Understanding poverty

"My Umi rationed food so we also have food at dinner too. I could take the rice with only planta and soy sauce, yes I could take that. I was irritated at the way my Umi would divide everything into small portion sfor each of us siblings. But I could deal with that. Also the quarrels and fights when my big brother would 'sapu' some of my portions too - but really, I could handle that as well. I could also shower without soap or not brushing my teeth and the bad breath in school.

But the psychological trauma of seeing my parents quarrelling over and over again angered me so much then. At times, an RM5 issue would throw the family into days of distress, pain, misery, anguish, fear and sorrow.

It was a pain that pierced right through my heart that even as I am writing this now, today, year 2009, when I am no longer living in poverty, tears are rolling and rolling and rolling down my cheeks. The tears just wouldn't stop. The brain is a funny instrument. It does not seem to know the difference between the past and the present. So the past becomes the present, just by thinking about it! God it was so tiring ... I feel tired now just thinking back!"

-Anas Zubedy in his book 'The Quran and I', recounting his childhood

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I'm officially a fan of Flavia de Luce!

"Inspiration from outside one's self is like the heat in an oven. It makes passable Bath buns. But inspiration from within is like a volcano: It changes the face of the world." This quote is taken from the book 'The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag' written by Alan Bradley. I like this quote for what it is, but it doesn't really give any idea on what the book is about.

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag is the second book in the Flavia de Luce series, and I'm hooked! There's 4 books altogether now, and I will certainly look for them. This book started a bit slow, with the author style of giving every character the background story, but the pace picked up after one of the characters was murdered, which was about halfway through. Yes, it's a whodunnit. Did I mention that I love to read whodunnits? To me it's like a puzzle, where readers are supposed to guess, well, who did it. And Flavia de Luce is such a brilliant little girl! She's only 11 yet she's so good with chemistry and solving mysteries. Yes, I know she's a fictional character, but still I admire her nonetheless :)

The book is reminiscent of some of Agatha Christie's works, not because of the style of writing, but perhaps because of the place and era chosen as the background. Surprise surprise, a movie or TV movie is being made from the stories.

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Rihlah Ilmiah

Jika tuan puan berminat untuk membeli buku Rihlah Ilmiah: Dari Neomodernisme ke Islamisasi Ilmu Kontemporer tulisan Professor Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud, boleh dapatkannya menerusi laman web ini http://wanmohdnorwandaud.blogspot.com/

Saya telah membelinya bulan lalu, tapi masih belum membacanya. Sedikit gusar barangkali ia terlalu 'berat' bagi saya, tapi saya tidak seharusnya menilai sebelum menekuninya sendiri, bukan?

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In the Footsteps of the Prophet

A short excerpt from a book by Tariq Ramadan, In the Footsteps of the Prophet.

"He (the Prophet Muhammad) loved, he forgave. Every day he begged God to forgive his own failings and oversights, and when a woman or a man came to him burdened with a mistake, however serious, he received that soul and showed her or him the way to forgiveness, solace, dialog with God, and the Most Gentle's protection. He covered other people's mistakes from the sight of others, while teaching everyone the need for personal rigor and discipline. When laziness moved anyone to ask him for minimal practice, he always answered positively and invited them to the use their intelligence and their qualities to understand, improve, and free themselves from their own contradictions while accepting their own fragility. He taught responsibility without guilt and adherence to ethics as the conditions for freedom."

I love this book! It's not just another biography of the Prophet Muhammad, but it's packed with stories we can relate to, with the lessons we can take away being elaborated beautifully.

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The Little Things

Last month, a friend introduced me to Naz Abas Ng, who had just published a poetry collection, complemented with her own black & white photographs. The following book description is taken from her blog here. You can also find The Little Things in FB here.

The Little Things is Naz Abas Ng’s second book, a haunting collection of reflective poetry and black and white photographs. ISBN: 978-967-11075-0-8, Publication Date: 7th May 2012, Self Published, No. of Pages: 40, Price: RM 45. Printed on acid free paper with 20% post consumer recycled content and manufactured with Green-e certified wind power.

