Showing posts with label Honk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Honk. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Honk! @ MPH Jimat Campaign
MPH Jimat Campaign is in BBT One, Klang (just in front of Tesco Bukit Tinggi). Though prices aren't rock bottom, you can get new books at a good discount. For instance, Honk! If You're Malaysian is going at RM20, which is 35% off its retail price. I found 5 autographed copies in the RM2-RM20 bin along with 2 copies of Life's Like That - Scenes from Malaysian Life (original cover). Though the latter is tagged at its original price of RM29.90, I think it's going for RM20 too. Klangites, this is a good time to get my books if you haven't. The sale concludes this Sunday, 14 June 2009.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Star-Popular Readers' Choice Awards
Appreciated by authors
By ELIZABETH TAI
The country’s latest book prize will, hopefully, have more local writers emerging in the future.
IT was a move appreciated by Malaysian writers and book lovers alike. The Popular bookstore chain and Star Publications (M) Bhd created The Star-Popular Readers Choice Awards 2008 in which 10 best-selling non-fiction and fiction titles by Malaysian authors were short-listed. StarMag readers were then encouraged to vote for their favourite from each list of 10.
Much-loved columnist and author Adibah Amin won two prizes, one for her debut novel, This End of the Rainbow, the other for the compilation of her famous newspaper column, As I Was Passing. – File photos
On Tuesday, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the authors finally found out how the readers voted. As reported in The Star on Wednesday, the winning titles were Lydia Teh’s Honk! If You’re Malaysian for the non-fiction category and Adibah Amin’s This End of the Rainbow for the fiction category. Adibah also bagged second place in the non-fiction category for her book, As I Was Passing. (See box, right, for complete list of winners.)
Teh and Adibah each received RM1,000 and a trophy; authors of the second and third most popular book titles in both categories received RM300 cash each as well as certificates of recognition.
More than any amount of cash, though, it was the recognition that had everybody at the award ceremony walking about with big smiles on their faces.
When we contact her later, Popular’s executive director, Lim Lee Ngoh, says, “We are very happy because, as (Transport Minister) Datuk Ong Tee Keat (who gave out the awards) said, it’s the first of its kind on Malaysian soil.
“We’re also happy that our local authors are very appreciative of the effort made by the organisers, but most of all of the support and attention from their readers.
“I think it was a very successful event and we will certainly continue to organise it. Our hope is that this is a seed of an idea, and if we cultivate it, nurture it, given time, it will even bigger and better.”
With more support, we will see more locally produced Malaysian work, says Lim: “(The awards) gives authors greater motivation to produce better work,” she adds.
For author Lydia Teh, winning the top award in the non-fiction category was a very gratifying experience.
“I nearly felt like crying when they announced me as winner,” Teh says when we catch up with her right after the ceremony.
She recalls how she couldn’t sleep the night she was informed of her nomination. In fact, she had never expected to win; she was content enough being nominated.
She thinks she won because, “A lot of my readers enjoyed being able to identify themselves in the book. The book has touched a chord.”
Much hard work has gone into Honk! If You’re Malaysian, which is Teh’s third book. It contained not just her previously published newspaper columns but also many new essays.
Lydia Teh receiving her award for Honk! If Your’re Malaysian from Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat on Tuesday.
But Teh didn’t just stop at writing – she had to actively market her book too.
“You have to be thick skinned in approaching the media to get interviewed so that people will remember your book,” she says.
Teh even launched a contest on her blog (lydiateh.wordpress.com) before she published Honk!, asking her readers to choose a title for the then unnamed book.
In fact, as a thank you, Teh will use her prize money to run another contest as a way of showing her appreciation to her readers.
“It (the awards) is a great start in getting people develop more interest in books,” says Teh, who is a full-time homemaker.
For Adibah, who lives in Johor and could not attend the awards ceremony, news that she had won two awards was even more of a surprise, as she only discovered the results the day after the awards ceremony when a friend informed her. In fact, for quite some time, she didn’t even know that she had been nominated!
“I was very surprised and, of course, pleased. Wouldn’t you be surprised?” Adibah said via telephone.
“I’m also very grateful to those who enjoyed my book. And that is the purpose of the book – for people, especially the new generation, to get some enjoyment and some understanding.”
Like Teh and Popular’s Lim, Adibah believes The Star-Popular Readers Choice Awards 2008 is a good step to encourage interest in books in Malaysia.
“It’s one way of judging books and one way of getting interest in books especially for light readers,” she says.
But the ever-humble Adibah feels that she isn’t qualified to give aspiring Malaysian authors advice: “Doesn’t mean that everyone who wins an award should be ‘punished’ with giving advice,” she says, chuckling.
“I will tell you what I tell myself: Just be true to yourself and to your subject and to your own style and things will work itself out.”
# The Star-Popular Readers Choice Awards was held in conjunction with the Popular BookFest@Malaysia 2008 which is on at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre until 10pm today. The Star is a media partner of the event.
How you voted
HERE are the titles that competed for the inaugural The Star-Popular Readers Choice Awards 2008, listed in descending order of number of votes received.
Fiction
1. This End of the Rainbow by Adibah Amin (223 votes)
2. Confessions of an Old Boy: The Dato’ Hamid Adventures by Kam Raslan (218)
3. Sweetheart from Hell by Lim May-Zhee (216)
4. Long Road to Merdeka by Kamarul Zaman (209)
5. Silverfish New Writing 6 edited by Dipika Mukherjee (202)
6. Nine Lives by Teoh Choon Ean (192)
7. The Red Cheong Sam by Ralph Modder (185)
8. Mamasan by Khoo Kheng-Hor (184)
9. 44 Cemetery Road: The Best of Tunku Halim by Tunku Halim (174)
10. The Boy Who Talks to Ghosts by Benny and Alice Wong (80)
Non-fiction
1. Honk! If You’re Malaysian by Lydia Teh (357 votes)
2. As I Was Passing by Adibah Amin (254)
3. Malaysian Politicians Say The Darndest Things by Amir Muhamad (253)
4. The Sky is Crazy by Yvonne Lee (217)
5. I Am Muslim by Dina Zaman (205)
6. From Small-Town Boy to World Class Surgeon by Mangai Balasegaram (165)
7. The Reluctant Politician: Tun Dr Ismail and His Time by Ooi Kee Beng (137)
8. In Good Faith: Articles, Essays and Interviews by Zaid Ibrahim (121)
9. The Unmaking of Malaysia: Insider’s Reminiscences of UMNO, Razak and Mahathir by Ahmad Mustapha Hassan (112)
10. Tanah Tujuh by Antares (55)
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Honk! on Hello on Two
I attended the January MPH Litbloggers Meet with Xeus and Tunku Halim as the featured speakers. MPH had arranged for the tv crew from RTM's Hello on Two (HOT) to interview Tunku Halim. Xeus was also pulled in for an interview on her newly released Dark City 2. She asked me and Chua Kok Yee to tag along as we were both contributors to DC2. However, it so happened that HOT's broadcast journalist had done a review of Honk! If You're Malaysian for their new Book Review segment and I was interviewed for my books instead. Though I wasn't dressed or made-up for the occasion, I seized the opportunity lah. That's why I looked absolutely washed out here. Lesson learnt : when attending literary events, be smartly attired as you never know when you might bump into journalists looking for a story.
Thanks to the Samsung SGH i550 which was loaned to me for a promotion campaign, I was able to record the interview which was aired today and post it here. It's the first time ever I'm doing this kind of high tech stunt, so please excuse the amateur quality of the clip.
I shouldn't have stopped recording when I did, because after that the tv hosts (sorry, I didn't get their names) continued to sell Honk! If You're Malaysian. They said that the book is making waves in Malaysia! Since I missed that on the recording, I had to mention it here.
Viewing the clip, I realized that I had again used my 'crutch words' - meaningless phrases that creeped in unconsciously. "You know" was said at least three times and a couple of "uhms." When I asked my son what he thought of my talks (which I dragged him to sometimes), he had pointed out the countless "you know." So at the last talk that I gave at UCSI, I remembered not to use this crutch word. It worked but another faux pas I made was shaking my legs and the notes I held in my hands. Ah, as they say, the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. If there was a seminar that teaches you how to appear polished in front of the camera and audience, I may just sign up for it.
