Senarai Penyumbang Kumpulan Esei 2024

“I want the book and the project to be ‘our project’.” – Uthaya Sankar SB (The Edge, 17 July 2023)

Atas sebab dan tujuan itulah juga nama para penyumbang modal sosial disenaraikan di dalam buku dan di blog. Saya mahu nama para penyumbang sentiasa diketahui dan dihargai para pembaca.

Bagi projek kumpulan esei terbaharu, nama para penyumbang akan dikemas kini di sini sehingga 31 Disember 2023.

 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

Senarai penyumbang modal sosial bagi projek buku sebelum ini — Pulau Pendatang (2015) — Nari! Nari! (2015) — Mandala Bicara (2016) — Ikan Patin dan Beruang Besar (2017) — Thirukkural dan Megha Duta (2018) — Ramayana dan Mahabharata (2019) — Vetalam dan Vikramaditya (2020) — Putaria (2020) — Bhagavad Gita (2021) — Kavya Sastra (2021) — Suvarna Bhumi (2022) — Khanda Puranam (2022) — Katha Sarit Sagara (2023) — Nari! Nari! (2023) — The Painted Cat (2023).

Sila hubungi saya (Uthaya) menerusi WhatsApp 011–11411952 atau e-mel uthayasb@gmail.com jika ada sebarang pertanyaan.

Kandungan Kumpulan Esei 2024

Kerja-kerja memilih, menyaring, menyunting, menambah baik, dan menyusun kandungan kumpulan esei terbaharu dimulakan pada 1 Oktober 2023. Ada esei baharu dan ada juga esei lama. Kesemuanya belum dibukukan.

Setiap esei dalam kumpulan ini dijamin memuatkan sekurang-kurangnya sedikit bahan atau maklumat baharu yang boleh membantu menjadikan pembaca lebih berilmu.

Catatan ringkas mengenai esei-esei berkenaan akan dipaparkan di sini dari semasa ke semasa.

Pengantar: Pandangan Rakan-rakan

Bahagian “Pengantar” pada kumpulan esei terbaharu memuatkan pandangan rakan-rakan – khasnya penyumbang modal sosial – tentang kumpulan esei terdahulu, iaitu Malaiur Manikam (2015), Mandala Bicara (2016), dan Suvarna Bhumi (2022).

Individu yang berminat perlu menulis komen atau reaksi sepanjang 50-100 perkataan sahaja dalam satu perenggan sahaja menggunakan Bahasa Malaysia. Komen mestilah mengenai kandungan buku Malaiur Manikam, Mandala Bicara, dan/atau Suvarna Bhumi.

Wajib disertakan nama penuh, tempat tinggal (bandar dan negeri). Contoh: Balamurali Kesavan (Klang, Selangor)

Sila kirim ke e-mel uthayasb@gmail.com atau WhatsApp 011-11411952 selewat-lewatnya pada 30 November 2023 (9:00 malam). Komen atau reaksi anda mungkin disunting supaya lebih padat dan lebih jelas.

Contoh Biodata (sebagai panduan)

Berikut dipaparkan beberapa biodata sebagai panduan kepada sesiapa yang mahu menulis biodata profesional dalam Bahasa Malaysia. Foto di atas hanya sebagai hiasan.

 

Malini Lakshmi Bai lahir dan membesar di Kuala Lumpur. Pada tahun 2012, beliau menyambung pengajian tinggi dalam jurusan Ijazah Sarjana Muda Sastera (Kepujian) Bahasa Inggeris di Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). Beliau meminati bidang kesusasteraan sejak bangku sekolah. Pada tahun 2009, Malini mewakili sekolah dan daerah dalam beberapa forum pelajar, pertandingan debat, dan syarahan. Kini, beliau berkerjaya sebagai guru bahasa Inggeris dan penyelia di sebuah pusat pembelajaran bahasa. Malini juga menggalas jawatan penolong setiausaha dalam Pertubuhan Sasterawan Kaum India (Kavyan). Hasil karya beliau termuat dalam antologi Lakaran Diri (2022) dan di portal Sastera Kavyan. Karya bahasa Inggeris pula diterbitkan di laman Eksentrika.