 The Little Things, Naz Abas Ng brings to life her poems by coupling them with her carefully selected black and white photographs. Her poems are reflective in nature, touching on themes of letting go, brokenness, courage, and faith. There is an underlying story subtly weaved in the arrangement of the poems, of the triumph of courage and faith over despair. The absence of colourful distractions in the photographs is helpful here, enabling the mood and scene captured in the photographs to have a meaningful resonance with the poems.

I had a couple of photos to upload but somehow I wasn't successful. Anyway, I think Naz's poems are nice. They're pleasant to read, they evoke emotions and thoughts and they are accessible to beginners like me. I haven’t been reading much poetry. The only poetry book I have in my collection is Al-Amin by SN A Samad Said (ok, now I have two). But Naz, as well as my friend Bas, had recommended that I try read Rumi’s (translated) poems, which I'll look for.

I’ve had the opportunity to ask her a few questions and would like to share my short interview with her here.

You’re an engineer. How did you come up with a poetry book?

Actually, I’ve started writing since I was seven. I started with stories, and when I was thirteen I began writing series. I became more serious about poetry when I was fifteen, but really dabbled in it when I was in the university. It was also in the university when I picked up photography. An art teacher whom I babysat for allowed me to use the dark room and materials freely. So I’ve been writing all my life – I just happened to choose engineering for the scholarship and to earn a living.

Why poems though?

I write because I have always had a natural love of words and how in its proper placing, it can move and inspire a person in a way not otherwise achieved. If you try to read Maulana Rumi, or Hafiz's poems, some of my favourite poets, this is truly evident. It is also helpful, I find, to express in a way that is otherwise contrived, and truths not acceptable to be spoken of in prose form, making it more palatable because it is expressed with as much delicacy, clarity and beauty the poet is able to. It is like how, in comedy, you can speak the truth about life sometimes. Poetry uses the aesthetics of words and language, comedy uses humour. But they are both often alternative expressions of truth. I like to choose words that are simple and accessible to everyone, but not to reveal my meaning. And they have to rhyme for the aesthetic quality.

Why did you self-publish? Is it difficult?

Because I want to do it fast, and I’ve found that going through established publisher takes a long time. Having these books in physical form like this makes it easy for me to send it to other publishers and bookstores who might be interested.

Publishing a book is like managing a project. It’s more than just the writing. You have to think about the production, the process, the marketing and promotion. And my experience in my workplace helped me to manage this as a personal project. A tip: it’s better if you could go in person to the National Library to apply for the ISBN number.

This is not my first book, actually. The first time, I went through a self-publishing website based in the US, lulu.com. In The Absence of Magic is a collection of 5 stories and 13 poems.

It was a different experience. I learnt a lot publishing The Little Things.

Is ‘The little Things’ going to be available as ebook?

No, I don't plan to make it available as an ebook, primarily because it is a combination of photos and writing, and it’s meant to be a cheaper, paperback, and more accessible version of a coffee table book. it is meant to be appreciated on an internal as well as external aesthetics. If it was just writing, yes I would do an ebook.

Coincidently, I had just finished reading Orhan Pamuk’s novel ‘Snow’ recently. Ka, the protagonist, is a poet who seems to be ‘receiving’ poems. He would describe feeling a poem ‘coming’, then sat down for a few minutes to transcribe the 36 lines or so in his notebook. We call it moments of ‘ilham’ or inspiration I guess. But I’m sure poets work a lot harder (and longer) to pen down their words. Ka, in ‘Snow’, didn’t claim the poems to be ‘his’ but instead he was just the ‘medium’.

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3 Jam di PBAKL 2012

Tiga minggu lepas, saya menumpang seorang rakan sekerja pulang daripada satu mesyuarat di selatan tanah air. Dia ingin singgah di Johor Premium Outlet, jadi saya pun perlu ikut serta. 5 minit di butik Michael Kors, 5 minit di butik Coach, kemudian saya beritahu padanya, "A, saya sudah bosan. Saya tunggu awak dalam Food Court, ya?"

