To support local independent publishers and booksellers, Aesop has purchased over 6,000 volumes for the ephemeral library. Photo: Freepik.com
Malaysia’s first women’s library will be launched with the opening of Aesop Women’s Library across three of its signature stores over the weekends of May 26-28 and June 2-4. This follows the successful launch of Aesop’s Singapore Women’s Library in South-East Asia earlier in April.
Over the course of three days, the shelves of Aesop Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Aesop The Gardens Mall in Kuala Lumpur and Aesop Gurney Plaza in Penang will be cleared of products and stocked entirely with books by Malaysian women-identifying authors and allies.
There will be a selection of over 20 titles composed of recommendations from six collaborating local publishing houses that champion local literary voices: Lit Books, Clarity Publishing, Cite Book Garden, Gerakbudaya Kuala Lumpur, Penwings Publishing, and Buku Fixi. Featured writers include Viji Krishnamoorthy, Leong Ching Foon, Hanna Alkaf, and Alina Rastam.
To support local independent publishers and booksellers, Aesop has purchased over 6,000 volumes for the ephemeral library.
Customers visiting the stores are allowed to take home one complimentary book of their choice, and no purchase is required.
“It is Aesop’s aim to foster strength and solidarity among all women, and through this initiative, we hope to continue to elevate women’s voices and stories. From emerging voices to seasoned authors, and short stories to novels and poetry, these significant literary works will detail the authors’ experiences,” said Aesop in a press statement.
To further promote self-expression through the written word, the Aesop Women’s Library is also collaborating with the literary podcast “Two Book Nerds Talking”.
Over the course of three episodes, the hosts will introduce Aesop’s local initiative, share some of their thoughts on the books featured, and invite a few key authors to discuss their journey towards becoming writers.
The complete list of featured titles and the Two Book Nerds Talking podcast can be found on malaysia.aesop.com.
