supportive of my work, even the pieces they find weird. I just realised I’ve not shared much of my creative work to extended family — will report back once this happens.

 

How do you handle writer’s block?

Ungraciously, with hit-and-miss results. Lately though, one of my biggest sources of writer’s block is the fact that I write for a living; it can be harder to write after spending the day … writing. Doing something different (like painting) helps a bit.

 

If one of your writing/book should be translated into Bahasa Malaysia, which one would you choose and why?

Maybe a poem I wrote on cultural influences and assimilation — it’d be interesting to see what it would look like in Bahasa Malaysia.

 

Date: 31 May 2023

29 May 2023

Ideas from Current News

K. Pragalath is a writer who works as a copy editor at a Malaysian news website. Previously he was a journalist with several news portals including Malaysiakini, Free Malaysia Today, Berita Daily, and The Leaders Online. Pragalath is also involved in digital marketing, especially content marketing, for a variety of sectors. He has also been involved in fiction writing and has authored two short stories in Bahasa Malaysia.

Pragalath was part of the Malaysian Writers and Readers Get Together event on 14 May 2023. He shares his writing experience in an interview conducted by Uthaya Sankar SB.

 

What was your ambition as a child?

I think it was a lawyer, thanks to all the English court room serials and Indian movies.

 

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

The need to be a writer was triggered when I realized that the pen is mightier than the sword.

 

Who are your favourite Malaysian authors?

This is a tough one since I don’t read many works of Malaysian writers. For Bahasa Malaysia at least, it would be Uthaya Sankar SB and some authors who published with Fixi.

 

Where do you get your ideas or information for your writings?

Current news and personal experiences.

 

Which was your hardest book/piece to write?

I haven’t come across yet since I haven’t written much.

 

What’s your latest writing project?

I haven’t written any in the immediate past.

 

What do you do when you are not writing or reading?

I watch movies and observe crowds.

 

Tell us about your full-time job.

I am currently a copy editor with a Malay news portal where I clear copies and rewrite news stories.

 

What does your family think of your writings?

They are supportive of my work.

 

How do you handle writer’s block?

I stop writing and do some other things instead of opting to overthink about it.

 

If one of your writing/book should be translated into another language, which one would you choose and why?

I am not very sure about that because the esthetics of a language tends to dissipate when it is translated to another language.

 

How would you promote/sell your books?

All social media platforms, including Facebook, would be used if I were to promote my books.

 

Date: 29 May 2023

Pencinta Genre Cinta dan Seram

Thanusya Shanmuganathan @ Meera Natasya merupakan graduan sarjana muda sastera dari Universiti Malaya (UM). Beliau sudah menghasilkan novel berjudul Tak Sengaja Cinta (2014), Cik Cemerkap vs Encik Selfie (2016), Savithri (2021) dan Hanya Kau Untukku (2022). Beliau juga aktif menulis skrip, cerpen, esei, dan sajak. Beliau aktif dalam Koperasi Penulis Nasional (KOPENA) dan Pertubuhan Sasterawan Kaum India (Kavyan).

Thanusya turut terlibat dalam Pertemuan Penulis dan Pembaca Malaysia pada 14 Mei 2023. Beliau berkongsi kisah tentang bidang penulisan dalam wawancara bersama Uthaya Sankar SB.

 

Apakah cita-cita anda semasa kecil?

Menjadi seorang doktor. Sejak kecil, saya suka membaca buku-buku sains milik abang sepupu saya yang cenderung dalam bidang tersebut. Namun, cita-cita tersebut terus berkubur selepas tamat Tingkatan 3 kerana keputusan Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) tidak melayakkan saya memasuki aliran Sains. Saya kemudiannya menumpukan perhatian kepada cita-cita kedua iaitu untuk menjadi seorang penulis.

 

Bilakah anda mula sedar anda mahu menjadi seorang penulis?

Saya mula menulis di bangku sekolah rendah, tetapi minat itu menjadi kepastian di universiti, selepas menyelesaikan tugasan pertama iaitu sebuah esei. Dalam esei itu, saya perlu menulis kesudahan alternatif bagi sebuah novel Melayu yang telah saya baca. Novel yang saya pilih ialah karya Sharifah Abu Salem, Gerimis Di Hati. Pada Ketika itu, cinta terhadap novel dan penulisan bertambah kukuh.

 

Siapakah antara penulis Malaysia kegemaran anda?

Bagi genre cinta, saya membaca karya-karya nukilan Sharifah Abu Salem, Damnya Hanna, Aina Emir, Aisya Sofea dan arwah Melur Jelita. Bagi genre seram pula, saya meminati karya-karya nukilan Ilya Abdullah, Saidee Nor Azam dan Maria Kajiwa.