Lain halnya sewaktu di Pesta Buku di PWTC minggu lepas. 3 jam langsung tidak mencukupi! Jadi, saya seorang yang kaki shopping juga sebenarnya, cuma barangnya perlu betul. Tambah-tambah lagi apabila ada potongan harga, saya tidak fikir panjang dan ambil sahaja apa yang saya mahu, sama seperti sewaktu jualan buku Big Bad Wolf tahun lepas. Habis hampir RM600 juga tahun ini. Bajet dua tahun barangkali, qada' tahun lepas saya tidak pergi sebab sedang berpantang (cubaan untuk menjustifikasi yang tidak berjaya).

Ini antara gambar-gambar suasana yang sempat saya rakamkan Khamis lalu. Minta maaf kerana kualitinya sangat rendah. Saya gunakan kamera telefon, dan barangkali saya kerap 'menggegarkannya' sewaktu mengambil gambar. Nampaknya saya perlu juga beli kamera digital untuk gantikan kamera lama yang telah rosak.

Saya rasa terkilan juga kerana tidak sempat memilih buku di booth DBP/Dawama dan juga ITBM.

Memang berguna ada troli ini. Baru dibeli pagi itu juga. Saya rasa, kalau ada peniaga menjual troli sebegini di sana tentu sangat laku.

Buku-buku yang dibeli. Gambar sungguh tak elok, sehingga tak dapat baca langsung tajuk-tajuknya.

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Pesta Buku Antarabangsa KL 2012

Kurang sebulan lagi Pesta Buku Antarabangsa KL 2012 akan berkunjung tiba, bahangnya semakin terasa!


Tarikh: 27 April hingga 6 Mei
Tempat: PWTC
Tagline (cukup saya suka): Books - World Without Borders

Yang peliknya, laman rasmi KLIBF sepi dan kosong, seolah-olah sudah kena godam. Hmm ...

Lekas, senaraikan buku apa yang dicari!

(Nota: laman web KLIBF telah dipindahkan ke sini)

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Perbadanan Kota Buku

Sudah lama tidak mendengar tentang Kota Buku. Menarik juga untuk memperhatikan perkembangan badan ini. Berita pertama ditulis oleh Nazmi Yaakub dalam Berita Harian pada 17 Feruari lepas tentang sesi sumbang saran yang berlangsung. Manakala artikel kedua dipetik daripada laman blog penerbit Silverfish.

Ke mana arah Kota Buku?

Oleh Nazmi Yaakub

nazmi@bharian.com

2012/02/07 Gah pada nama tanpa pengisian atau seiring tuntutan industri

PERJALANAN Kota Buku di Kuala Lumpur bukan saja masih panjang, bahkan mencari-cari langkah awal sekiranya Sesi Sumbang Saran Penggiat Industri Perbukuan Negara dan Perbadanan Kota Buku (PKB) Bersama Penggerak Industri di Kuala Lumpur, baru-baru ini, diambil kira. Ini kerana tugas asas dalam menentukan bidang keutamaan Kota Buku dan pertindihan bidang kuasa dengan agensi kerajaan dalam industri buku serta sastera belum diselesaikan secara sempurna. Hal ini boleh dilihat pada taklimat yang disampaikan Penolong Pengarah Unit Pengurusan Kota Buku, Norhayati Razali, yang berkongsi matlamat dan fungsi Kota Buku di bawah PKB yang ditubuhkan Julai lalu.

Apatah lagi sumbang saran yang diadakan sebanyak dua sesi itu seolah-olah membuka pintu ‘tebatan banjir’ sehingga pandangan daripada syarikat penerbitan dan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) seperti persatuan penulis, penterjemah, seni serta penggiat industri buku.