 

M. Mahendran dilahirkan di Bentong, Pahang. Beliau berkecimpung dalam bidang penulisan cerpen Bahasa Malaysia dan Tamil sejak tahun 1987. Cerpen Mahendran termuat dalam antologi seperti Menara (1988), Menara 4 (1991), Tanpa Mengira Warna (1993), Vanakam (2002), Segugus Aksara Sealur Kasih (2003), Busana Bahasa (2019), Landasan Hidup (2020), Peluru Aksara (2020), dan Lakaran Diri (2022). Kumpulan cerpen Mimpi dan Impian (2013) merupakan terjemahan dalam Bahasa Malaysia yang dilakukan oleh beliau untuk penulis veteran Tamil, mendiang M. Ramaiah. Karupaya (2018) adalah kumpulan cerpen sulung Mahendran dalam Bahasa Malaysia manakala Thalaivar (2021) kumpulan cerpen Tamil. Mahendran salah seorang pengasas Kavyan pada tahun 1999 dan beliau dipilih memegang jawatan pengerusi Pertubuhan Sasterawan Kaum India (Kavyan) pada tahun 2023.

 

Anuradha Chelliah berasal dari Banting, Selangor. Beliau mendapat pendidikan rendah dan menengah di Banting. Beliau meneruskan pengajian dalam jurusan Sarjana Muda Pembangunan Manusia dan seterusnya Pengajaran Bahasa Inggeris Sebagai Bahasa Kedua (TESL) di Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Anuradha aktif menulis sejak 2016 dalam Bahasa Malaysia dan Bahasa Inggeris. Karya beliau boleh dibaca di The Star, Iris Magazine, Anak Sastra, Shakti – The Epitome of Power, dan ALS 2021: Anthology of Poems (2021). Karya Anuradha juga termuat dalam antologi Busana Bahasa (2019), Landasan Hidup (2020), Peluru Aksara (2020), dan Lakaran Diri (2022).  Cerpen beliau turut termuat dalam Meredah Kabus (2021), Serpihan Memorabilia 2020 - Suara (2021), Patah Tumbuh (2021), Kisah Musim Wabak (2021), dan Anekdot Peribahasa Yang Tersurat Yang Tersirat (2022). Puisi beliau boleh dibaca dalam Antologi 3S Hari Guru Hatiki Terharu (2021), Antologi Sajak Momen,  Antologi Sajak Siluet Cinta Ayah Bonda (2022), dan Siri Warisan Budaya - Teluk Belanga dan Periuk Belanga (2023). Anuradha merupakan bendahari Pertubuhan Sasterawan Kaum India (Kavyan).

 

Veralona Mollon Perrin lahir di Kudat, Sabah pada 8 April 1988 dan membesar di daerah Tuaran. Beliau bersekolah di SM St. John, Tuaran sebelum melanjutkan pengajian dalam bidang undang-undang di Brickfields Asia College, Kuala Lumpur. Selepas 10 tahun menetap di Lembah Klang, beliau kini bermastautin di negara Perancis bersama suaminya, Mathieu Perrin. Veralona meminati muzik dan serta karya-karya humor dan satira.

 

Liew Meng Seng dilahirkan ke Jinjang Selatan Tambahan, Kuala Lumpur. Beliau belajar di SJKC Jinjang Selatan, SJKC Mun Choong, SM Raja Abdullah, dan SM Maxwell, kemudian meneruskan pengajian di Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) dalam jurusan kejuruteraan mekanikal. Liew Meng Seng pernah berkhidmat selama sedekad sebagai jurutera di sebuah kilang pembuatan pendingin hawa kereta di Shah Alam. Beliau berkecimpung dalam karya falsafah sejak mengikuti kursus ditawarkan Bulatan Omicron kelolaan SKY, lalu melanjutkan pengajian peringkat sarjana dalam bidang kesusasteraan Cina kontemporari dengan mengemukakan tesis berkenaan Iliad oleh Homer. Karya Liew Meng Seng pernah tersiar di akhbar Nanyang Siang Pao dan Keadilan versi Cina. Selain Bahasa Malaysia, beliau mempelajari tulisan Yunani kuno, Devanagari, dan Farsi. Sejak 2013, Liew Meng Seng menulis artikel pendek untuk disiarkan di blog Xue Weng Ji.

