Malaysians are known to be creative and innovative but when we are to name local poets that inspire us we struggle to find one.
Here are 5 Malaysian poets that have flourished in the creative industry while using their words to empower and educate others.
Charissa hailing from Subang Jaya who has a background in interactive media design is the founder of Penwings Publishing an independent publishing house in Malaysia.
Charissa published her first English poetry and books in 2016. Midnight Monologues, her first poetry and short storybook, is divided into 4 parts, LOST, FOUND, HOPE and short stories. Midnight Monologues is a finalist in the 2017 International Book Awards in both categories of Poetry and Cover Design.
Another addition to the Midnight Monologues, Charissa’s second book Daylight Monologues, re-explores heartbreak, deep aspirations of love, self-actualization and fictional short stories. Check out my review on Daylight Monologues here!
Her books are now available nationwide and internationally in Singapore, the Philippines and also on online platforms like Amazon. Charissa also wishes to inspire writers with Poetry And Short Stories: A Practice Book, which is a self-help and practical guide to redefining your purpose in writing.
Zack Shah has been an avid reader ever since he was a child, he enjoys exploring the wonders of the fantasy world and he grew to love poetry as a college freshman.
More than Words his debut poetry collection is a combination of a diary, a love letter and a storybook. This collection mainly focuses on love and heartbreak with rhyming poems. The poems are divided into 3 parts, Sweet Nothings, Pretty Lies and Love Story.
Feel free to check out my review here.
You can look forward to the release of Zack’s new work soon after the success of his debut collection launching on 29 March 2022. You can pre-order A Strange and Wicked Magic on Penwings Publishing now!
If you are looking for Malay language poetry that encompasses the unique and beautiful Malaysian identity, Kulleh Grasi is the poet for you. He is a Sarawakian Iban and a co-founder and a member of Nading Rhapsody, an avant-garde Borneo music band.
His work Tell Me, Kenyalang aims to showcase the experience and the life of Borneo’s indigenous people from his observations. Kulleh Grasi wants to break the stereotype people have on the indigenous communities and how they have advanced forward.
Tell Me, Kenyalang is the only Malaysian work to have made it to the list of Best Translated Book Awards 2020 which is an American literary award.
Melizarani is a spoken word poet, an author of Taboo, a journalist, and a poetry educator. She is also a founder of a monthly poetry open mic event If Walls Could Talk and the Malaysia National Poetry Slam.
Melizarani’s work, Taboo has made it to the Top 10 Best-Seller List on Malaysia’s number one online bookstore, MPH. Taboo is a poetic exploration of her master’s thesis on the constructs and representations of the Malaysian Indian Identity.
Her poems have been translated into French and Bahasa Malaysia.
One of her notable performances is at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival and TEDxGateway.
Jack is a poet, podcaster, and arts writer. He was featured in Malaysian Millennial Voices with his poem Eschatology.
Jack also founded and leads KITA!, an arts-anthology podcast showcasing poetry, audio dramas, short fiction, personal monologue and music from local and regional artists.
Jack’s poem My Father’s Father surrounds the language barrier between the speaker and their paternal grandfather while trying to communicate with his grandpa.
This piece highlights the struggles grandchildren have with their grandparents when trying to interact with each other when both sides are speaking different languages which is happening pretty often nowadays in Malaysia.
These Malaysian poets are proving to us that Malaysians are creative and we don’t have to look far for quality reads.
Look around! There are more local creatives to discover and appreciate around us.
Sonia Singh is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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