Ini kerana setiap pihak yang memberi cadangan bersesuaian dengan bidang kepakaran dan kecenderungan masing-masing, sekali gus melonggokkan saranan yang perlu diteliti kembali oleh PKB.

Presiden Lembaga Antarabangsa Buku Remaja dan Kanak-Kanak (IBBY), Ahmad Redza Ahmad Khairuddin, menyarankan Kota Buku dijadikan sebagai ruang untuk bermesyuarat dan aktiviti kecil, tetapi penuh makna seperti bengkel.

“Kota Buku wajar memberi tumpuan kepada pembaca dari generasi muda khususnya kanak-kanak sehingga ia menjadi tempat untuk mereka membesar. Ini dapat meninggalkan memori kepada mereka apabila dewasa, sekali gus tetap menjadi lokasi yang masih perlu dikunjungi walaupun selepas dewasa,” katanya pada sesi yang dipengerusikan Ahli Lembaga Pengarah PKB, Prof Emeritus Dr Abdullah Hassan.

Ahmad Redza berkata, Kota Buku juga perlu mewujudkan ruang pameran yang boleh menampilkan bahan dokumentasi dalam industri perbukuan termasuk ilustrasi buku kanak-kanak.

“Kota Buku perlu belajar daripada realiti yang wujud di perpustakaan di negara ini yang memiliki bangunan yang besar, tetapi kurang aktiviti bermakna.

“Ini kerana kecenderungan kita untuk memberi tumpuan yang lebih kepada reka bentuk bangunan, berbanding pengisian yang boleh dibuat,” katanya pada acara yang turut dihadiri Pengerusi Lembaga Pengarah PKB, Tan Sri Dr Asiah Abu Samah; Pengurus Kanannya, Razin Abdul Rahman dan Timbalan Ketua Pengarah, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), Dr Awang Sariyan.

Ahmad Redza berkata, tumpuan juga wajar diberikan kepada buku kanak-kanak kerana isi kandungan tempatan disifatkan amat berkurangan dalam industri buku tanah air.

“Kita perlukan fokus untuk buku kanak-kanak untuk membuktikan industri ini aktif dan memberikan sumbangan kepada kemajuan negara.

“Setakat ini struktur PKB sudah pun wujud, tetapi yang lebih penting ialah kegiatan yang mampu digerakkan Kota Buku, sekali gus tidak terkongkong kepada hal bersifat struktur pentadbiran saja,” katanya.

Pandangan Ahmad Redza itu diperakukan oleh Ahli Jawatankuasa Persatuan Penterjemah Malaysia, Syed Nurulakla Syed Abdullah, yang menyarankan PKB mewujudkan program mentor dengan melantik sasterawan dan pengarang mapan sebagai pembimbing.

“Program ini boleh berpusat di Kota Buku dengan PKB menjadi penyelaras dan pemudah cara sama ada secara dalam talian atau bengkel.

“Ramai penggiat, editor, penulis, pelukis ilustrasi dan penterjemah ada di negara ini, sekali gus kepakaran mereka wajar disalurkan untuk membina lebih ramai bakat baru dari kalangan generasi muda,” katanya.

Syed Nurulakla yakin bahawa pembangunan sumber manusia perlu diberikan keutamaan oleh PKB kerana kewujudan penulis, penyunting, pelukis ilustrasi dan penterjemah yang dapat meningkatkan jumlah penerbitan 26,000 judul dalam setahun seperti disasarkan kerajaan.

Presiden Persatuan Editor Malaysia (PEM), Prof Madya Dr Hamedi Mohd Adnan, mengingatkan PKB kepada sejarah Kota Buku Paju, Korea Selatan yang berupaya menawarkan sesuatu yang diperlukan oleh industri buku untuk berkembang.

“Kejayaan Kota Buku Paju pada peringkat awal adalah bergantung kepada pemain dalam industri buku sehingga mereka sendiri sanggup datang kepadanya.

