Books, Life

My book launch in Singapore, on August 23rd! @wardahbooks

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:

Session 1: Raidah Shah Idil, author of ‘Finding Jamilah & The Story of Yusuf’

Venue: 10:15am to 11am,
Anjung, Level 2,
Museum at the Malay Heritage Centre

Singapore-born Raidah Shah Idil is a writer, poet, storyteller, creative instructor and a Digging Deep, Facing Self (DDFS) alum based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her debut double-featured novel, “Finding Jamilah and the Story of Yusuf” was published in early 2014. Her writing has been published in The Feminist Wire, SISTERS magazine, Daily Life, Lip Mag and Venture Beat. Raidah’s poetry was recently published in the ‘Armed With Only Our Souls’ online DDFS chapbook by NY poet, Caits Meissner.

As an instructor at Axiom Learning, Raidah teaches children and teens about creative writing, public speaking, and the power of poetry. Raidah has recently taken to the stage and is now a budding spoken-word artist. You can find her turning compost in her garden, hunting for herbs and collecting good stories.

Programme:

Book-reading
Book-signing

Beauty, Life, Mark Gonzales, Writing

Reflections on my book launch with @markgonzales @mayfahmi @sarasaleh #wagebeauty

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(Photo credit: Subhi Be)

WOW. That’s all I’m sayin’. Being on the “A Word’s Worth” panel with May Fahmi, Sara Saleh, and Mark Gonzales sure was inspiring! It’s so refreshing to be part of a dialogue about the written word because sometimes, the act of writing can be isolating. I really benefited from the creative energy buzzing in that room.

As much as we enjoyed listening to Mark Gonzales speak, I appreciated his curiosity about what the rest of us had to say. May and Sara, I’m SO thrilled to hear that your screenplay is being turned into a short film and I cannot wait to watch it!

Thank you, the LMA team, for giving me the opportunity to be a panelist as well as showcase my book. Reading out the first chapter of Finding Jamilah and The Story of Yusuf really brought back my sense of wonder. It’s so easy to get caught up in the drama and back and forth of editing and publication. My book launch was a reminder of the love I have for writing and story-telling.

I’d also like to thank all my friends and family who came to my book launch, as well as those who couldn’t make it. I couldn’t have gotten this far without your love, prayers and support. Here’s to many more book launches!

For all aspiring writers who haven’t yet published – keep writing! I hope that your stories will see the light of day, the way mine have. That being said, writing is a craft and an art that takes years to refine, so enjoy the journey. Do your part, and let things unfold.

On another note, I took away three gems after listening to Mark Gonzales:

1) Vulnerability is strong, and not weak. #fiercevulnerability

2) We can choose to tell the same stories of our hurt and oppression, or we can write better ones of where we want to be. https://www.facebook.com/narrativegrowth

3) When writing/creating art, remember our values, vision and non-negotiables.

I wasn’t able to attend any other events with Mark Gonzales because of my hectic travel schedule, but I’m hoping to be part of a team who’ll host him in KL, Malaysia! We have amazing food there…#wagebeauty #tehtarik

 

art, Books, Reading

My Book Launch – Monday, March 31st, 7:30 pm @ LMA Library, Level 3

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I have exciting news! I’ve been invited to be part of the “Write On The World Tour”, hosted by the LMA. I’m thrilled to be part of a tour spearheaded by Mark Gonzales, of #wagebeauty fame. Sara Saleh and May Fahmi are also wonderful artists in their own right.

On the 31st of March, I’ll be one of the panelists on the “Word’s Worth Forum”, which will be followed by my book launch. My book will be available for sale and book signing on the night, and I’ll also be performing a 30 minute book reading.

I’ll see you there!

(Tickets are $10. Please register at events@lma.org.au)