 

Dari mana anda mendapat idea dan maklumat bagi penulisan?

Idea datang dari sekeliling saya, daripada pergaulan dan interaksi bersama orang lain, sama ada secara fizikal mahupun dalam alam maya. Selain itu, saya juga mendapat idea daripada bacaan buku serta novel, dan tontonan filem.

 

Karya manakah paling sukar untuk anda tulis/hasilkan?

Savithri yang mengambil masa tujuh tahun lamanya untuk ditulis dan diterbitkan. Setelah melalui penolakan oleh dua rumah penerbitan dan kegagalan menambat hati juri dalam Sayembara Berita Harian-ITBN-Pena pada tahun 2013, saya merombak semula cerita itu secara keseluruhannya pada 2021. Saya menyuntik maklumat baharu dalam karya tersebut bagi memukau pembaca.

 

Apakah projek penulisan terkini anda?

Menerbitkan semula karya pertama saya, Tak Sengaja Cinta dan karya kedua, Cik Cemerkap vs. Encik Selfie. Kedua-dua karya tersebut tidak lagi dijual di pasaran (out-of-print) dan hak penerbitan telah dipulangkan kepada saya oleh penerbit. Saya sedang menyunting dan menambahbaikkan karya-karya itu untuk diterbitkan di bawah syarikat Agni MN Media Resources dengan wajah yang baharu menjelang Disember 2023.

 

Apa yang anda suka lakukan selain membaca dan menulis?

Menonton filem melalui aplikasi YouTube dan Netflix, bersembang dengan kawan-kawan sekepala mengenai isu-isu semasa, jalan-jalan cari makan (foodie).

 

Ceritakan tentang pekerjaan anda.

Apabila saya tidak menulis, saya memakai topi seorang editor, penterjemah, pembaca pruf dan penulis skrip.

 

Apakah pandangan keluarga tentang penulisan anda?

Ahli keluarga yang telah membaca karya-karya saya memberikan maklum balas positif. Masih ada ahli keluarga yang belum pernah membaca karya-karya saya. Namun, saya tidak berhenti mempromosikan karya-karya saya kepada mereka. Mungkin satu hari nanti, mereka akan membeli jua.

 

Bagaimana anda menangani masalah writer’s block?

Saya akan berhenti menulis buat seketika dan mendengar lagu. Saya juga akan menonton filem yang bersesuaian dengan genre dan tema karya saya. Contohnya, jika karya saya bertemakan komedi romantik, saya akan menonton filem-filem yang sewaktu dengannya bagi menyerap mood atau feel.

 

Jika satu daripada karya/buku anda wajar diterjemah kepada bahasa Inggeris, mana satu yang akan anda pilih dan mengapa?

Novel Tak Sengaja Cinta kerana karya itu karya sulung saya dan mengandungi pelbagai unsur budaya masyarakat India yang boleh saya kongsikan dengan pembaca.

 

Bagaimana anda mempromosi/menjual buku anda?

Saya melakukan promosi di semua laman media sosial serta laman sesawang saya. Apabila ada duit lebih, saya akan mengaktifkan iklan di laman Facebook dan Instagram. Pautan semua laman media sosial saya [di sini].

 

Tarikh: 29 Mei 2023

28 May 2023

Ready to Experience the Dashavatars

Vignes Chandran, hailing from Malacca, is a free-spirited soul who finds happiness in discovering the world for what it really is, and not what it appears to be. Discovering life best through ventures such as hiking, deep-sea diving as well as exploring ancient civilizations across the globe, he also includes spirituality, history and mythology as other areas of interest, not to forget writing which has always been a passion of his. He has studied in both Malacca and Seremban in terms of primary and secondary education, and holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Cardiff Metropolitan University. Vignes has published 3 books to date, with the most recent being Shiva – The Unborn Eternal (2023), as well as Siddhartha Gauthama – A Journey with the Buddha (2021) and Mahabharata – The Eternal Epic in Short Stories (2020). Currently based in Malaysia, Vignes also calls Bali and India home, and feels completely at home high up in the mountains.

Vignes shares his creative journey in an interview conducted by Uthaya Sankar SB.

 

What was your ambition as a child?

I had a myriad of different ambitions, from a policeman to doctor to engineer, but nothing concrete to be totally honest. Every 2 years my ambition would change to reflect my interest at that moment of time. But even when I was a teenager, I knew that I wanted to write my own version of the Mahabharata, which I finally accomplished 3 years ago.

