Copyright © 2024, Raidah Shah Idil. All rights reserved.
My Singapore book launch will be held at The Malay Heritage Centre, under the banner “Author Sessions at Hari Raya Open House”. Thank you, Wardah Books! Please come down for my book reading and signing, and bring your friends and family. Looking forward to seeing you there.
Admission is free but registration is required – just email ibrahim@wardahbooks.com to register.
Here are the details:
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Short stories. How I love them.
There is something so exquisite about being pulled into a story just long enough to be hooked, only to be released shortly after. Spell over.
Speaking of which, I’ve stumbled across a gem of a short story (thank you, Binders!), titled, “A Modern Girl’s Guide to Childbirth” by Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson. I love her lyrical prose, the use of second person, and her gorgeous past and present childbirth juxtapositions.
One of my favourite lines from her piece:
If this were 1800s France, the midwife would warm her hands in almond oil after lining your bed with boxes of powdered cumin and myrrh meant to dust the baby and protect her from evil spirits.
Which short stories have stayed with you?
I’m thrilled to share that Elephant Journal has published my poem, Ramadan. I wrote it as a way to pay tribute to the blessed month, and to honour the heartache in Gaza and Malaysia.
We’re living in a world that is splintering at the edges. May our next Ramadan bring better tidings.
Calligraphy source: Subhi Bora. Find her at @saafara_ on Instagram
Selamat Hari Raya to you and your loved ones 🙂 I pray that the next year will be filled with blessings, and that the suffering of our brethren worldwide will be eased.
In the spirit of a reflective Ramadan, I’ve posted up a piece on Lip Mag: Mountains, Moonsets and Migrating Camels. Enjoy!
Check out my reflections on the Lip Crew on Family. Thank you, Editor, for putting my musings first!
In these last few days of Ramadan reflection, what does family mean to you?
In the light of recent events, I’d like to share a beautiful and heart-wrenching poem by Elana Bell. Please click here to listen to and read her poem, Your Village.
In these last ten days of Ramadan, I pray that Allah eases the suffering of the oppressed in Palestine, Burma, and elsewhere around the world. My heart also goes out to the families of the passengers on MH370 and MH17.
It’s been a heartbreaking Ramadan, and all the more reason to turn to the Healer of hearts:
And when My servants ask you, (O Muhammad), concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me (by obedience) and believe in Me that they may be (rightly) guided. [Qur’an 2:186]
Sunflower, my first poem on The Elephant Journal, is published! (Hopefully they fix up the misspelling of my last name)
May this poem be a balm for all wounded hearts, and a call to self-care and self-love. In the words of Shaykh Usama Canon, “Hurt people, hurt people.”
Image source: Tamara Redfern, Sistershine Life Coaching
Ramadan Mubarak and Selamat Berpuasa, everyone! Please forgive me for my shortcomings.
A year ago, I was in Peace Park with my family and friends, searching for the crescent moon. It was winter then, and I recall feeling very cold. I miss my moonsighting days. There’s a special joy that comes with sighting that thin, glorious sliver of the moon.
Now that I’m in tropical KL, I don’t remember the feeling of a crisp winter’s night. I also have no idea where the local moonsighters are lol.
Still, there’s a different kind of magic here, Malaysia being a Muslim country and all.
Although my thoughts are always with my loved ones in Sydney, I’m looking forward to breaking my fast with my new friends and my Malaysian family.
Please make dua that Allah helps me through the heat and haze of my first Malaysian Ramadan 🙂 Speaking of which, may Allah grant ease to those of us fasting in long summers, especially those with 19+ hours of fasting.
Calligraphy source: Subhi Bora. Find her at @saafara_ on Instagram
Please hop on over to The Elephant Journal for this beautiful, beautiful poem by my poetic mentor, Caits Meissner: Recipe For Grounding. Read it out loud, whisper it to yourself, feel the words resonate through your soul.
May this poem inspire you to stand tall, grow roots, and simply be.
(If you haven’t already, I encourage you to be a reading member of The Elephant Journal for only $13 per year. Support this gorgeous independent press and its writers!)
I took this picture at The University of Life, at Janda Baik. It’s truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever stepped into.
Calling all photography enthusiasts! National Geographic’s photo contest is open up til June 30. Entry fee is US $15. Official categories include Travel Portraits; Sense of Place; Outdoor Scenes and Spontaneous Moments.
As much as I am a lover of words, beautiful images sink right into the soul – no words needed.
I have many fond memories of flipping through National Geographic magazines as a child. My father would bring them home and I’d devour them, marvelling at the stunning photographs from all over the world. I was intrigued by places very foreign to me, like the Arctic, or the dense jungles of the Amazon. Imagine the life of a National Geographic photojournalist! Lots of travel, adventure, and jumping timezones. A girl can dream 🙂
Click on this Atlantic article for a breathtaking glimpse at some of this year’s entries. Gorgeous!
Raidah Shah Idil, MG Author 