Thanks to the Samsung SGH i550 which was loaned to me for a promotion campaign, I was able to record the interview which was aired today and post it here. It's the first time ever I'm doing this kind of high tech stunt, so please excuse the amateur quality of the clip.
I shouldn't have stopped recording when I did, because after that the tv hosts (sorry, I didn't get their names) continued to sell Honk! If You're Malaysian. They said that the book is making waves in Malaysia! Since I missed that on the recording, I had to mention it here.
Viewing the clip, I realized that I had again used my 'crutch words' - meaningless phrases that creeped in unconsciously. "You know" was said at least three times and a couple of "uhms." When I asked my son what he thought of my talks (which I dragged him to sometimes), he had pointed out the countless "you know." So at the last talk that I gave at UCSI, I remembered not to use this crutch word. It worked but another faux pas I made was shaking my legs and the notes I held in my hands. Ah, as they say, the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. If there was a seminar that teaches you how to appear polished in front of the camera and audience, I may just sign up for it.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Launch of Times @ Pavilion
Times launched its seventh store at The Pavilion on 23 November 2007. I was invited read the chapter on Manglish. I did the proper English bit, she Manglish.
YB Dato Rafidah's parting remark was : "Not only do Malaysians speak like that, Singaporeans too."
I was there early and managed to take a picture of this lovely backdrop before the crowd thickened.
The authors mingling with each other. Chef Wan was comparing his and Siti Nurhaliza's Raya open house.
YB Dato Rafidah tossing the Merdeka Salad whipped up by Chef Wan. We all got to eat the yummy salad later. The core ingredient was so hoon. Mmmm... it was so delicious.
A gift for Dato Rafidah Aziz. Later I bumped into her daughter, Rohaiza, buying a copy of Honk! If You're Malaysian for herself.
It was good to meet up with other writers too. I met Florence Thomas, Amir Muhammad and Tan Twan Eng for the first time. Tan had rushed over from ntv7's The Breakfast Show. He's quite a shy guy but very nice. Also caught up with Lam Seng Fatt, assistant editor at The Star whom I've met once before at Menara Star.
The food was marvellous - plentiful and good to eat - all catered from the cafe located inside the Times. Do pay a visit to Times Pavilion.
YB Dato Rafidah's parting remark was : "Not only do Malaysians speak like that, Singaporeans too."
I was there early and managed to take a picture of this lovely backdrop before the crowd thickened.
The authors mingling with each other. Chef Wan was comparing his and Siti Nurhaliza's Raya open house.
YB Dato Rafidah tossing the Merdeka Salad whipped up by Chef Wan. We all got to eat the yummy salad later. The core ingredient was so hoon. Mmmm... it was so delicious.
A gift for Dato Rafidah Aziz. Later I bumped into her daughter, Rohaiza, buying a copy of Honk! If You're Malaysian for herself.
It was good to meet up with other writers too. I met Florence Thomas, Amir Muhammad and Tan Twan Eng for the first time. Tan had rushed over from ntv7's The Breakfast Show. He's quite a shy guy but very nice. Also caught up with Lam Seng Fatt, assistant editor at The Star whom I've met once before at Menara Star.
The food was marvellous - plentiful and good to eat - all catered from the cafe located inside the Times. Do pay a visit to Times Pavilion.
The new store was outfitted at a cost of more than RM11 million and showcases more than 200,000 books and 600 magazine titles, said Ng. (Datuk Ng Jui Sia )
He added that books that could not be found in the store can be located at an online kiosk which gives access to four million English book titles.
The 18,000 sq ft store also has exclusive members' lounge, a 50-seat cafe and Wi-fi access.
"It will be a new book shopping experience and we have ordered special trolleys for customers to push around as they do their purchasing," said Ng.
