The Malaysian Insider :: Books
The Malaysian Insider :: Books |
| Malaysian poet publishes new collection depicting life’s many challenges Posted: 09 Sep 2013 07:37 PM PDT Wee's collection of poems covers the many emotions that one may encounter in life. His compendium of poems flows through pain, sadness, reflections, expectations and even confessions. His poem Say It focuses on the liberating and healing power of words. Each poem has a heart-warming message and motivates readers to be tolerant and compassionate towards others. For example, in his poem Manners, he talks about how he demonstrates respect to another by showing courtesy. In his epigraph, Wee writes, "If only the blind could lead the way, those with sight should be able to walk with confident strides." This speaks of his perception that people's lack of trust and communication ability has tremendously influenced their character and judgements. Wee is an avid poet whose poems portray his multi-faceted experiences concerning the complexity and reality of life. His love for poetry-writing paid off when his contributions to a poetry website fetched positive reviews and encouragements. His persistent effort was finally compiled and published with the intent of sharing and assisting individuals to understand and accept adversities as a tool to mature. Currently, he resides in Malacca with his wife and three children. - September 10, 2013. |
| Young Malaysian writer publishes five books in five years Posted: 09 Sep 2013 05:46 PM PDT It was not exactly the type of background you would expect from a teenage fiction writer. He was in the science stream and loved mathematics. A smart student, he scored 9As in his PMR examinations and 10As in SPM. Yet Ridzuan Mohd Ghazali certainly had a talent for writing. In just five years, the budding young writer has written five books: Melodi Hati (The Melody of the Heart), Hazim, Aizat & Muzik (Hazim, Aizat & Music), Brrr... Sejuknya Salji! (Brrr... How Cold the Snow Is!), Diari Untuk Ibu (A Diary for Mother) and Goodbye New York. His first book was published in 2009. A love for writing Ridzuan goes by pen names of Iwan Reaz and Iwan Ghazali. The Selangor-born lad, now in his early 20s, started writing while he was in Form 2. At that time, he was a student at Sekolah Agama Hulu Langat in Batu 10, Cheras. "I've always thought about what to do after the final exams when there is usually not much to do at school. I wanted to do something fruitful. I decided I would write a book," he said. Ridzuan said although he had authored several teenage novels, he was not a fan of the genre. He prefers teenage comics and mysteries. His flair for writing was first noticed when he was in Form 3. He would often participate in essay-writing competitions and bagged at least third place. Ridzuan said he would get most of his ideas after reading a book or watching a film, and would then come up with a storyline. First work He started writing seriously during his final semester at INTI College in Nilai, while pursuing the American Degree Transfer Programme. "In the four months, I took only two subjects. Most of my free time was spent on writing the book. "I had three months of free time before flying off and, alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah), I managed to finish my first book in just a month," said Ridzuan. After finishing the manuscript, he found himself wondering about how to get it published. "I was new to the world of literature and had no idea how to go about getting my book published. I asked my neighbours who are in the field of multimedia and they suggested I visit bookstores to find out the names of potential publishers," he said. To make his first book stand out, Ridzuan included a CD of the songs he wrote. The young author was already in the US when his book, Melodi Hati was finally published by Telaga Biru, but without the accompanying CD. He had initially kept the writing process a secret and only informed his parents after the manuscript was approved. "I didn't want to tell them about it earlier as I wasn't sure if at all the writing would amount to anything. They were surprised when my first book came out. However, they did not discourage me from pursuing the effort. "Even my roommate back at Inti College was surprised when my book came out. He wondered how I found the time to write the book," said Ridzuan, who is now a training executive with Bernama. Ridzuan said his mother proofread the manuscripts of subsequent novels before they were sent to the publishers. Family-themed Family is the central theme of Ridzuan's books, with a special focus on sibling relationships. His first book featured the relationship between brothers Iwan and Syahmi after the death of their parents. Iwan faces many challenges in raising his younger brother Syahmi while at the same time trying to pursue a career as a composer and a lyricist. His second book Hazim, Aizat & Musik also revolved around two brothers who lose their parents. Their relationship becomes strained and distant when Hazim decides to continue his studies overseas without consulting Aizat. Ridzuan said he was inclined towards the theme as it served as a reminder for the current generation, which has a tendency to put friends and careers above family relationships. "I would like to help reset the mindsets of the younger generation, especially those still in school, about the importance of the family institution over anything else. "Moral decadence is prevalent among the youths today. I'm hoping to educate them on good moral values through my writings," said Ridzuan. Upholding values Ridzuan is currently writing several more books, among them the mystery novel Subway. He is also working on a proposal paper for a teenage novel Mr Novelist. According to Ridzuan, moral values were considerations when choosing the theme for his books. "I like to emphasise on good values. Promoting good through my writings is like an investment for my hereafter. But if I promote bad values and influence my readers through my writing, that will not bode well for me. "This is my way of preaching and spreading good," he said. Ridzuan said his next work would be a romance novel but with an Islamic theme. He also expressed interest in collaborating with his cousin to produce a comic book that would be released in time for the Malaysian International Book Fest next year. Challenges in writing On what does it take to write a book, Ridzuan noted that a high degree of commitment and discipline is a prerequisite. Coming up with ideas can be a challenge on its own. "There are days when the ideas are just pouring in, and I can complete two chapters a day. But on some days, it can be difficult to even write a page," he said, adding that he had this problem when writing his second book. "While other students were enjoying the semester break, I had to stay in to complete my book. "Since then, I taught myself to become more disciplined in managing time and would write at least an hour after my maghrib (evening) prayers," he said. Ridzuan said he took quite some time to finish his second book as at the time, he had just started on his MBA, majoring in Actuarial Science in the US. His second book was published by Galeri Ilmu, under the pen name Iwan Ghazali. Ridzuan said the bookstores carrying his work were Popular, MPH and the Badan Bookstore. Those wishing to purchase his books online can do so via the publisher's Making videos Another of Ridzuan's way to spend his past-time is by making videos. It all started while he was in Form 3 and was selected as an extra for a telemovie titled See You di IPT. The shoot took place at the school which he attended. "It was then that I developed an interest in acting and directing. I don't intend to make a career out of it, but it's just something I like to do for personal satisfaction. I'd like to become good at it," said Ridzuan. He produced many video clips while in school and during his three years at the Temple University in Philadelphia. About his time studying in the US, Ridzuan said it was his first time away from his family but there were many interesting memories. "I celebrated Hari Raya in 2009 in Philly (Philadelphia). The following year, we went all the way to New York to celebrate Hari Raya with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. "We had a good time," he said. - Bernama, September 10, 2013. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider : Books To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan