Ted Mahsun

I'd have to agree with Eyeris on this: Reading is cool, ok? It makes you look intellectual, and shows you actually have a brain beneath all that gelled dyed hair. Oklar, maybe in your eyes being seen with a book is not as cool as being seen in some Beemer or a SLK; but heck, I'd rather be able to strike up a conversation with a girl PROPERLY, rather than just sidling up to her and going, "Hey, How you doing? Wanna take a ride in my SLK?". How shallow did you think she is?

I'm surprised to read that while Diane Setterfield's debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale , is doing good and has sold 70k copies in the US in the first week of its launch, British sales have been far from remarkable at only 600 copies sold in that same week. Is it because the British are sick of reading about the exploits of crazy women running about in the rain on the moors of Yorkshire? Do gothic novels bore the pants off people? Aw, come on... Jane Eyre and Rebecca weren't so bad, were they?

It sounds almost too good to be true. A Chinese 11-year-old kid writes a fantasy novel about warring birds. She submits it to a US publisher (who usually doesn't accept unagented submissions) and they agree to publish it. Kid must be a freaking genius. I'm jealous : Born in Beijing in 1993, Fan lived in New York with her parents from the age of seven, graduating 'with excellence' from an elementary school there in 2004. When she was in sixth grade, at the age of 11, she was taught about terrorism and the events of 9/11. That night, she explains, she had a startling dream all about birds at war and the next day she started writing Swordbird in her bedroom as a way of trying to convey her worries about violence in the world. She now lives back in China, on the beautiful Hainan Island with her parents and their three pet birds. The girl, now 13, is a compulsive writer and reader who spends most of her time in the library, but she also loves bird-watching and martial arts....

Nice to know that Murakami won the Frank O'Conner International Short Story Prize, and is sharing the booty with his translators, Jay Rubin and Philip Gabriel.

From the American Library Association : Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2006, marks BBW's 25th anniversary (September 23-30). BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met. Of course, as Malaysians, we don't have that much democratic or intellectual freedom, but we do have more of it than some nations. I guess that's something to be thankful for. More intellectual freedom would be nice though. It'd be great if our government stopped treating us like chil...

It's Ramadan. I've resolved to stay far away. Far away from bookstores. For the duration of Ramadan. I'm fasting all right. I'm fasting from buying books. Wish me luck.

Seems everytime I go in the direction of Bangsar, it rains. And boy, does it rain. Visibly was really bad on the NPE at around 3pm. The rain eased a little when I got near the Bangsar LRT station, but traffic just decided not to move, so I got stuck there for a while. Might have reached this month's Readings at Seksen's 67 Lorong Tempinis on time if it weren't for the jam. But then again, I probably wouldn't have come at all in the first place. Azman, the Streamyx contractor had called me a couple of weeks earlier to tell me that he and his Gang of Installers would be paying me a visit on the 23rd to get my wireless internet up and running. (Irony paid a visit too when Maxis dropped a leaflet in the mailbox announcing the arrival of their new wired broadband plan this morning. I hate Puchong.) He said they would come at 4pm, right when Readings would be scheduled. Thank goodness he decided to come a little earlier, so that was how I found myself in Bangsar for the Read...

Some authors were made to write novel-length prose. Some were born to write words in short story chunks. Then there are those who manage to do both well. I'm not sure which categorisation Rose Tremain would fit in - if one would even dare to do so - but let me take a gamble: I have a sneaking suspicion she belongs in the first category. Having won the Whitbread Novel of the Year in 1996 for Music and Silence and received praising reviews for her latest novel, The Colour , Rose Tremain is undeniably a good novelist. It was with this knowledge I armed myself with before expecting to enjoy her latest collection of twelve short stories, The Darkness of Wallis Simpson . The title story imagines the last years of Wallis Simpson, the twice-divorced American who King Edward VIII abdicated for in 1936. Tremain takes this true story and spins it into a tale filled with whimsy and irony. Wallis Simpson is dying but why can she only remember her first two husbands - one abusive the other kind...

There is nothing I want to blog about today. Except for this .

Avast ye scallywags! Today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day ! ARRRR!!! So why not ye drag along a buxom wench and a barrel o' rum, and read the books of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie? It'll do ye a world of good, ye scurvy dog, or it's the plank for ye! ARRRRR!!!

I was alerted by Sharon's post about the Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim planning to submit a proposal to revise the National Book Policy yesterday, and two questions immediately came to mind. 1) We have a National Book Policy? 2) What does the National Book Policy say about books anyway ? Since I don't have the time to drop by my favourite legal bookstore (probably because I don't know where to find one) to get myself a copy of the latest edition of Dasar Buku Negara , I did a little googling around and this is what I found : The National Book Policy was approved by the Cabinet in 1985 and was drafted to ensure that books in the Malay language play an effective role as as a tool for the development of the social and cultural mind in line with the country's needs and ambition; books are enjoyed by all levels of society in this country; people in this country have a strong interest in reading; books published in this country achieve a ...

Found this interview with Paul Buckley , the art director for book cover design at Penguin US via Boingboing. The awesome cover for the US edition of Marisha Pessl's Special Topics in Calamity Physics is his handiwork, and its much better than the yuckworthy UK edition : ( left: US edition, right: UK edition ) In the interview, he mentions commissioning the work of artists such as Frank Miller ( Sin City ), Art Spiegelman ( Maus ) and Chester Brown ( Yummy Fur ), which really give the book covers a cool edge, such as this edition of Lady Chatterley's Lover for the Penguin Classics Deluxe imprint: Now, that's a book worth owning just for the cover alone.

