The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: 03 Jul 2011 02:47 AM PDT IT'S time to exercise your right to vote — for good reads, that is. The Popular-The Star Readers Choice Awards is into its fourth year and will, once again, honour local authors and publishers – and reward you, the reader. As in previous years, submit your selection of your top three choices in the fiction and non-fiction categories based on the lists in the entry form on the right. If you are one of 100 readers whose ranking matches the overall vote, you will receive a RM50 Popular gift voucher as well as a one-year-free-membership Popular card. And, of course, we will also reward the authors of your choice: the top three in each category will receive cash, trophies and certificates of recognition. To vote, fill in the entry form on the right and follow the submission instructions; forms are also available at all Popular and Harris bookstores nationwide and can be downloaded from popular.com.my and bookfestmalaysia.com. To vote online, go to thestar.com.my (look for the rotating gallery of images under the "Multimedia" strap and keep refreshing your screen until you see the Readers' Choice Awards contest). You can also text your vote via SMS (instructions in entry form). You have until July 17, 2011, to submit your vote. For those who haven't read all the books, you can get a 20% discount on each title at all Popular and Harris bookstores until Oct 2, 2011. If you'd like to see our previous introductions of the 20 titles in contention, go to The Star Online (thestar.com.my) and access the 365-day archives (under "More" in the blue menu bar). The Popular-The Star Readers' Choice Awards 2011 are a precursor to BookFest@Malaysia 2011, which will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from Aug 27 to Sept 4. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Posted: 03 Jul 2011 02:46 AM PDT Thinking of becoming a best-selling author and travelling the world on a book promotion tour? With tons of hard work and a stroke of luck, it could just happen. We talked to the people in the industry for a behind-the-scenes peek. ONE publisher appeals for more fiction writers, while another is hoping for more non-fiction writers in the Malaysian writing scene. Well, it's all about a chain reaction, says Ezra Zaid, 27, head of his four-year-old publishing company, ZI Publications Sdn Bhd in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. "In our country the importance of reading is still not being inculcated in homes or schools, and somewhere along the way of memorizing answers we have lost people who take pleasure in reading. If we don't encourage reading, there will be no writing, no demand for books and authors," Ezra says. "We really need more quality writers locally and we need more fiction writers!" Ezra points out, adding, "Apart from a good command of the language, writers need to be open to criticism and be able to provide readers with something different or unique. They should bear in mind that they are competing with hundreds of books, locally and internationally, of a similar subject matter." Ezra explains that there has to be a culture in which local writers edit their own work and present their writing in a better way, adding that "a lot of writers don't commit to that process." "When we vet a manuscript, as a publisher, we will look for further improvements in the presentation and grammar, and we need to ensure that the style is consistent with what we are looking for, so writers need to be a bit more familiar with what a publisher looks at," he says. From his experience he says that authors can be a very proud bunch of people! "They have a right to be proud of their work, but by being over-protective of it, they can miss out on being open to criticism, especially the constructive type that could help improve their work," he says. In Malaysia Ezra feels that the best way for an author to make a lot of money would be to enter the Malay language market, the biggest here. Call for non-fiction Chong Ton Sin, 63, has been in the publishing business for 11 years; his company, SIRD (Strategic Information and Research Development Centre) is an independent scholarly publishing house. With that sort of focus, he is naturally hoping that more Malaysians will write about our culture, social issues, history, gender issues, and other local issues, as "there is a lack of good books and factually correct information on these topics." Chong would like authors to know that they should not just send a manuscript over and expect the publisher to do all the work for them. "Authors should learn to be professional by submitting a synopsis of the book, a content page, target readership, and a proposal on why the book should be published. Only if the proposal is interesting will the writer be asked to submit the manuscript," Chong says. Over the years Chong has seen an increase in young writers (he means those between 25 and 40) submitting their work but, unfortunately, the standard of English is low and SIRD has rejected many a manuscript due to poor language skills, a bad style of writing and unimpressive content. "A writer needs good language skills along with ability to tell a story in a fluid structure otherwise people will have no interest in reading their work. Even a political book can be written with humour – but facts must always be