Book lovers pick a diverse list of Malaysian reads to investigate

'Where Monsoons Meet', originally written and published in the late 1970s reveals the history of exploitation in the shaping of a nation - from the days of the 15th-century Melaka Sultanate to Merdeka in 1957. Photo: Gerakbudaya

Victor Chin (artist, filmmaker, activist) picks Where Monsoons Meet: A People's History Of Malaysia (by Musimgrafik):

"I'm going to swap the big heavy books for something simple and direct. If you look beyond the cartoonish presentation and panels, this graphic novel Where Monsoons Meet offers surprising – and telling – alternatives to the official historical narrative taught in schools. Here is a version of our history as told by the people, and, it revisits the Melaka Sultanate, the colonial years, WWII, rise of nationalism right up to the birth of the nation. You find a different sense of 'nationhood' here. For a book written by a group of Malaysian students and published in the (late) 1970s, you have to marvel at their freedom and critical thinking back then. I'm glad it is back in print, and ready to meet a new generation."