 

Thanusya Shanmuganathan merupakan graduan sarjana muda sastera dari Universiti Malaya (UM). Beliau sudah menghasilkan novel berjudul Tak Sengaja Cinta (2014), Cik Cemerkap vs Encik Selfie (2016), Savithri (2021), dan Hanya Kau Untukku (2022) menggunakan nama pena Meera Natasya. Thanusya juga aktif menulis skrip, cerpen, esei, dan sajak. Beliau aktif dalam Koperasi Penulis Nasional (KOPENA) dan Pertubuhan Sasterawan Kaum India (Kavyan), serta merupakan pengasas Agni MN Media Resources.

 

Vk Ezhilarasi Velautham seorang pesara guru yang suka menulis cerpen dan rencana berkaitan golongan remaja kurang bernasib baik. Antara karyanya ialah rencana dan cerpen yang diterbitkan dalam majalah Dewan Budaya dan Dewan Siswa. Hasil karya Ezhilarasi turut termuat dalam antologi Busana Bahasa (2019) dan Landasan Hidup (2020).

 

A.R. Shah seorang pencerita antara-media yang membesar bermain di antara rumah-rumah papan bersama anak-anak muda pelbagai kaum dan agama di sebuah kampung yang kini tinggal sejarah, iaitu Kampung Kerinchi, Kuala Lumpur. Dalam tempoh hampir sedekad bergelar penulis, karya kreatif dan eseinya dalam bahasa Malaysia dan Inggeris terbit di Berita Harian, Dewan Sastera, SeniKini, The Vibes, Cukaria, Thukul Cetak, Matahari Books, Gerak Budaya, dan pelbagai media lain. Selain bekerja sebagai penolong penerbit dalam sektor filem dan televisyen, Shah juga sebahagian daripada kolektif artis-kawan Projek Rabak yang meraikan kemanusiaan. Kumpulan cerpen PPR Kg. Laut Dalam (2023) merupakan buku persendirian sulung beliau.

 

Rupa Subramaniam seorang seniwati, kurator, dan pengarah kreatif. Antara karya seninya yang menjadi tular ialah This Body is Mine (2017). Karya itu dipamerkan di Balai Seni Negara, World Humanities Conference di Belgium, dan di London sempena Hari Wanita Sedunia. Rupa turut menghasilkan projek Antidote (2018) dengan menemu bual dan melukis pada tubuh 30 wanita dalam masa 30 hari semasa residensi seni di Rimbun Dahan. Beliau menerbitkan dokumentari web mengenai penyebaran imej intim tanpa persetujuan (2020). Karya terbarunya ialah jurnal kolaj bertema “imej tubuh yang sihat” menggunakan seni dan dipanggil Draw Your Way Home (2023). Rupa menerima pelbagai pengiktirafan bagi kerja seninya termasuk anugerah Top 40 Under 40 dari Prestige (2020), Amazing Women dari Marie Claire (2019), dan Tokoh Wanita dari majalah FEMALE (2019).

 

Koh Yok Hwa berketurunan Teochew dan dilahirkan di Yong Peng, Johor pada tahun 1963. Beliau mendapat pendidikan rendah di SJKC Yong Peng 1 dan pendidikan menengah di SMK Yong Peng, SM Teknik Johor Bahru serta Sekolah Tinggi Kluang. Pada tahun 1984, Koh Yok Hwa melanjutkan pengajian di Fakulti Ekonomi dan Pentadbiran, Universiti Malaya (UM). Beliau menetap di Kepong mulai 1991 dan memulakan kerjaya sebagai penerbit buku menerusi Gemilang Publishing Sdn Bhd. Koh Yok Hwa memperolehi ijazah sarjana pentadbiran perniagaan (MBA) dari Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) pada 2021. Pada 2022, beliau menerima ijazah sarjana pengajian media dari UM. Beliau aktif menyumbangkan rencana untuk Utusan Malaysia. Karya beliau juga termuat dalam antologi Landasan Hidup (2020) dan Lakaran Diri (2022).