 

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

I have always enjoyed writing, even during my school days. I have never actually wanted to be a writer, but I continued writing (mainly articles) after school. And I have always wanted to write my own version of the Mahabharata, this occurred to me during my teenage years.

 

Where do you get your ideas or information for your writings?

The core of my writing is from my own explorations and experiences. While my books are loosely based on existing texts, scriptures and books of the past, I am a firm believer of writing my own stories, so every book that I write would be my own version of the story, and I would have visited locations and places related to the stories before putting them into print.

 

Which was your hardest book/piece to write?

None were actually difficult to write, but I struggled with time when I was writing my second book, Siddhartha Gauthama – A Journey with the Buddha. This is mainly due to me balancing full time work with the demands of writing this book at the same time. Book 3 was written differently, without the distraction of full time work.

 

What’s your latest writing project?

My next book will be on the 10 Avatars of Vishnu, famously known as the Dashavatars of Vishnu. I will be reliving the ten different incarnations of Lord Vishnu through my own experiences with each other them.

 

What do you do when you are not writing or reading?

I am a believer of balance; that all of us require balance in our lives to be able to live fully. I manage corporate real estate as my primary job, while I also take sabbaticals and breaks every now and then to travel extensively, hike, dive, explore different parts of the world and discover the world for what it really is from a first-hand experience. During a number of evenings I am found playing badminton or running at the local park.

 

How do you handle writer’s block?

To be completely honest, I have never encountered the infamous ‘writer’s block’.

 

How do you promote/sell your books?

My books are generally available directly through my Instagram account or via resellers (both online on platforms such as Shopee or local bookstores). From a promotion perspective, personally I utilize Instagram Ads to help promote my books.

 

Date: 28 May 2023

27 May 2023

Writer’s Block? I Declutter My Workspace!

Malini Lakshmi Bai is an author, English language teacher, and yoga enthusiast based in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. In addition to her interest in literature as a child, she was exposed to some reading early on due to her interest in history, culture, and tradition. Through writing short stories and poems in school, she became familiar with the world of writing. In 2009, Malini represented the school and district in several youth forums, debate, and public speaking competitions due to her penchant for writing in Bahasa Malaysia and English. “Ankh di Bilik 31” and “Lambaian dari Kashmir” are two short stories written by her and featured in Lakaran Diri (2022). Besides, Eksentrika published English poems by Malini, and Sastera Kavyan published her Bahasa Malaysia short stories.

Malini was part of the Malaysian Writers and Readers Get Together event on 14 May 2023. She shares her creative experience in an interview conducted by Uthaya Sankar SB.

 

What was your ambition as a child?

I was always fascinated to be a teacher.

 

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

When I was in my final year of undergraduate studies, I began thinking about becoming a writer. My diary was the first place I wrote down my ideas and thoughts. At that point of my life, I understood that it was a calling for me to be a writer.  

 

Who are your favourite Malaysian authors?

A. Samad Said, Uthaya Sankar SB, Anuradha Chelliah, M. Mahendran, K.S Maniam, Lee Su Kim, and Shivani Sivagurunathan. 

 

Where do you get your ideas or information for your writings?

Looking closely at what’s around. I love observing people and their interactions at a coffee shop. 

                     

Which was your hardest book/piece to write?

Struggles are there whenever I write but I remind myself to take a break and relax.

 

What’s your latest writing project?

Currently, I’m working on English poems; planning to publish them soon.

 

What do you do when you are not writing or reading?

It is a great pleasure for me to spend quality time with my little Pomeranian, sketching and painting, go out in nature, visit monasteries, meditate, practise yoga, and watch YouTube videos.

 

Tell us about your full-time job.

Currently, I am teaching English as a second language at an English language learning centre for senior students. In order to teach English, I create learning materials and plan engaging lessons that cover all aspects, whether written or verbal, of the language. Aside from that, I conduct ESL-related activities and programs.

 

What does your family think of your writings?

They feel happy and proud to have a writer living with them under one roof!

 

How do you handle writer’s block?

I declutter my workspace and display an image of something that inspires me to write.

 

If one of your writing/book should be translated into English, which one would you choose and why?

“Ankh di Bilik 31” which was published in Lakaran Diri (2022). To me, it was not just about writing the short story but a complete mystical journey.

 

How do you promote/sell your books?

As of right now, I don't have any books of my own but the short stories and poems that I have written have been published in local anthologies and also on websites. Social media, including Facebook, is usually where I promote them.