Business Times, 23/11/2007
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
Talk at UMW Toyota
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
This week, UMW Toyota conducted an Outreach Program with the theme of Challenging Knowledge for their employees. They asked MPH to hold a book fair at their spacious premises in Section 15, Shah Alam and as part of the program, MPH roped me in to give a talk.
My topic was Honk! If you want to read - Getting your kids (and yourself) to read. As usual I was worried about the crowd, or rather lack of it. But I needn't have. I had a captive audience. Approximately 50 employees turned up for the talk and 15 books were sold at the event. Best haul so far. After the talk, we adjourned to their cafeteria for some snacks. The cream puffs were excellent! And so were the gifts they presented to me : a tea and coffee making set as well as a pair of ballpoint pens.
This event turned out better than any book talk I had conducted at bookstores. As a bonus, I got to meet an old classmate whom I haven't seen since primary school days! Authors, this may be the way to go to promote your books.
UMW video-taped the talk. Alamak, all my flaws at public speaking are immortalized on tape.
Another segment of the crowd. SK was the moderator.
En. Rohiman Haroon, Asst GM of External Affairs. He's a voracious reader and prolific writer too (he wrote the script of Embun).
The proud owners of Honk! who stayed behind for a photo session. Intan Salmee is on the far right. She helped Rohiman to organize this talk.
Busy signing books.
More books to be signed. My handwriting became cakar ayam - fowl scratches.
This week, UMW Toyota conducted an Outreach Program with the theme of Challenging Knowledge for their employees. They asked MPH to hold a book fair at their spacious premises in Section 15, Shah Alam and as part of the program, MPH roped me in to give a talk.
My topic was Honk! If you want to read - Getting your kids (and yourself) to read. As usual I was worried about the crowd, or rather lack of it. But I needn't have. I had a captive audience. Approximately 50 employees turned up for the talk and 15 books were sold at the event. Best haul so far. After the talk, we adjourned to their cafeteria for some snacks. The cream puffs were excellent! And so were the gifts they presented to me : a tea and coffee making set as well as a pair of ballpoint pens.
This event turned out better than any book talk I had conducted at bookstores. As a bonus, I got to meet an old classmate whom I haven't seen since primary school days! Authors, this may be the way to go to promote your books.
UMW video-taped the talk. Alamak, all my flaws at public speaking are immortalized on tape.
Another segment of the crowd. SK was the moderator.
En. Rohiman Haroon, Asst GM of External Affairs. He's a voracious reader and prolific writer too (he wrote the script of Embun).
The proud owners of Honk! who stayed behind for a photo session. Intan Salmee is on the far right. She helped Rohiman to organize this talk.
Busy signing books.
More books to be signed. My handwriting became cakar ayam - fowl scratches.
Wanita Hari Ini, TV3
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
I wrote in to Wanita Hari Ini asking if they'd like to interview me for my book, Honk! If You're Malaysian. They decided to do a segment on mummy writers and blogging, and asked if I could rope in two other authors.
That was how Yvonne Lee (The Sky is Crazy), Jamilah Samian (Cool Mum Super Dad) and I ended up at TV3 on Tuesday. It was my first time at their studio. Though the TV3 crew had interviewed me twice for Nona, those sessions were taped at my house.
I think we had more fun during the pre-interview segment when the hosts, Wardina and Ivy talked to us about what they were going to ask during the show. When the cameras started to roll, naturally anxiety came along for the ride.
L-R, Ivy, Wardina, me, Yvonne and Jamilah
I wrote in to Wanita Hari Ini asking if they'd like to interview me for my book, Honk! If You're Malaysian. They decided to do a segment on mummy writers and blogging, and asked if I could rope in two other authors.
That was how Yvonne Lee (The Sky is Crazy), Jamilah Samian (Cool Mum Super Dad) and I ended up at TV3 on Tuesday. It was my first time at their studio. Though the TV3 crew had interviewed me twice for Nona, those sessions were taped at my house.
I think we had more fun during the pre-interview segment when the hosts, Wardina and Ivy talked to us about what they were going to ask during the show. When the cameras started to roll, naturally anxiety came along for the ride.