 

Rujuk juga [Biodata Sasterawan Kavyan]. Lebih banyak biodata dan maklumat penulis kaum India dalam buku Kavya Sastra (2021).

Defiant Uthaya Sankar SB Courageously Overcomes Challenges to Publish The Painted Cat

For more than three decades, the 51-year-old Uthaya Sankar SB has been a prolific Bahasa Malaysia writer who writes fiction and nonfiction.

Born in Taiping, Perak in 1972, he is the author of over 25 books and has written extensively on topics including language, culture, literature, politics, and religion.

Some of his works have been translated into English, Tamil, Mandarin, and German. In 1999, Uthaya founded Kavyan Writers Group and since 2009, he has been a columnist for various newspapers and online news portals.

With numerous literary awards under his belt, Uthaya has been presented the Ambassador for Peace Award by the Universal Peace Federation in 2008. In February 2023, The Hindusthan Art & Music Society (India) conferred him the Saraswati Samman Award.

Recently, he has taken 11 of his short stories in Bahasa Malaysia and translated them into English. For those who are interested to purchase his anthology of short stories, The Painted Cat, you may visit his website.

What motivated you to produce The Painted Cat?

The idea of translating or rather transcreating my stories in English has always been at the back of my mind. When I go to literary events abroad or when I meet non-Malaysian friends, they often say that they hope to be able to read my stories. In September 2021, I asked my friends (who have been supportive of my Bahasa Malaysia books) if I should publish a collection of my stories in English translation. The response was very good and encouraging – [read the responses here].

 

The book was supposed to be published earlier. What caused the delay?

The flood which hit Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam (December 2021 and where I stay and run my writing workshops) has hindered the progress. When I was arrested by Bukit Aman for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad (April 2022), people from foreign countries were interested to know more about my writing and me. So, last February, I started to concentrate fully on this project. I want my stories to reach larger groups, especially those who have problems reading the original Bahasa Malaysia stories. I am not looking for any recognition locally or internationally. I just enjoy telling stories.

 

Give us a sneak peek at what kind of stories we can expect from The Painted Cat.

Each transcreator was given the freedom to choose which story to transcreate. Only after the book was put together, I noticed that most of the stories highlight Indian characters, culture, myth, beliefs, etc. There are stories happening in the 1950s and 1960s, and some happening in the 1990s – a time when people still used public telephones to contact each other. The characters are simple, everyday men, women, and children. There is a story about a cat who wants to become the nation’s leader. A parrot who wishes to be able to communicate with its owner. A migrant gardener with a secret identity. A doctor who believes his son is the incarnation of Hanuman and an old lady who claims to have stolen the moon in the sky. I hope these stories will touch the readers emotionally and intellectually.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in producing The Painted Cat?

Money. That was and always is the only problem for a full-time writer and self-publishing author like myself. Transcreating the stories was not a problem. Getting people interested in this project was also not a problem. The biggest challenge is getting enough funds to cover the publishing cost. I am truly blessed with a group of friends who are always supportive of my book projects. The names of the funders – I call them “social capital contributors” – are listed in the book.

 

Sometimes when you convert a short story from the original language to a different language, you may lose the essence of the stories. Are you worried this will happen to your anthology?

This has always been an issue when we talk about translation. Two of my short stories – “Nayagi” and “Yang Aneh-aneh” – have been translated into English in the past. I was not satisfied because it lost its essence. But for this project, I was working closely with the transcreators. They were given the freedom not to merely translate but to transcreate the stories. From the very beginning, I wanted to make sure the stories read well in English; not simply translated word by word. If you were to compare the stories in The Painted Cat with the original stories in Bahasa Malaysia, you would see the differences. That was done intentionally in the process of transcreating. Once the transcreators have done their part, I checked their manuscripts and was happy to see that their transcreation has stayed true to the original spirit of each story. I must say that the transcreators and the editor did a wonderful job. The Painted Cat contains the best English transcreation of my stories so far.