 

Date: 27 May 2023

25 May 2023

Sometimes, I Just Sit and Dream

Anuradha Chelliah hails from Banting, Selangor. She received her primary and secondary education at her birth place before continuing her tertiary education at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in the field of Human Development. She also completed her Masters in Teaching English as Second Language (TESL) from the same university. Anuradha writes extensively in Bahasa Malaysia and in English. Her poems, essays and short stories have appeared in Anak Sastra, Iris Magazine, Eksentrika, The Star and Malaysia Indian Anthology. Her writings are also published in Sastera Kavyan. Busana Bahasa (2019), Landasan Hidup (2020), Peluru Aksara (2021), Meredah Kabus (2021) and Suara (Sepihan Memorabilia 2020) are some of the anthologies that features her writings in Bahasa Malaysia. She also has poems published in Dewan Budaya by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). Anuradha has been an associate editor for projects on short stories - Ikan Patin dan Beruang Besar (2017), Karupaya (2018) and Thirukkural dan Megha Duta (2018) under Kumpulan Saterawan Kavyan (Kavyan).

Anuradha was part of the Malaysian Writers and Readers Get Together event on 14 May 2023. She shares her creative experience in an interview conducted by Uthaya Sankar SB.

 

What was your ambition as a child?

The common ambition that most kids from Indian families would have – to be a doctor, an engineer, or a lawyer. At one point, I just wanted to sail and travel around the world hoping that it would happen without me waiting for a monthly salary.

 

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

I think it just happened and it was not planned because I never thought that I would write. I used to write or just scribble words that came to my mind in my books and note pads. Short quotes, poems, and I just wrote about whatever happens around me. Probably, that made me write and continue writing.

 

Who are your favourite Malaysian authors?

I enjoy Malachi Edwin Vethamani’s unique poems and short stories, Uthaya Sankar SB’s extraordinary short stories and essays, and Fa Abdul’s bold articles.

 

Where do you get your ideas or information for your writings?      

My senses get attracted to the surroundings and I pen them simply by looking, listening, and feeling everything around me. They give me the best ideas – being attentive by looking at little things, paying attention to the sounds and the emotions around me. Sometimes, I just sit and dream for the ideas to come.

 

Which was your hardest book/piece to write?

Nothing was hard because I only write when I want to write. I do struggle at the midst of writing, but I will somehow get over it and continue with my writing. I just need a space without disturbance for a few hours when I am into it. I might take a few days as well.

 

What’s your latest writing project?

I’m trying my best to write about women who inspire me, but I don’t seem to be getting there. I’m finding it so difficult to sit and write although everything seems to be running in my head. It’s like (scattered) all over and I have to put them in writing. I have to do it soon.

 

What do you do when you are not writing or reading?

I do yoga and bits of gardening as I have a small space beside my house. It’s just for the fun of it. It’s a great satisfaction to see flowers blooming, and eating the mangoes plucked from your own mango tree. I pluck my own curry leaves when I cook. I also listen to talks on YouTube and watch movies.

 

Tell us about your full-time job.

I teach in a primary school, and I like what I do.  I’m teaching younger kids these days and it makes my day when they do their work beautifully and greet me whenever and wherever they see me. The energy that the kids have boosts my energy as well. I have to be really active and keep up to their pace.

 

What does your family think of your writings?

No one has really commented on it, but I think they like what I write because they read some of my writings although not all. I know they are happy that there’s someone who writes in the family, so I don’t mind whether they read my writings or not. They do encourage me to write by asking me to write on something, but I prefer to write what I want.

 

How do you handle writer’s block?

I just shut everything, go for a walk, and forget about what I was writing. A little break is really needed to get back into the momentum and I might just get some better ideas from my circle.

 

If one of your writing/book should be translated into English, which one would you choose and why?

I think it would be “Pulang Bersama Teman” which is in the Landasan Hidup anthology because it was a bold attempt to write such a story. I was very reluctant at the beginning to do it but just went ahead and did it.

 

How do you promote/sell your books?

I don’t really have a book of my own. Most of my books are anthologies and compilations of short stories or poems together with other writers. So, I just promote them on Facebook. Those who are keen do get in touch with me to purchase the books.

