A rojak* of items that caught my
eye this week…
Delegate registration for 4th
Islamabad Literature Festival
The 4th Islamabad Literature
Festival will run from April 15 – 17 at various venues throughout the
city. For information on how to register
to attend click here.
Programme of the 10th Asia House
Bagri Foundation Literature Festival
The full programme of the 10th Asia
House Bagri Foundation Literature Festival has just been announced. The
Festival is a celebration of Asian writing and writers, as well as of books of
Asian interest. It will run from May 4 - 18 at Asia House’s central London
headquarters. For more details click here.
Indonesia’s first female stand-up
comedian nominated for freedom of speech award
Index on Censorship is a UK-based
international organisation promoting free speech. Each year it grants freedom of expression
awards in various categories. This year’s awards will be announced in London
next month. Indonesia’s first female stand-up comedian, Sakdiyah Ma'ruf, who
battles Islamic fundamentalism through ridicule, has been nominated in the arts
category. For more about her click here.
Quick notice
The Family of Sir Stamford
Raffles
By John Bastin and Julie
Weizenegger
About the book: When Stamford Raffles married Sophia Hull in
February 1817 and a year later welcomed the arrival of his first child,
Charlotte, family life looked to be full of happiness. His earlier marriage to
an older widow, Olivia Mariamne Devenish, had ended with her death in Java,
leaving him bereft. Now, settled in Bencoolen as Lieutenant-Governor, he
watched with satisfaction over the growth of Singapore and the increase in his
young family. But death and misery were never far away.
Drawing on a wide range of sources – including new findings from birth records, marriage registers, letters and wills – John Bastin and Julie Weizenegger make an invaluable contribution to what is known about the members of Sir Stamford Raffles’ family
Drawing on a wide range of sources – including new findings from birth records, marriage registers, letters and wills – John Bastin and Julie Weizenegger make an invaluable contribution to what is known about the members of Sir Stamford Raffles’ family
About the authors: John Bastin is
Emeritus Reader in the Modern History of South East Asia in the University of
London. He was Professor of History and Dean of the Faculty of Arts in the
University of Malaya and Reader in the Modern History of South East Asia at the
School of Oriental and African Studies, London. He is the author of numerous
books and articles on the history of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and is a
leading authority on Sir Stamford Raffles.
Julie Weizenegger lives in Victoria, Australia. She has been a genealogical researcher for 40 years and has a special interest in both Australian and British history. She particularly enjoys interrogating the veracity of historical facts.
Julie Weizenegger lives in Victoria, Australia. She has been a genealogical researcher for 40 years and has a special interest in both Australian and British history. She particularly enjoys interrogating the veracity of historical facts.
Details: Published in paperback by
Marshall Cavendish. SGD37.34
Companion reading: I can’t help
remarking that The Family of Sir Stamford Raffles would make excellent reading alongside my own novel, Olivia & Sophia, a fictionalised version of
the events of Raffles’ life, as seen through the eyes of his two wives.
Twitter spot
Each week I make a suggestion of
an interesting Twitter account you may like to follow. This week, Indonesian Writers, @idwriters, a
site devoted to showcasing Indonesian writers, along with their publications,
journals, and other literary resources in English.
