Review of ‘The Chulia in Penang:Patronage and Place-Making around the Kapitan Kling Mosque 1786–1957’ by Barbara W. Andaya August 25, 2015 – Posted in: Excerpts, Reviews

The Chulia in Penang: Patronage and Place-Making around the Kapitan Kling Mosque 1786–1957. Khoo Salma Nasution Penang: Areca Books, 2014, 560 pages, 200+ maps, photographs and illustrations, ISBN 978-967-5719-15-8. RM$135.00 It is very hard in this short review to do justice to the years of meticulous research and the personal commitment that will make The Chulia in Penang required reading not only for Penang specialists but for those working on Malaysia, British imperialism, and Indian…

Review of ‘Heritage Tree of Penang’ by S.K. Ganesan – Posted in: Excerpts, Reviews

The Gardens’ Bulletin, Singapore Vol. 64(1 ) 2012 ISSN 0374-7859 Centenary Issue, Singapore Botanic Gardens pp. 271—272 BOOK REVIEW. Heritage Trees of Penang. Simon Gardner, Pindar Sidisunthorn & Lai Ee May. 2011. Penang, Malaysia: Areca Books. 27.3cm x 21.7cm, hardcover. 397pp. ISBN 978-967-5719-06-6. Price RM 100 This is a superb piece of work. The book weaves strands of history, botany, culture and the visual arts into a rich tapestry on the subject of the…

01 Aug 2015: Masjid—Selected Mosques from the Islamic World August 17, 2015 – Posted in: Newsletters

This pictorial book features a selection of the various mosque styles and designs that have been built throughout the past 1435 years. The field of mosque architecture has progressed immensely, featuring various influences and cultures. A prerequisite for mosque design is that the style of architecture should reflect its purpose, and incorporate both the tangible and intangible features. The former includes the main prayer hall, the mihrab (a semicircular niche), minbar (pulpit), dikka (muezzin’s platform),…

27 July 2015: Malaysian architectural talks (Aug 2015) – Posted in: Newsletters

Please join us for two talks on Malaysian architecture on 1st & 2nd August 2015, Penang Town Hall: 5 Architects, 5 Houses Townhouse, Shophouse, Melaka-Penang World Heritage Site 5 Architects, 5 Houses Date: Saturday, August 1, 2015 Time: 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM Venue: Penang Town Hall Speaker: Dr. Jon Lim Registration fee RM30 per person The Penang house is noted for its world-renowned architectural flair, inventiveness and stylistic diversity. The five European architects who designed…

17 Jul 2015: July 2015 Updates from Areca Books – Posted in: Newsletters

Book on Tamil Muslim community wins prestigious international award Areca Books is delighted to announce that The Chulia in Penang: Patronage and Place-Making around the Kapitan Kling Mosque 1786–1957 by Khoo Salma Nasuton has won the ICAS Book Prize, the Colleagues’ Choice Award. The Chulia in Penang was also one of six books which made it to the ICAS Best Study in the Humanities 2015 shortlist. Out of a total of 175 books submitted by…

Historic town revisited in photo and art exhibition – Posted in: In The News

by Jeremy Tan STEP back in time and see how mainland Penang evolved over the centuries in the 100 Images of Province Wellesley Exhibition in Seberang Prai. The event, held in an old shophouse unit at 19, Jalan Jeti Lama in the historic town, is part of the inaugural Butterworth Fringe Festival this weekend. Open from 11am to 10pm daily and running until Sunday, its exhibits include old photographs, maps and paintings dating from the…

Abandoned shophouses come alive during Butterworth Fringe Festival (VIDEO) – Posted in: In The News

by Opalyn Mok GEORGE TOWN, Aug 16 — With paint peeling off their walls, the tired looking pre-war shophouses stood forlorn and abandoned in rows behind the main road of Jalan Bagan Luar. Other than a few surviving shops and coffee shops, the narrow labyrinth of roads tucked behind the main road are long past their heyday, gathering dust. But for the past two days, this quiet part of old town Butterworth has been filled…

27 June 2015: Tanjong Life August 3, 2015 – Posted in: Newsletters

Tanjong Life features the cheeky adventures of Joe G as he explores Penang’s nooks and crannies; sampling the best food, visiting secret scenic spots, and experiencing all the fun that the island has to offer. Fans of homegrown-flavoured cartoons may remember Sun Tan, probably the first English-language comic strip featuring a motley crew of South Asian characters doing, in sometimes stereotypical fashion, ‘what comes naturally’ to South Asians. It has since gone on to inspire…

20 June 2015: Personal & Profane–50 Years of Verse – Posted in: Newsletters

Cecil’s poems are like the multiverse wonders of music and paintings, songs and parts of great speeches. They often provide deep insights, inspiration and even ignite people’s conscience into action. – Anwar Fazal, Director, Right Livelihood College” Cecil Rajendra’s free verse compositions have been likened to music, songs and ballads. This is not surprising – as the energy of poetry – often combined with music has, for the longest time, been widely harnessed as a popular tool for social…