 

What advice can you give to other Bahasa Malaysia writers who are planning to translate their stories into English?

I would say that they should go ahead, but only if they are very sure of the quality of the stories. At the same time, do not expect government-funded agencies like Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) and Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia (ITBM) to do it for you. Even though earlier this year the government allocated RM20 million to DBP, ITBM, and Yayasan Karyawan to handle translation activities, everyone in the writing, publishing, and translation industry already knows how they work. There are many online journals and magazines accepting translations. That is where you should try to get published. As for the translation, get someone you are comfortable working with in tandem.

 

What is the biggest challenge you face as a writer in Malaysia?

I have been writing fiction and non-fiction in Bahasa Malaysia since 1991 and the biggest challenge I face is the bigoted Little Napoleans in the literary scene. For example, in 1999, DBP tried to stop everyone from using the term “Bahasa Malaysia”. Of course, I fought back to reclaim my right – [read here]. In 2021, DBP made it obvious that non-Muslims do not have the right to use “Tuhan” because DBP claims that it can only be used to refer to Allah – [read here]. DBP and the “Malay” literary scene in general only want non-Malays who are average. If you are a “Pak Turut” (yes-man), you can go places as a lapdog. If you outshine them, they will go all out to “kill and destroy” you. I have already written about this in a story titled “Fail Merah: Konspirasi Membunuh Sasterawan Pulau Cinta” (Dewan Masyarakat, September 2002). I can gladly say that I do not face such challenges because I have self-respect and I know my rights and my values. At the same time, I am aware that many non-Malay writers are stuck in a vicious circle because they need DBP way more than DBP needs them.

 

What is the next project you are working on?

For 2024, I am thinking of publishing a compilation of essays, especially those previously published in Utusan Malaysia newspaper. Then, in 2025, perhaps another collection of stories in English (transcreated). But everything depends on the support from my friends because I need the social capital contribution to enable me to cover part of the publishing cost.

[This interview was conducted via e-mail on 27 June 2023 by Bissme S and published in Eksentrika on 11 July 2023. To contact Uthaya, click here.]

What They Say

Since The Painted Cat (2023) is Uthaya Sankar SB’s first book in English (transcreation), and there might/would be a whole new group of audience reading him for the first time, it would be good to list and document what the media, reporters, and comrades have said about Uthaya and his writing.

Here’s a list – and you may read their “say” in the book itself.

 

– Reena Enbasegaram (The Sun, 28 September 1998)

– Cheah Phaik Kin (New Straits Times, 2 December 1998)

– Bissme S (The Sun, 13 March 1999)

– Dina Zaman (New Straits Times, 4 July 2001)

– Amir Muhammad (The Edge, 19 November 2001)

– Amir Muhammad (New Straits Times, 13 February 2002)

– Rachael Philip (New Straits Times, 28 August 2005)

– Amir Muhammad (Malay Mail, 23 July 2008)

– Zedeck Siew (KLue, July 2010)

– Geetha Krishnan (Cine Fashion, April 2011)

– Daphne Lee (The Star, 19 June 2011)

– Zedeck Siew (Kakiseni, 25 April 2013)

– Jennifer Pak (BBC News, 22 October 2013)

– Article 19 (24 January 2014)

– Tan Gim Ean (The Edge, 12 April 2021)

– Ann Marie Chandy (The Star, 23 April 2021)

– Malaysia Cultural Insights Report (British Council, June 2021)

– PEN International (20 April 2022)

– Theevya Ragu (Free Malaysia Today, 30 May 2023)

– Beritakini (30 May 2023)

– Dr. Victor Pogadaev (Moscow, Russia)

– Harrie Sukalinggam (Kajang, Selangor)

– Harvintha Reddy Athinarayanan (Seremban, Negeri Sembilan)

