Telltale Food: Writings from the Fay Khoo Award 2017 – 2019

Telltale Food features an astonishing variety of writings that are a delicious revelation: sensory, nourishing narratives exploring themes of hunger, discovery, growth, delight and sorrow, wrapped in the world of food, cooking and eating. In their mostly Asian-inspired stories, the writers of the Fay Khoo Award transport us from the kitchens they have inherited to the ones they have adopted, down buzzy streets and in swish restaurants. There is the taste of joyful celebration and the bite of heartbreak. There is food for comfort, and food for friends, and food for the gods. And there is humour and adventure and coming of age. Through the twin lenses of memory and reflection, this is food writing for the senses and the soul.

The Fay Khoo Award for Food+Drink Writing was established in tribute to the memory of the author, publisher and radio host Fay Khoo, who wrote passionately about her food experiences, and thoroughly deserved the admiration and accolades she received in her professional life. The aim of the award is to recognise new and talented voices, and to encourage and develop excellence in food and drink narratives.

About the Author
Bettina Chua Abdullah was once told that she would never have a single career but would take many paths in her life. This turned out to be a remarkably accurate prediction. The rich variety of her life experiences ranges from award-winning international news presenter on the business network CNBC to independent content producer and conférence moderator. In 2017 she founded the Fay Khoo Award for Food+Drink Writing, which provides a platform for new and talented voices in food writing. She wrote the texts for Over Penang (2019), a pathbreaking book of dronescape photography. A firm believer in the power of literature and art to connect cultures and generations, in 2018 she co-founded Hikayat, which has quickly become Penang’s celebrated nexus of art, literature and culture. She lives between George Town, Penang, and Petaling Jaya, Selangor, and suffers from wanderlust.