checked," he says. Once a manuscript is accepted, Chong says that an agreement will be drawn up between publisher and author; the publisher will usually bear the production costs. Sometimes, though, a book can be really good but difficult to sell because of its subject matter, perhaps; in such a case, the publisher and author will share production costs. Chong says that if you pick a topic that many people have written about, then you have to make it a lot better in terms of writing style and packaging. On the other hand, he says, "If you pick a difficult topic such as philosophy or personal material on a well-known person, then you have to ensure that your work is backed up with research and facts." Research, research, research Yvonne Lee Shu Yee, 39, was a former flight attendant with Malaysia Airlines for six years until 1995, when she quit to become a full-time housewife and mother. She is the author of three books, The Sky Is Crazy, Vanity Drive: The Vagaries Of One Woman's Vanity, and Madness Aboard. And she's a been a nominee every year in the Popular-The Star Readers' Choice Awards from their inception in 2008! How did she get started on this successful path? Lee started writing letters to The Star first, and then began submitting articles on various topics that were – eventually, after many tries and much rejection! – published. Along with the manuscript of her first book, The Sky Is Crazy, Lee says that she took along her portfolio of writing for newspapers and magazines when she went to meet the publishers. "I was a first time author and that portfolio gave me a head start in my meetings with publishers who didn't know anything about me," says Lee. Lee says that she did some research on the topic of her first book and found that there were such books written by overseas authors but none locally or even in Singapore – so choosing the right topic and finding out if it's marketable is important, before embarking on writing a book, she points out. She also found out the minimum word count required for a book to be marketable, so she developed her first book with 30 chapters in mind and about 50,000 words. "For new authors, it pays to ask other published authors about their experience in dealing with the various publishers. You need to find out things like their history of payment, transparency in their accounting, copyright and royalty issues, and extensiveness of their distribution network," says Lee who met several publishers before finding her match with her current publisher, Marshall Cavendish. Lee recalls being anxious after she handed over the manuscript of her first book to the publisher as she feared that her ideas could be stolen and her hard work would amount to nothing. "Later, I learnt from a friend that I should have mailed a copy of my manuscript to myself before sending the manuscript to a publisher, and keep the envelope sealed. In the event of a court case, I would have this postmark to prove that I was the author of the manuscript that was stolen," she says. After publishing her books, Lee says the toughest part was getting publicity, but she managed to secure a lot of interviews with the press on her own, with some arranged through her publisher. Lee also worked at building rapport with all the bookstores to try and get her book prominently displayed and promoted. "To be an author you really need to be thick skinned and get as much publicity as possible otherwise no one will know about your book and it won't sell," she advises. With encouraging sales from her first book even after five years, her publisher asked Lee to come up with a sequel, and so Lee produced her third book, Madness Aboard. "I wouldn't recommend anyone to be an author for the glamour attached to it or for an ego trip, because it's really hard work. You should really love writing, the process of doing research and you need to like crafting words," Lee advises. Oh what a feeling! In 2005, after nine years as a copywriter in advertising, Brian Andrew Gomez, 36, decided to quit his job and write the book that he had been toying with for sometime. While writing his first fiction novel, Devil's Place, Gomez – a Johorean who has lived in KL for the last 16 years – says he didn't make a conscious effort to tailor his book towards the Malaysian or international market, and just wrote as it pleased him. "What I find interesting about writing is that I write from sentence to sentence and I have no idea how the story will pan out. I am discovering the storyline as I write, and that's the fun part for me," he says. "That's why I needed to quit my job (had saved up enough to spend eight months writing his book) and focus on writing. There were days I would stare at a blank screen until the story revealed itself, and there were days when things simply spilled out," says Gomez who is now a full time freelance copywriter who also directs commercials and does corporate videos. Gomez had no idea that he seriously wanted to publish his book until it was completed; only then did he begin looking for a publisher. He had no contacts and while shopping around for one he was contacted by a reputable Singaporean publisher who told him that he would love to publish his book but it was "too risky", so he was advised to self-publish it. "Financially, it made sense to me because if I went through a publisher I would only take 40% of the profits while the