Canadian author Thien – whose 'The Book Of Records' is on former US president Barack Obama’s 2025 summer reading list – is among this year’s George Town Literary Festival 2025 highlights. Photo: Simon Fraser University
What do Canadian novelist Madeleine Thien and Australian poet, writer and rapper Omar Musa have in common with one another?
Besides being among the highlights of this year's George Town Literary Festival (GTLF), they both share roots that are deeply embedded in Sabah.
At the 15th edition of GTLF, happening Nov 28-30, Thein and Omar will be on the panel for Borneo, Carried Across Oceans on Nov 30, where they will discuss their connection to the Land Below The Wind and how it influences their writing and sense of belonging.
Omar is also launching his latest novel Fierceland on Nov 29, which is mainly set in Sabah, and performing Ghost Bird on Nov 28, a haunting collaboration with his wife, acclaimed cellist Mariel Roberts, that blends spoken word, rap and experimental music.
In Stories We Inherit – Belonging Through Time on Nov 29, Thein has an intimate discussion with Malaysian author Karina Robles Bahrin on writing that grapples with history, migration and identity, reflecting on how literature can carry the weight of the past into the present.
From indie bookshops to the historic UAB Building, GTLF will take over George Town over three days, welcoming lovers of literature from near and far. This year's theme, “Urban Myths and Memories”, will unpack the unseen emotional geographies that shape city life, from inherited silences and whispered rumours to the deeply personal recollections that breathe life into streets, homes, and communities.
Author, poet and artist Omar, who has Sabahan family roots, is also set to appear at GTLF 2025. Photo: Quinn Ryder
While the festival's main programming remains free and open to the public, GTLF 2025 is introducing the Festival Pass – all you need to do is register online (for free), and you will receive a unique QR code that will gain you entry to events throughout the festival.
Visitors can expect a programme featuring panel discussions, readings, workshops, book launches, a film screening, and an exhibition – all designed to breathe life into this year’s theme and connect readers, writers, and thinkers from around the world.
GTLF 2025 offers an exceptional line-up of literary voices from around the world, including the likes of Belgian author Lize Spit, Dutch author Reggie Baay, French author Wilfried N’Sonde, Indian writer Nirmala Lakshman, Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-Zi, and Singaporean writers Amanda Lee Koe, Ng Yi-Sheng, and Shivram Gopinath.
Book launches and panels
Book launches - 18 events across the three-day programme - are a staple at GTLF, where readers can get a taste of the latest books and ask authors their burning questions.
On Nov 29, Penguin Random House SEA is launching three new titles from Malaysian writers: Adorable by Wan Phing Lim, a sharp collection of stories on fleeting connections; Malayan Spy by Kam Raslan, a witty historical tale of intrigue; and Vermillion Eye by Tunku Halim, a chilling dive into the uncanny.
Nutmag - an indie literary zine series - is celebrating a decade of championing local Penang writing with the release of Milestones: A Nutmag Anthology on Nov 30. There will be readings by Nadia Rose Noordin, Fyiona Yong, and Adam Heskey Low, followed by a panel with authors Ngo Tjer Hong, Jonathan Sim and Cheah Mi Chelle, moderated by Wan Phing Lim.
'Milestones: A NutMag Anthology' will be launched at the George Town Literary Festival 2025. 'NutMag' is an annual zine produced by the MYWriters team in Penang since 2016. Photo: Handout
On 28, author Rose Gan will be launching a new book Legacy, her much-anticipated sequel to Dragon. Continuing the saga of the Light family, it follows Martinha Rozells and her children as they navigate empire and upheaval - from Britain and Bengal to Java and Adelaide. Richly woven and deeply rooted in Penang, Legacy is historical fiction at its most sweeping and resonant.
The panel Echoes Of A Homeland on Nov 30 brings the timely topic of Palestine to the fore – featuring historian Nur Masalha, writer-director Ahmed Masoud, and poet Paul Catafago, the three open up on how literature, scholarship and art bear witness to displacement and dispossession, resisting erasure while carrying forward the hope of peace.
Poetry
Fans of poetry can also look forward to the launch of several poetry collections, including In The Mirror on Nov 29, a posthumous collection of unreleased and selected poems by legendary Malaysian poet Wong Phui Nam (1935-2022).
Editors Brandon K. Liew and Daryl Lim Wei Jie included some of Wong's literary writings and a concise biography that adds crucial insight into the late poet's background and perspectives.
Art knows no borders or a single language, which is highlighted in Hibiscus & Plum Blossoms: Contemporary Malaysian and Taiwanese Poems, a bilingual anthology of poems written by 42 poets from Malaysia and Taiwan.
'In The Mirror' places the late poet Wong Phui Nam’s work in today’s literary context, exploring Malaysia’s post-colonial identity and the ways it has shaped the country’s writing. Photo: Handout
Each poem is presented in English and Chinese. At the poetry book's launch on Nov 30, editors Malachi Edwin Vethamani and (Taiwan-born poet) Lo Te-chang Mike will discuss how the collection was put together, followed by a poetry reading by selected poets represented in this collection.
Film screenings and performance art
There will also be film screenings at the festival. Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Chi-jan returns to Malaysia, presenting the third edition of his documentary series, Poetries From The Bookstores on Nov 28.
Carefully selecting 40 bookstores nestled in cities, the countryside, and outlying islands in Taiwan, Hou poetically captures each uniquely styled space through film rather than words.
On Nov 30, Hou will also do an artist talk to reflect on his work in documenting more than 120 bookstores in Taiwan over the course of a decade, with a special focus on independent bookstores as cultural lifelines.
Independent filmmaker/book publisher Amir Muhammad will be screening his latest lo-fi documentary Terdedah: 7 Artists In Search Of A Cover on Nov 29, where he asks seven artists how they would design a cover of Shahnon Ahmad's 1965 novel Terdedah, which has been out of print for decades, if it were reprinted today. In an unfortunate twist, one of the artists disappeared after agreeing, so they were replaced by ChatGPT.
For the cherry on top GTLF's already exciting line-up, check out Danish artist Molly Haslund's Teenagers Eating Ice Cream Cones, a choreographed art performance on Nov 30 involving a group of teenagers eating ice cream while standing at the entrance of Hin Bus Depot. Through subtle gestures and fleeting movements, Haslund explores the dynamics of belonging, exclusion, and social hierarchies, highlighting the complexities of group interaction.
Full George Town Literary Festival 2025 programme and more info here.
