Archives: Authors

RM Topacio-Aplaon is a novelist from Imus, Cavite, Philippines. He has published two novels in Filipino under the University of the Philippines Press. The first one, Lila ang Kulay ng Pamamaalam (loosely, Lilac is the Colour of Farewell), published in 2015, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards and the Madrigal-Gonzales First Book Award. It also earned a runner-up citation from the Gawad Gintong Aklat by the Book Development Association of the Philippines. His second novel, Muling Nanghaharana ang Dapithapon (Dusk Serenades Again) was published in 2018. Both comprise the Imus Novels, a septology centered on Topacio-Aplaon’s hometown. The five remaining books will be published by the same press, with Topograpiya ng Lumbay (Topography of Grief) set to be released this year. He attended the University of the Philippines National Writers Workshop in 2016 and served as panelist at the Philippine Readers and Writers Festival in 2015 and 2018. He has taken part in promoting local literature to students of writing. Alguien ya contó las horas (Somebody has already told the time), a collection of short stories, essays, and poems in English, was published in 2018 by Balangay Productions, an independent press based in Cavite. Topacio-Aplaon currently works for a global sustainability-adherent company based in Manila. He was also a painter and an amateur musician. At Night We Are Dancers is his first English-language novel.

Josh Langley has spent the last seventeen years in radio as an advertising copywriter and
has been nominated and won several state, national and international copywriting
awards.

Danielle Lim is an award-winning author whose latest novel, All Our Brave, Earthly Scars, has been published in 2022. Her short story collection, And Softly Go the Crossings, won the Book of the Year as well as Best Literary Work in the Singapore Book Awards 2021. Her novel, Trafalgar Sunrise, was shortlisted for Best Literary Work in the Singapore Book Awards 2019. Her memoir, The Sound of SCH: A Mental Breakdown, a Life Journey, won the Singapore Literature Prize 2016 (non-fiction), and has been translated to Chinese and Tamil, published in Taiwan and India.

The Publishers Weekly (US) listed Danielle as one of Singapore’s top writers in 2016. Her works have been featured in The Straits Times, BiblioAsia, on radio 938Now and ABC Radio Australia, in The West Australian and other publications. She has been invited to speak at international events such as the Singapore Writers Festival, the Kimberley Writers Festival, and the George Town Literary Festival.

Danielle is an alumna of the University of Oxford and resides in Singapore, where she is a lecturer.

D Turmunkh is a programme director with Mongolian TV, scriptwriter, producer
and founder of the independent production company Tobch Toli Prods. His movie,
State of Dogs, released in 1998, received numerous international awards. He has
since released two more movies to complete the trilogy.

Prof. Muhammad Haji Salleh is one of the Malaysian writers who has been awarded the National Literary Award in 1991. He also won the SEA Writers Award in 1997. In 2008, he was named National Scholar of Excellence.
He was the President of the Malaysian Translators Association (1978-1982) and meanwhile many of his poems have been translated into English, German, Chinese, Dutch, Thai, Russian and Portuguese. He also serves on the editorial board of the Southeast Asian Literary Journal, Tenggara, a member of the Board of Directors of the Language and Library Council, and a member of the National Literary Awards Panel.
His career began as a teacher at the Butterworth Trade School in 1960 and then continued his teaching career in several schools as a tutor, lecturer, senior lecturer and subsequently held several academic positions at local and international universities. He also made history as the youngest professor who was appointed to the post in 1979 at the age of 37.
Upon returning to Malaysia, he served at the National University of Malaysia and the University of Science Malaysia. For 42 years, he has worked at USM, UKM and UM . He has been invited to teach in the United States, Brunei, Germany and the Netherlands as a visiting professor and has received fellowships from several universities in the United States, Japan and the Netherlands.
He was previously a Guest Professor under the Fulbright-Hays program (1977) and taught at North Carolina State University, Raleigh , USA (1977-1978); lecturer in the Department of Malay Literature; Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, UKM; Director of the Institute of Language, Culture Malay Literature. Then became Professor of Literature at the age of 36 (1978). Muhammad is an ‘Asian Scholar in Residence’ at the University of Michigan. In 1992-1993, he was elected Fullbright Visiting Reseacher, at the University of California, Berkeley; bears the Chair of Malay Studies at the University of Leiden, Netherlands (1993-1994).
In June 1996, he participated in the National Association (Moscow) seminar on ‘National Construction and the Literature / Cultural Development in Southeast Asia’, in which he presented the paper ‘Audience on the Staircase’. The effects of a visit to Moscow, including the performance of ‘The Queen of Spades’ directed by Peter Fomenko, in the theater of E. Vakhtangov, are reflected in some of his poems.

