Asian Art Dialogue: Malaysian Literature and the Global Literary Market

7th December 2020
The University of Melbourne via Zoom
A panel discussion with Malaysian Publishers Amir Muhammad, Chong Ton Sin, and Raman Krishnan on the topic of Malaysian Literature and the Global Literary Market. Moderated by Brandon Liew.

Since the relegation of Malaysian Literature into National and Sectional categories in accordance to the National Cultural Policy (NCP) in 1971, literatures in Malay, English, Chinese, and Tamil saw an uneven and inimical local publishing environment into the new millennium. In the last decade or so, local writing has seen somewhat of a resurgence, and much of that is owed to independent grassroots publishing initiatives.

However, the recent critical success of international prize-winning Malaysian authors who live and publish overseas such as Tan Twan Eng and Tash Aw has intensified global readership, recognition, and demand for Malaysian writing. This in turn facilitates a discrepancy between a Global Literary Market and a local one.

Malaysian publishers Amir Muhammad, Chong Ton Sin, and Raman Krishnan discuss the state of the Malaysian book trade, and the relationship between Malaysian Literature and the Global Literary Market. This panel discussion is moderated by Brandon Liew.