rest goes to the publisher. So I decided to do it on my own," Gomez explains. Gomez says that he had the impression that local publishers would not publish "risky" stuff but only later on – after publishing his own book – he found out that he was wrong and that they are quite brave – especially considering that in Malaysia a book can be removed from the book shelves without any reasons given, he adds. In 2008, he took additional jobs to raise about RM10,000 to print his books. With the help of a friend who designed the cover and his girlfriend who proofread his book, he edited it himself and then went ahead with printing. Brimming with confidence, Gomez printed 3,000 copies and laid out 50 stacks of his books at his book launch. He even organised that himself, holding it at a bar in Hartamas, KL (where he was playing the guitar); he also managed to get MPH to distribute his books so that it was available in all major bookstores. "I remember Amir Muhammad (who attended the launch) commenting that I was very optimistic when he saw the 50 stacks – and I still am!," Gomez says with a laugh. Since his book was launched in November 2010 Gomez is pleased to be able to say that he has managed to sell over 2,000 copies. Citing dumb luck, Gomez says he met an Italian publisher (who was in KL looking for stories from the Asian region to be published in Italy) at Readings, a monthly gathering of writers organised by Sharon Bakar, a freelance writer, creative writing teacher and teacher-trainer. The Italian publisher, Metropoli d'Asia, was impressed with his book and signed him on. Eight months after signing the contract, Gomez found himself touring Italy promoting his book, which had been translated into Italian. He believes that, while writing is a different experience for different people, "If you want to write, then just do it first and don't worry whether it will be censored, or if you will get rich, because once you complete a book the feeling you get tops anything else, whether it gets published or sells thousands of copies." That feeling ensured that he still has no regrets publishing his book, even though Gomez says he isn't rich – yet – from sales of Devil's Place and that after using up all his savings travelling during the eight months he spent writing his book and then covering production and publicity costs, he had to go back to work to make a living. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Posted: 03 Jul 2011 02:26 AM PDT Journalist-filmmaker Zan Azlee has a penchant for making documentaries in war zones ... and for Patani-style nasi kerabu. SOME years ago, Zan Azlee was this long-haired young guy that I knew from his short films that were screened at Kelab Seni Filem Malaysia's regular short-film showcases. The short films he made with his friends were whimsical comedies, with a touch of Kevin Smith's slacker absurdism. He also made a few documentaries with intriguing subjcect matter, such as R.A.H.M.A.N., which is about the strange belief that the first letter in the name of Malaysia's successive prime ministers follow those initials. (You can now watch R.A.H.M.A.N. on YouTube.) Now, Zan has turned into an intrepid, tough-as-nails, hardened journalist-filmmaker who has gone to some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones, dodging bullets and landmines, tracking down terrorists and George W. Bush with equal fervour. Well, not really. But he is still a gutsy journalist-filmmaker who has gone to some war zones and conflict hotspots to get his stories on film. When we met last week for this interview, I said I still remember him as that long-haired, small-time filmmaker who made comedic short films and interesting documentaries. "Small-time, huh? I carry a big stick, you know!" the 33-year-old laughed. That's Zan, never without a smile or a laugh, always a riot to hang out with. It might be a little difficult then, to imagine him in the company of war journalists because he is such an amiable and likeable guy (he would probably say he's too damn good-looking, too). Yet, while he doesn't have the scars to prove it (and hopefully never will!), Zan does have a book and a film to showcase his 2008 adventures in strife-torn Patani, Thailand. Patani was involved in the South Thailand separatist campaign along with two other provinces, Narathiwat and Yala. There were daily reports of bombings and shootings, and the hotel where Zan stayed had earlier been the target of a bomb attack. The book, Operation Nasi Kerabu: Finding Patani In An Islamic Insurgency, details the making of his documentary, The Life And Times Of An Islamic Insurgency, which, in 2009, was unceremoniously held back just two days before it was scheduled to be shown on Ntv7. The film was, however, screened at the Islam Today Arts And Culture Festival at the University of California and at the 6th World Islamic Economic Forum in KL last year. The book was launched at the KL Alternative Book Fest last month. If it sounds like he became a war journalist overnight, in reality it isn't so. Zan has been a journalist since 2000, working in print and broadcast and on the Internet. "I've always wanted to make documentaries and even went to study broadcast journalism in the UK right after Sept 11. Just imagine the body searches I had to go through at the airport!" he laughs. His hero is Sean Langan, the documentary filmmaker for the BBC