Her Royal Highness Princess Vibhavadi Rangsit (née Her Serene Highness Princess Vibhavadi Rajani) was born on 20th November 1920. The daughter of His Highness Prince (Krom Muen) Bidyalongkorn and Her Serene Highness Princess Bornbimolban Rajani (née Voravarn), she was educated at Mater Dei School, Bangkok. After graduating from the Finishing Course, she worked as a secretary for her father, one of the greatest poets of the Ratanakosin era, who wrote under the pseudonym ‘Nor. Mor. Sor.’ Princess Vibhavadi inherited her father’s gift for writing and displayed her abilities at the early age of 14 when she began to write a novel for children. She used the pen-name V. na Pramuanmarg which became well known amongst Thai literary circles. Her famous first novel ‘Prisna’ was written when she was just eighteen years old and was subsequently followed by two sequels and many other novels, as well as historical novels.
Princess Vibhavadi married His Serene Highness Prince Piyarangsit Rangsit, the eldest son of His Royal Highness Prince Rangsit Prayurasakdi, Prince of Jainad, on 6th May 1946. They were the only couple ever to have been married by His Majesty King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII).
Besides a busy home life bringing up two daughters Mom Rajawongse Vibhanand and Mom Rajawongse Priyanandana Rangsit, and a full writing career, she embarked on another course which was to occupy her to the end of her days: that of serving Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother. She began to accompany Them when They toured the country in 1957 and was appointed Lady-in-Waiting to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit when Their Majesties went on Their first State Visit in 1960. Altogether, Princess Vibhavadi accompanied the King and Queen abroad on seven occasions to a total of 25 countries.
The last ten years of her life were dedicated to rural development in Southern Thailand under the direction and sponsorship of His Majesty King Rama IX. Her involvement began when the King asked her to go to a remote and backward area called Pra Saeng in Surat Thani. From that initial visit in 1967, she was committed to developing the hitherto neglected areas and to improving the standard of living of the villagers. Sponsored by the King, she led a medical team on countless missions to distribute medical supplies, schooling equipment, blankets and other necessities to the needy villagers. Undaunted by the hardship of travel, Princess Vibhavadi led the medical team to all the neglected and inaccessible parts of the southern provinces. Wherever she went, the grievances of the villagers were noted down and subsequently rectified by the authorities. In this manner, rural development followed Princess Vibhavadi’s trodden path: roads were built, new health centres and schools established, electricity reached new destinations etc. Upon the wishes of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, she also promoted local handicrafts so that the women could earn extra income.
Princess Vibhavadi was not concerned about her personal safety and often went to visit the troops and Border Patrol Policemen in troubled areas where insurgency flared. Thus, on the morning of 16th February 1977, on what was to be a routine mission to visit the villagers and to boost the morale of the troops in Wieng Sra district of Surat Thani, she boarded an Army helicopter. On the way to her destination, she heard on the radio that two Border Patrol Policemen had been wounded by a landmine explosion. As she wanted the wounded men to receive medical aid as soon as possible, she told the pilot to change the flight route so that the helicopter could go to pick them up and take them to a hospital. As it was flying low over Baan Nua Klong in Surat Thani, the helicopter was ambushed from the ground by Communist terrorists. The burst of machine gun fire not only crippled the helicopter, but fatally wounded the Princess. She died an hour later.
Prior to her cremation on 4th April, 1977, ‘in recognition of her services to the country and the people’, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) conferred upon her the rank of Pra Ong Chao (Her Royal Highness) and bestowed the highest decoration of the Most Illustrious Order of the House of Chakri.
It has now been 43 years since that tragic day which stunned the nation. She was particularly mourned in the Southern Provinces where a 15-day mourning period was declared. To this day, her death anniversary, the 16th of February, is known as Vibhavadi Day in Surat Thani where civil and religious ceremonies are held in her honour simultaneously at the five monuments dedicated to her.

Linda Fitzpatrick writes fun-filled, action-packed adventure stories for children. After studying professional writing and editing in Melbourne, she left Australia with her family to create new adventures in The Netherlands and Singapore. In 2014, she won the FAW Mary Grant Bruce award for her short story, ‘The Day Mum Sold the Touchscreen’, which was later published in [Untitled], by Busybird Publications. Her blog ‘Going Home’ helped her stay sane during their relocation back to Australia. She now lives in Melbourne with her husband and three children.

Simon Wray lives in Singapore with his wonderful wife and three amazing kids. Simon dreams of digging up hotel gardens in a glorious quest for hidden treasure; however, he is too scared of being shot. So, instead, he spends each day trying to solve the mystery of the missing car keys . . . ‘seriously though, where did I leave them?’ The Mystery of the Missing Silver is Simon’s debut in children’s books.

Emma Nicholson finds inventing stories as mouth-watering as munching French pastries at Raffles Hotel. She comes from Birmingham, England and spent many years playing around with languages, editing, teaching and writing. While living in Singapore, she published Princess Petunia’s Dragon, a fun and funny middle-grade fantasy. Life takes her to many places, where she scavenges ideas for writing and sketching.

Claire Thamboo is a junior schoolteacher who writes over a range of genres, from supernatural fantasy to whodunits. She enjoys creating young protagonists who grapple with mystery, mayhem and the occasional mood swing. In the rare snippets of spare time made available to her, she relaxes by reading, swimming and playing the piano.