“Kota Buku tidak dapat bertahan sekiranya tidak mendapat sokongan daripada industri seperti syarikat penerbit dan pengedar, selain penulis, pencetak dan penjual,” katanya yang juga Ketua Jabatan Pengajian Media, Universiti Malaya (UM).

Antara peranan yang boleh dimainkan PKB ialah memberi tumpuan terhadap pengumpulan dan pembinaan data kerana industri buku di negara ini sangat miskin daripada aspek itu.

“Kita tidak ada pusat dokumentasi untuk dirujuk oleh penerbit buku misalnya bagi mendapatkan data tentang kajian trend semasa dalam konteks minat membaca.

“Setakat ini kita melihat Kota Buku lebih bersifat galakan yang datang daripada kerajaan dan bukannya berpunca daripada industri itu sendiri,” katanya.

Berdasarkan pandangan yang dilontarkan dalam sesi sumbang saran itu, PKB nampaknya tidak kekurangan idea dalam menghidup dan merancakkan Kota Buku supaya ia tidak hanya menjadi bangunan yang didiami oleh birokrat buku.

Bagaimanapun, PKB perlu menentukan bidang kebitaraan dan fokus utamanya dalam industri buku serta menggariskan sasaran jangka masa pendek dan panjang termasuk membabitkan penyertaannya dalam acara yang bersifat antarabangsa seperti sebagai negara tamu dalam pameran buku antarabangsa.

Selain menyelesaikan pertindihan dengan agensi buku, bahasa dan sastera sedia ada, PKB juga wajar menawarkan sesuatu kepada industri untuk turut sama menghidupkannya, selain acara dan program dengan pengarang, penterjemah, pelukis ilustrasi dan pembaca.

Kota Buku (The Malaysian Book City)

Newly appointed General Manager (Pengurus Kanan) of Perbadanan Kota Buku, Encik Razin Abdul Rahman, insists that the function of Kota Buku is to facilitate the growth of private publishers in Malaysia and to not compete with them. Kota Buku’s aim is to oversee and support the growth of the entire book industry in the country regardless of language. Towards this end, and as its first project, Kota Buku will organise a monthly three-day-long, Pekan Sari Buku, the first one beginning on 23 March 2012, at Lanai Tuanku Abdul Rahman. All publishers (traditional, fringe or self), be it in Bahasa, English, Mandarin or Tamil, are welcomed to participate. (The Kota Buku website is still under construction; so those interested in more information should contact the Kota Buku office, Tel:603-83217011, or email razinabdrahman@yahoo.com

Razin says, Kota Buku is looking at several other projects to support the publishing industry including the development of children’s literature, R&D of e-books for use in schools, digitisation of contemporary and classical Malaysian literature with print-on-demand (POD) and digital download possibilities, and others. Towards this end, Razin is willing to listen to all ideas and suggestions.

The idea for the Kota Buku has been up in the air for a while, and it has finally materialised as Perbadanan Kota Buku (Kota Buku) in July 2011. Its chairman is Tan Sri Dr Asiah Abu Samah (formerly DG of the Ministry of Education) and on 3 Jan 2012, Razin Abd Rahman (formerly with ITNM) was appointed as its GM. (He could be appointed the CEO, soon.)

Kota Buku will work with publishers, writers, graphic designers, illustrators and distributors to promote book-related activities.

A six-storey building on Jalan Raja Laut will become its headquarters in two to three years. The building is planned as a place for activities and research. But Razin also sees many activities happening at public venues and not necessarily inside buildings. The Kota Buku is a nationwide endeavour.

Currently, the Kota Buku office is in Cyberjaya, but will move to the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka premises in Kuala Lumpur. Razin is currently seeking to employ multi-racial staff for his budding organisation. (Email above)

Razin’s sincerity is not in question but, as he admits, as much as he would like to be politically agnostic, he cannot ignore the minefields. It would be interesting to see how he negotiates them, what with Faisal Tehrani’s latest book being banned by Jakim, and Pak Samad becoming a poster boy for certain politically incorrect causes (as some would see it).

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