and Channel 4 UK, and he also likes the "comedy war journalism" by Chris Ayres and Kim Baker. It shows in Zan's debut as an author. Amidst all the serious observations about the conflict in Patani are bursts of comedic moments seamlessly worked into the proceedings. Even so, it wasn't really a laughing matter going into Patani by boat across a river. In the book, Zan wrote about how he had expected to hear constant gunshots and explosions when he got there because exaggerated news reports had scared him half out of his wits. "Yes, I was scared!" says Zan. "You try going to a town known for random bomb blasts and sniper shootings! And there were soldiers everywhere! It didn't help that my 'fixer' put me up in a hotel that was a prime target for terrorist bombings! "But having a fixer definitely helped to ease my nervousness, compared to when I went to Beirut like a headless chicken not knowing anything in 2007." Zan says he chose to go to Patani because the people there are Malay Muslims and he feels a certain kinship with them. Once he arrived there, he found that the impression from those news reports that had left him quaking in his shoes was not quite accurate. "It is not as tense as what the media makes it out to be," says Zan. "People are still going about their normal lives even though there is a threat. And that is exactly what I want to show in my book and film, the normalcy of life in abnormal situations." But it was still rather tense for a visitor like him, encountering military checkpoints, soldiers and Humvees everywhere he went with Tuwaedaniya Meringing, or Daniya, his fixer. "When I was driving around with Daniya, he would get calls saying that a shooting had just occurred somewhere," says Zan. "One time, I was interviewing a primary school teacher on the school's premises when a group of armed soldiers interrupted us to inspect the classrooms, which were filled with students." Apart from the surprising discovery that Patani nasi kerabu (herbed rice served with a variety of accompaniments) is different and tastier than our local version (hence the title of the book), Zan was also surprised by how much Malay history and culture there was there. "Because the locals feel that they are being oppressed and their culture being taken away from them, they put in a lot of effort to preserve and propagate it," says Zan. "I also admire the resilience of the people there in dealing with the conflict and violence. The civilians actually ignore it all and just go on living." "Images of motorcycles with seats open and parked in the middle of the road (required by law so the authorities can detect motorcycle bombs) all around town is another thing that has stayed fresh in my mind. It was like a whole new rempit trend!" he laughs. There was also another important thing that Zan learned, and this came from his fixer, Daniya, who is also a seasoned journalist. "Have you heard of the term 'peace journalism'?" Daniya asked him one day. "Peace journalism is a method whereby the media, or journalists in particular, write stories in order to promote peace and avoid conflict." Peace journalism is, in fact, something Zan had always believed in even before he learned of the term. His approach to stories has always been to make them as simple and accessible as possible, mostly for the benefit of the youth because he feels they are indifferent to social issues and current affairs. "I like to think that my humour can (make his stories accessible)," says Zan. "I also want to show positive elements when it comes to war and conflict, such as hope, resilience, happiness and faith. I'm not too interested in showing violence and its effects because there's just too much of it in the media already." Today, Zan is constantly busy with projects, from writing, producing or directing shows for Astro and AXN to doing commissioned work for news channel Al-Jazeera. He is also a correspondent for Metropolis TV, a Dutch TV documentary series on the VPRO channel, and VJ Movement, a Dutch-based video-journalism news agency. Apart from his regular column for an online news portal, he also produces short, non-fiction videos for his website, Fatbidin.tv (part of his company Fat Bidin Media). "Currently, I have a few series on the site," says Zan. "We The People is a series of videos about the common folk in Malaysia and what their lives are about; The P1 Net Show is a reality series about the goings-on of the company P1 Wimax; BMX Malaysia is a series about the sport of BMX in Malaysia; and Fat Bidin Presents is where I serialise all my feature documentaries." Another one of his journalistic "activities" is his marriage to a fellow journalist, Ntv7 news anchor Jasmine Abu Bakar. They now have a baby girl. But domestication is not going to stop Zan from going into war zones again, it seems. Next stop: Afghanistan in September. "I want to make a documentary film about a KLite, me, travelling in Afghanistan," says Zan. "And I definitely want to write a book about it, too." Operation Nasi Kerabu: Finding Patani In An Islamic Insurgency, published by ZI Publications, is available at all major bookstores and comes with a DVD of the documentary, The Life And Times Of An Islamic Insurgency. You can follow the further adventures of Zan Azlee at fatbidin.com. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
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