New Malaysian Essays

New Malaysian Essays is an annual Malaysian non-fiction book series by Matahari Books. It showcases previously unpublished essays on a variety of styles, from polemic to ode to memoir. Each book is mainly in English but will contain at least one essay in Malay.

Vol 1

Vol 1 (ISBN 9789834359614) was launched in February 2008 in Kuala Lumpur. edited by Amir Muhammad and featured six writers. They are, in order of appearance in the book:

  • Brian Yap's The Trouble with Malaysia, an election-era critique.
  • Aminuddin Mahmud's Branding -Mamak Style, business tips from popular eateries.
  • Burhan Baki's Yes We Must Move On: Theoretical Notes on Various Things Malaysian, a post-structuralist reading of local icons and conduct.
  • Saharil Hasrin Sanin's Teroris Bahasa (in Malay) about the evolution and political neglect of language.
  • Amir Muhammad's Unwelcome Words, a mini-dictionary of words not found in the official lexicon.
  • Sonia Randhawa's A Manifesto for Independence: Fifty Years to Merdeka?, a prescription for the future that is inspired by anarchism.

The cover features a detail from a painting by Ahmad Fuad Osman.[1]
A book trailer was posted on YouTube in conjunction with the launch, with the sound of firecrackers inspired by the launch-date's proximity to Chinese New Year.[2]
It was listed as one of the 10 bestsellers for local English non-fiction for 2008 in Malaysia.[3]

Vol 2

Vol 2 (ISBN 9789834359683) features ten writers and was edited by Amir Muhammad.

  • Shanon Shah's The Khutbah Diaries, about political Islam
  • Mohamad Tajuddin Mohamad Rasdi's The Architecture of Putrajaya, about the administrative capital
  • Ridhwan Saidi's Hari-Hari Terakhir Seorang Flâneur (in Malay), partly a manifesto about urban spaces
  • Danny Lim's Aku, Hang & Demo, a pictorial record of street demonstrations
  • Amir Muhammad's Of Jackfruit and Kings, about the monarchy
  • Ann Lee's The Theme Park of Pulau Jerejak, about leprosy
  • Amir Sharipuddin's Blue, Black & White: How I Survived National Service, a journal
  • Yusuf Martin's Colourful Language, a critique of American influence in culture
  • Andrew Ng's A Cultural History of Pontianak Films, a survey of this horror film subgenre
  • Jac sm Kee's Boundary Monsters in a Time of Magic, a feminist reading of ghosts and new technology.

The cover features a detail from a digital artwork by Yee I-Lann.[4]
The launch date of 4 July 2009 was a jokey reference to the essay by Yusuf Martin.

Vol 3

Vol 3 (ISBN 9789834484552) features five writers and was edited by Yin Shao Loong. In a departure from the norm, it was released purely as a free e-book on 16 September 2010[5]

Notes
  1. The cover painting by Amir Muhammad.
  2. Vol 1 trailer on YouTube
  3. Vote & Win in The Star (Malaysia) - 14 June 2009
  4. The cover for NME2 by Amir Muhammad
  5. New Malaysian Essays 3 at Matahari Books.
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