L-R, Ivy, Wardina, me, Yvonne and Jamilah
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Monday, June 04, 2007
Talk at Bookfest
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
Popular invited me to speak at their Bookfest. My topic was Roti Canai for me – On reading, writing and being Malaysian.
Though I had been informed that the talk would be held at the stage in Hall 2, KLCC, it was still a minor shock to see that they had arranged a table up on the big stage for me. My audience was seated way over yonder, separated by a big space and VIP chairs for the next event.
I began by taking my place at the table. I felt so lonely up there, speaking to the few people on the floor. My heart sank. Only two rows of chairs were occupied. Grace and her little brother as well as two of my kids were there to lend support.
After five minutes, I decided to make my way to the floor. Good thing I had told the organizers that I wanted to get close to the audience as I had prepared a quiz for them. With the cordless mike perched on my head like a superstar singer, I got nearer to the audience and got them involved in the quiz. Passers-by came in to listen and to nab the small token I’d gotten for them. Just before the event, I purchased 30 pieces of 30 sen stamps and gave away two to each correct answer. Towards the end, I only doled out one stamp per answer to make them last. After the Q&A, two elderly ladies promptly walked away with their stash of stamps. Ah, life’s like that lah.
Though it was a weekday, this talk was the best I’ve had in terms of audience number and number of books signed. I signed 8 + 1 books (a foreign worker at the Bookfest grabbed a children’s book and asked me to sign it for him). Either he thinks I’m a celebrity or he was that impressed with my talk.
I'm so glad Khim (third pix) came to see me. She has read Honk! and written a nice encouraging email to me. She has finished her first book, California satay, and is looking for an editor.
Popular invited me to speak at their Bookfest. My topic was Roti Canai for me – On reading, writing and being Malaysian.
Though I had been informed that the talk would be held at the stage in Hall 2, KLCC, it was still a minor shock to see that they had arranged a table up on the big stage for me. My audience was seated way over yonder, separated by a big space and VIP chairs for the next event.
I began by taking my place at the table. I felt so lonely up there, speaking to the few people on the floor. My heart sank. Only two rows of chairs were occupied. Grace and her little brother as well as two of my kids were there to lend support.
After five minutes, I decided to make my way to the floor. Good thing I had told the organizers that I wanted to get close to the audience as I had prepared a quiz for them. With the cordless mike perched on my head like a superstar singer, I got nearer to the audience and got them involved in the quiz. Passers-by came in to listen and to nab the small token I’d gotten for them. Just before the event, I purchased 30 pieces of 30 sen stamps and gave away two to each correct answer. Towards the end, I only doled out one stamp per answer to make them last. After the Q&A, two elderly ladies promptly walked away with their stash of stamps. Ah, life’s like that lah.
Though it was a weekday, this talk was the best I’ve had in terms of audience number and number of books signed. I signed 8 + 1 books (a foreign worker at the Bookfest grabbed a children’s book and asked me to sign it for him). Either he thinks I’m a celebrity or he was that impressed with my talk.
I'm so glad Khim (third pix) came to see me. She has read Honk! and written a nice encouraging email to me. She has finished her first book, California satay, and is looking for an editor.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Shin Min Daily
7 May 2007
Shin Min Daily from Singapore picked up the news from Guang Ming and called to interview me for that very day's edition.
Shin Min Daily from Singapore picked up the news from Guang Ming and called to interview me for that very day's edition.
Friday, May 11, 2007
World Journal
8 May 2007
Thanks to KL from California who alerted me on Honk! If You're Malaysian appearing in World Journal, a Chinese newspaper published in USA. They picked up the news from Guang Ming Daily. KL read about it and emailed me to ask how to buy the book from overseas. I directed her to mphonline.com and she promptly ordered two copies of Honk! Thanks, KL.
Thanks to KL from California who alerted me on Honk! If You're Malaysian appearing in World Journal, a Chinese newspaper published in USA. They picked up the news from Guang Ming Daily. KL read about it and emailed me to ask how to buy the book from overseas. I directed her to mphonline.com and she promptly ordered two copies of Honk! Thanks, KL.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
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