By The Book

Alternatively titled 'The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death', Slaughterhouse Five has often been called Kurt Vonnegut's masterpiece. In this book club episode, we discuss what some have called the definitive anti-war novel, in honour of what would have been Vonnegut's 100th birthday. 

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Widely considered one of the most celebrated writers of our generation, Margaret Atwood’s body of work spans a dizzying variety of genres and themes, from speculative fiction, poetry, environmentalism, feminism, and identity. She has amassed numerous awards, including two Booker Prizes and the Arthur C. Clarke Award. Over the years, her writing, and The Handmaid’s Tale in particular, has also come to symbolise progressive politics in a very particular way. We discuss Atwood’s life and writing, and how her works have shaped the literary world. We close off the conversation by discussing adaptations of her works.

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With the theme, 'Taming The Wild', aiming to explore the 'complex relationship between Wilderness and Human Nature', the George Town Literary Festival 2022 is back in person for the first time since the pandemic began. We speak with the festival curator, Pauline Fan, about what's in store at GTLF and what she's looking forward to. 

Image source: George Town Literary Festival website

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Located in the heart of Chinatown, Riwayat is the latest independent bookstore to open its doors in Kuala Lumpur. We catch up with one of its founders, Engku Roestam Alias, on what we can expect from the store, and what they hope to contribute to the Malaysian culture scene. We close off the conversation with a discussion on the different experiences offered by independent bookshops versus big chains. 

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Written by Stephen King during the pandemic, Fairy Tale tells the story of 17-year-old Charlie Reade, who befriends a lonely, elderly man, Mr. Bowditch, and his lovely, elderly dog, Radar - and the lengths Charlie will go to help them, and the other world that he's introduced to on his quest. In this book club, two Constant Readers join Charlie and Radar on their adventure and discuss whether we enjoyed it. And then on Footnotes, we unpack a recent interview with Alan Moore in which he looks at his own legacy and discusses the impact comic books have had on society (spoiler alert: he's not too happy). 

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Oscar Wilde is as known for his sparkling wit and love for aestheticism, as he is for his tragic persecution and eventual demise. For this month's Bibliography, we pay tribute to the acclaimed author and playwright - known for, among others, The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest - by celebrating his works and discussing his complicated legacy. We wrap up by discussing both adaptations of his works, and adaptations we'd like to see.  

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Ahead of the Booker Prize for this year being announced on October 17, we're looking back at some of the titles that have both won and been shortlisted for the prize over the years, and recommend our favourites. We also talk more broadly about the relevance of the prize itself, and its place in the literary (and colonial) landscape. 

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Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters revolves around the evolving relationships between Reese, Ames, and Katrina. Reese and Ames were in a loving relationship until Ames detransitioned. When Katrina tells Ames she's pregnant with his baby, all three of them are forced to re-examine their ideas of family and womanhood. We discuss the pleasures of reading the book, and how it blends the personal and the political seamlessly. We close off the conversation by sharing how we decide what to read next.

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Best known for his incredibly well-loved children's books - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, just to name a few - Roald Dahl also lived a rich, interesting life. He was a fighter pilot, intelligence agent/spy, and screenwriter, and he also wrote some very dark, unexpected adult short stories. In this episode of Bibliography, we try to go through as much of his life and writing as we can, before talking about the many film adaptations of his work in Footnotes.

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In anticipation of Malaysia Day, we discuss how English fiction in Malaysia has evolved, and what our literature says about the country, culture, and our aspirations. We close off the conversation with recommendations of local fiction to check out.  

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