Gathering for book lovers By TERENCE TOH star2@thestar.com.my

Gathering for book lovers

By TERENCE TOH
star2@thestar.com.my

Tuesday January 31, 2012

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F1%2F31%2Flifebookshelf%2F10547865&sec=lifebookshelf

 

A COMMON stereotype of literary gatherings is that they are pretentious affairs: elderly professors in tweed and monocles smoking pipes as they discuss old classics that no one has picked up in a hundred years.

This, however, was not the case at the celebration of Readings’ seventh anniversary, which took place at the Seksan Gallery in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, earlier this month. There was a lot of laughter, cheer and chatter in the air as a crowd of around 40 people comprising writers and writing enthusiasts alike, all came together for an evening of cake, socialising and literature.

Sharon Bakar believes the monthly live literature event Readings helps generate a wider interest in the works of local authors.

 

 

Readings, a monthly live literature reading event, was first started in 2005 as the brainchild of writer Sharon Bakar and writer/artist Bernice Chauly. It has since developed into Kuala Lumpur’s longest running live literature event, featuring the works of over 400 local authors over the years, among them Dina Zaman, Dipika Mukherjee, Lydia Teh, and Sharmini Flint.

A book collection of poetry, fiction and non-fiction read at these events, Readings At Readings: New Writing From Malaysia was also published two years ago, with a second edition planned to come out by the end of this year.

Readings’ seventh anniversary was hosted by prominent writer and filmmaker Amir Muhammad, and featured a mix of both well-established authors and fledgling new writers reading from their works to the delight of the very supportive crowd.

Writers Gabrielle Lowry, PeyPey Oh and Nadia Khan all read excerpts from short stories, and Leonard Jeyam read some of his poetry. Writer Shaz Johar read in Malay, an excerpt from his novel Tabu.

Also at the event was Singaporean author O Thiam Chin, who read one of the stories from his recently published anthology, The Rest Of Your Life And Everything That Comes With It.

According to Readings co-founder Bakar, the aim of this event and its sister event, Ceritaku@No Black Tie in KL (organised by Bernice Chauly) is to encourage writers by giving them a chance to read from their works and to socialise and network with other writers as well as book lovers and even publishers.

“There is a real sense of community created by these gatherings, and I love the way that everybody is so supportive of other’s work,” says Bakar, who is also a creative writing teacher and teacher-trainer.

She adds that Readings also helps to generate a wider interest in local writing, and gives local writers and publishers the chance to sell their books.

The next Readings event will be held on Feb 25 at 3.30pm at Seksan Gallery (No.67, Jalan Tempinis 1, Lucky Garden, Bangsar, KL).

Writers include Shivani Sivagurunathan (author of Wildlife On Coal Island), Hidayah Amin (Singaporean author of Gedung Kuning: Memories Of A Malay Childhood), and Jason Eric Lundberg (Singapore-based author of Red Dot Irreal).

There will also be an extract from Dare To Dream by Tan Sri Radin Soenarno read by his niece.

To keep up with future Readings, go to the Facebook page, facebook.com/groups/12482985713; announcements are also posted on Bakar’s blog, Bibiliobibuli, at thebookaholic.blogspot.com. For more information, contact Bakar (017-264 4956).