I WAS cleaning up cat poop in the backyard when I had a sudden thought about all the hidden treasures we have right here in our country. Such is the power of a good book – the story will mull around in your head, only to pop up at unexpected moments (when you’re cleaning up cat poop for example).
The book I’m referring to is written by our very own Iban writer, Golda Mowe. Actually, there are two books of Mowe which I’m currently obsessed with.
Back in August of last year when the country was still in the midst of some variant of MCO, CMCO, RMCO (I have since, completely lost track), Mowe announced on her Facebook page that she was coming out with not one, but two books set in Sarawak.
Being a true fan girl, I reached out and was one of the first to get my hands on these two books. Here’s the proof …
Mowe is no stranger to the publishing world; she has published three books for Monsoon Books, ‘Iban Dreams’, ‘Iban Journey’ and ‘Iban Woman’, and her other books have been published by Scholastic and local children’s publisher, Oyez Books.
Being of Iban and Melanau descent, Golda is a master at painting an authentic and deeply immersive picture of Iban society. She skilfully weaves in local beliefs and folklore into her stories, creating something new and quite exciting. Needless to say, I am a huge fan.
The first book is a slim, but action-packed novella titled ‘Fairy Con’. The cover of this book is misleading because even though it looks like a children’s book, you will soon discover within the first few pages that this is actually a grisly murder mystery of the most riveting kind. So fair warning, this book might not be suitable for younger children.
From the opening pages you will be taken on a wild ride through the suburbs of a charming modern-day Sibu, which co-exists with the invisible dream realm of the Iban spirits and gods. Bunsu Chit (the rat demon), Bunsu Bayas (the crocodile demon), Antu Kamba (the mischief spirit) and other fascinating characters from Iban mythology make an appearance.
My favourite character is Ini Andan, the wise shaman goddess who resides in both the real and dream world, and who bears a striking resemblance to Jessica Fletcher (of ‘Murder, She Wrote’ fame) in her determination to solve the mystery and reveal the murderer.
I won’t say more about the story to avoid spoilers, but let’s just say that this book, like a good spicy bowl of laksa Sarawak, was simply delicious.
Mowe’s second book titled ‘Encounters: Modern Folktales from Sibu’, is a cleverly put together collection of ten short stories set in modern day Sarawak. Once again, the author successfully intertwines local folklore and supernatural beliefs, adapting these elements into a story which still resonates with our lives today.
The best part of the ‘Encounters’ collection are the seriously spine-tingling characters who make an appearance, such as the infamous were-crocodile, Bujang Senang, Sempurai, the great cobra who gets a little bored and wants to go on holiday (a bit like the rest of us) and the super creepy Kelangsat, a creature who crawls on his bottom and tricks those foolish enough to get lost after dark in order to suck their blood.
According to Mowe, one of the stories actually happened to her in real life. As with her other book, ‘Fairy Con’, this book is probably not suitable for young children as there is some element of violence, and it may be a bit too terrifying for those of a nervous disposition. Local hantu and monsters always seem more real and frightening than the ones from abroad.
Mowe’s writing is amusing and oftentimes, unsettling. She has managed to skilfully build up suspense and mystery within these two books and more importantly, she has created characters which we, as Malaysians, can immediately recognise.
Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed these two books and hope that the author will produce more stories set in Sarawak.
My one and only gripe about these two books are the covers which I felt could have been better designed. Even though, yes, we shouldn’t really judge a book by its cover, there’s no denying that a beautifully designed cover is important.
However, just so you know, I have many books with stunning covers which are not half as good as these two books by Mowe. Therefore, I would urge you to look beyond the cover and enjoy the stories within.
On the subject of covers, these two books are self-published by the author which perhaps explains why the covers were not given priority. Mowe explained that she didn’t look for a publisher as she felt that these stories were too niche and therefore not suitable for a trade publisher.
I disagree. These two books are engaging, funny, terrifying and contain characters which we all recognise as quintessentially Malaysian. These books should be marketed not only to Malaysians, but to the rest of the world. Let us show our hidden talents.
‘Fairy Con’ and ‘Encounters: Modern Folktales from Sibu’ is available for sale from the author herself from her Facebook page @Golda Mowe. You can contact the author directly for more details on how to purchase these books. – The Vibes, April 4, 2021
Heidi Shamsuddin is an author, a fairy tale lover and can often be found pondering, dissecting and breaking down Nusantara fairy tales on her YouTube channel