– Sharon Bakar (Nilai, Negeri Sembilan)

– Gopala Krishnan (Butterworth, Penang)

– Palaniappan Periannan (Ipoh, Perak)

– Jemer Gill (Reykjavik, Iceland)

– M. Mahendran (Bentong, Pahang)

– Anuradha Chelliah (Banting, Selangor)

– Rohini Chowdhury (London, United Kingdom)

– Sharon Nelson (Kuala Lumpur)

– Lakshmi Krish (Taiping, Perak)

 

Related Links – [Content] – [Transcreators] – [Social Capital Contributors] – [A Chat About the Cat]

Intriguing Short Stories

Author Uthaya Sankar SB is coming up with a ‘transcreation’ book, consisting of a collection of short stories, from Bahasa Malaysia to English. S. TAMARAI CHELVI has the story.

 

INSPIRED by his late mother’s Indian folktales, Uthaya Sankar SB became a writer. He used to listen to her stories when he was a child, and as he grew up, his passion for the art of telling stories deepened further.

“I used to write poems, stories, and essays in Bahasa Malaysia, English, and Tamil while I was studying at SM Darul Ridwan, Taiping. My friends and teachers loved them, and my articles were published in the school magazines,” he said.

“In 1992, I started sending my manuscripts to Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), and the rest is history.”

Born in Taiping, Perak, Uthaya completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Malaya. Since 1992, Uthaya has authored more than 25 books and explored topics such as language, culture, literature, politics, and religion.

Among his works are Orang Dimensi (1994), Munis dengan Harimau (1996), Yang Aneh-Aneh (1997), Surat Dari Madras (1999), Suvarna Bhumi (2022) and Katha Sarit Sagara (2023).

Some of his writing has been translated into English, Tamil, Mandarin, and German, and he has been awarded Hadiah Sastera Siswa-Bank Rakyat, Hadiah Cerpen Maybank-DBP, and other awards throughout his career.

Uthaya formerly worked with Radio Televisyen Malaysia as an editor for Bahasa Malaysia TV News and content editor for Bahasa Malaysia News at Radio24 in 2008 and is currently the founder and president of Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan (Kavyan), which conducts language, literature, arts, and cultural activities.

Recently, Uthaya decided to “transcreate” a book containing short stories into English.

The decision to transcreate was made after realising that not many Malaysians and non-Malaysians have been able to fully enjoy and appreciate his writings.

The book titled The Painted Cat consists of 10 short stories, including four which he transcreated and its expected to be released in July 2023. Here, we communicated with Uthaya Sankar via email about his new book.

Tell us about the new book, which is expected to release in July 2023.

“It’s a collection of 10 short stories originally published in Bahasa Malaysia. My friends came forward to choose their favourite story to transcreate. I gave them the liberty to not just merely translate but to transcreate and make amendments when needed. I love the outcome because the transcreations stay true to the soul of my original stories.”

What motivated you to ‘transcreate’ in English?

“Since 1993, people have been asking me to write in English. I do write essays and journal articles in English, but not fiction. Friends from outside of Malaysia have listened to me read my stories in Bahasa Malaysia at various events and are eager to be able to read them in English.”

What do you want the readers to take away after reading the book?

“Most people find Malay literature to be very dry and boring. They should know that my stories are different and enjoyable. I hope this book will also make people interested in stories by my fellow Indian authors who write in Bahasa Malaysia.”

What can readers expect from this book?

“Readers will get a chance to read some of my award-winning stories. My stories usually have twists that keep readers engaged. Indian culture is highlighted positively and prominently. Myth, culture, history, and imagination all come together in this book.”

Why is this book meaningful to you?

“I have published more than 20 books in Bahasa Malaysia since 1994. The Painted Cat is my very first book in English. Non-Malaysians will be able to appreciate my stories, and that is something meaningful. Perhaps it’s about time to go international.”

[The interview was conducted by S. Tamarai Chelvi via e-mail on 17 May 2023. This piece was published in The Sun Daily on 6 June 2023.]