Been busy of late (which is why I'm blogging and doing my laundry at 3am), but I did manage to take time off to visit the Times Warehouse Sale. I couldn't resist... I blame mum. Loads of good books to be had for RM8 each, which I don't know is a good thing or a bad thing. Anyway, managed to drag myself away with: The Viceroy of Ouidah by Bruce Chatwin Ten Novels and Their Authors by W. Somerset Maugham number9dream by David Mitchell Literary Occasions: Essays by V.S. Naipaul The Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman The Book That Changed My Life edited by Diane Osen Sideways by Rex Pickett Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama Just a Geek by Wil Wheaton

And the Booker Prize shortlist nominees are: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai The Secret River by Kate Grenville Carry Me Down by M.J. Hyland In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar Mother’s Milk by Edward St Aubyn The Night Watch by Sarah Waters Links: Eric Forbes has covers of the shortlisted (so you know what to look for in stores) Maud Newton has interviews and reviews Penguin's beside themselves over the choice of Hisham Matar and Kiran Desai. Guardian has an overview writeup

From Sharon : The next "Readings" in our monthly series of readings will be held next Saturday, 23rd September, 2006, with the aim of showcasing local writers and encouraging new talent. We have a very exciting and varied line-up for you, so come and join us for an afternoon of words, wit and wine! Reading this time: Jit Murad Aneeta Sundararaj Xeus Patricia Sykes Amir Hafizi Joy Teh Time: 3.30pm Date: 23rd September 2006 Place: 67, Lorong Tempinis Satu, Lucky Garden, Bangsar (for directions check www.seksan.com) "Readings" is initiated by Bernice Chauly, and is currently organized by Sharon Bakar and made possible by the gracious sponsorship of Seksan from 67 Tempinis Satu and La Bodega. Sharon Bakar Writer/ teacher hp: 012-6848835 sbakar@streamyx.com http://thebookaholic.blogspot.com

Why does an author need an agent? Aneeta Sundararaj interviews literary agent, Janet Grant: The publishing world is an ever-changing universe, with personnel changes and publishing houses buying other publishing houses. It’s almost dizzying to keep track of all the changes. A literary agent is like a still-point in a turning universe. Once you secure an agent, that person will hopefully guide you through your entire career, helping you to decide what you’ll write next, placing your work with the appropriate house, and dealing with the business side of publishing, which frees you up to concentrate on the creative side. And when things go wrong—as they inevitably will—your agent is there to step in and to help resolve the problem. Do also check out Janet Grant's website .

Just when you thought your wallet was safe... I received the following information in an email from the lovely Laydiefa : Times The Bookshop is organizing its year end warehouse sale. Details are as follows: Date: 15th Sept - 24th Sept 2006 (15th Sept - TPC Member Special Preview) Time: 12pm - 8pm (preview & weekday); 10am - 8pm (weekend) Contact: 012-608 3569 Venue: 2nd Floor, Dataran Hamodal, Block A, (behind Colgate), Jln Bersatu 13/4, Seksyen 13, 46200, PJ Please PRESENT your TPC card upon entering for the preview day. And here's a map: Those peeps at Times are truly evil! It's bad enough we've all spent our lifesavings at Payless earlier in the month, why would anyone want to hold a warehouse sale at the end of the month when the salary's been squandered?!? They always do this!!! *jumps up and down raging and seething*

I've waxed lyrical over Diane Setterfield's Thirteenth Tale before , and now that her book is out in both US (released two days ago) and UK, the book's publisher's marketing machine is at full force. With her book auctioned off for $1m in the US and £800,000 in the UK, it's no surprise the publishers are making sure they'll be getting their investment back. But how is the author getting on now that she's had her first novel published (and is richer)? From the Yorkshire Post : "I do miss the washing up – it was part of my quiet afternoon time when I was allowed to think," she says, adding: "I do miss writing very badly." I'm nearly halfway through her book, and there isn't one bit at all I don't like about it so far...

Between the ages of 5 and 10, I lived with my parents in the city of Bath . I was sent to a school called Moorlands Infant School (later Junior), which claimed to be built on the grounds of the house where Anna Sewell, author of Black Beauty , lived. The school logo was a stylised black horse, preparing to jump. It was here I first discovered Roald Dahl. I don't remember which teacher read it to us in class; perhaps it was Ms. Telliere with her impossible to spell French name, or was it Mr. Peak, who always got angry at me for not wanting to write my weekend diary? I'm not even sure which Roald Dahl story was read, but I have a sneaking suspicion it was The Magic Finger . I must have told my dad about it when I came home that day because the next thing I knew Dad came home with more Roald Dahl books - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, Fantastic Mr. Fox, BFG, The Witches . In school we were thought to love reading, and I learned to love reading Roald Dahl. My most impo...

13th September is Roald Dahl's birthday , and tomorrow he would have celebrated his 90th birthday. Plans are afoot for a worldwide celebration and MPH is thankfully joining in on the fun: Roald Dahl’s Birthday Celebration Celebrate the birthday of the infamous Roald Dahl, author of various bestselling books including Charlie and The Chocolate Factory , Matilda , BFG and Fantastic Mr. Fox . There will be lots of children activities such as story telling, colouring contest, quizzes, word games and most importantly lots of prizes to be won! So make sure you bring your friends along that day! MPH MidValley: 16 September, 2.00-3.00pm MPH 1Utama: 23 September, 2.00-3.00pm Parents can sit at ease that I won't be jumping out of the shelves and guerrilla-reading stories from Switch Bitch or excerpts from Uncle Oswald's diary. Perhaps on his 100th birthday.