 

Date: 25 May 2023

Pengalaman Jadi Sumber Cerita

M. Mahendran (M. Prabhu) berasal dari Bentong, Pahang. Beliau mula menulis cerpen Bahasa Malaysia dan Tamil pada tahun 1987. Cerpen-cerpen Mahendran termuat dalam antologi seperti Menara (1988), Menara 4 (1991), Tanpa Mengira Warna (1993), Vanakam (2002), Segugus Aksara Sealur Kasih (2003), Busana Bahasa (2019), Landasan Hidup (2020), Peluru Aksara (2020) dan Lakaran Diri (2022). Beliau juga menterjemah kumpulan cerpen penulis veteran Tamil, mendiang M. Ramaiah, lalu terbit dengan judul Mimpi dan Impian (2013). Kumpulan cerpen sulung Mahendran dalam Bahasa Malaysia berjudul Karupaya (2018) manakala kumpulan cerpen sulung bahasa Tamil berjudul Thalaivar (2021). Mahendran juga salah seorang pengasas Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan (Kavyan) pada tahun 1999.

Ikuti wawancara Mahendran bersama Uthaya Sankar SB.

 

Apakah cita-cita anda semasa kecil?

Cita-cita semasa kecil adalah untuk menjadi  pegawai polis atau pun C.I.D. Ini adalah pengaruh daripada membaca buku tulisan Enid Blyton dan kemudian hendak menjadi pelakon pula. Lama-kelamaan cita-cita itu hilang begitu sahaja tanpa sebab.

 

Bilakah anda mula sedar anda mahu menjadi seorang penulis?

Menulis sudah bermula sejak di sekolah rendah. Maksud saya, saya mula menulis ke majalah tahunan sekolah. Setiap tahun karangan pendek saya disiarkan sama ada dalam Bahasa Malaysia, Tamil atau Inggeris. Semasa di sekolah menengah pula saya menulis surat pembaca setiap minggu ke akhbar-akhbar Tamil. Pada usia yang ke-18 baru saya sedar saya perlu hasilkan karya kreatif, bukan menulis surat pembaca semata-mata.

Hasil pembacaan novel dan cerpen berterusan ketika itu, mendetik dalam diri ini untuk menulis cerpen. Cerpen pertama saya adalah dalam bahasa Tamil disiarkan dalam majalah mingguan Mayil pada tahun 1987 dan cerpen “Karupaya” dalam Bahasa Malaysia ditulis pada tahun yang sama diterbitkan dalam antologi Menara (1988).

 

Siapakah antara penulis Malaysia kegemaran anda?

A. Samad Said, A. Samad Ismail, Azizi Hj. Abdullah, Khadijah Hashim, Abdullah Hussain, Shahnon Ahmad, Uthaya Sankar SB dan Ted Miles. Terkini, saya meminati beberapa orang penulis yang menulis untuk terbitan FIXI.

 

Dari mana anda mendapat idea dan maklumat bagi penulisan?

Idea untuk penulisan  datang dari kisah-kisah yang dilihat dan dibaca.  Ada juga kisah yang diambil daripada pengalaman sendiri dan orang lain. Jika peristiwa itu kita sendiri mengalaminya dan ditulis, kisah itu pasti ‘hidup’.

                     

Karya manakah paling sukar untuk anda tulis/hasilkan?

Setiap cerpen yang dihasilkan sukar pada awalnya. Apabila sudah masuk ke dalam penceritaan ia akan menjadi mudah. Cuma pengakhiran setiap karya juga menyukarkan. Namun cerpen saya yang bertajuk “3030” agak sukar semasa menulis sebab kisah itu adalah gabungan antara cerita rakyat dan futuristik.

 

Apakah projek penulisan terkini anda?

Tidak ada apa-apa dihasilkan setakat tarikh wawancara ini. Namun beberapa kisah sentiasa bermain di minda untuk hasilkan cerpen.

 

Apa yang anda suka lakukan selain membaca dan menulis?

Kebanyakan masa dihabiskan di laman sosial, menonton filem di Netflix, berjalan (senaman) selain waktu kerja yang panjang.

 

Apakah pandangan keluarga tentang penulisan anda?

Mereka rasa bangga dan ada antara ahli keluarga menjadi penulis.

 

Bagaimana anda menangani masalah writer’s block?

Untuk menangani masalah ini saya akan membaca buku mengenai penulisan dan menonton YouTube dalam topik yang sama.

 

Jika satu daripada karya/buku anda wajar diterjemah kepada bahasa Inggeris, mana satu yang akan anda pilih dan mengapa?

Saya akan memilih cerpen saya yang bertajuk “Demi Revathy Kutty” untuk diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Inggeris. Cerpen itu adalah mengenai pergolakan seorang wanita India dari estet yang berhijrah ke bandar sekitar pertengahan tahun 80-an.

 

Bagaimana anda mempromosi/menjual buku anda?

Buku-buku saya dipromosikan dan dijual secara dalam talian seperti Facebook dan WhatsApp.

 

Tarikh: 24 Mei 2023