IPOH, PERAK, MALAYSIA – Monsters have a place in our psyche. That was the message delivered by author Salina Christmas and publisher Zarina Holmes of Story Of Books at a book talk held at Ipoh Alternative Book Fest (IABF) 2025 on 3 May 2025.
Titled “Monsters as metaphors: A discussion on grotesque creatures as a device in storytelling”, the talk highlighted the importance of the fantasy author to develop the sense of the absurd. Christmas told us that fantasy is a form of play. When we play, we create agency and afford ourselves the possibility to change our reality. With fantasy, we can write about what things we can’t elucidate or can’t change in the real world.
For the book fest, based in her home state of Perak, Malaysia, Christmas paid homage to Tamar Jalis, the famous horror author who came from the same hometown, Manjung. Tamar Jalis penned the long-running horror series, A Conversation with the Demon (Bercakap Dengan Jin), from 1981 to 2005. He immortalises Perak’s Hindu-Buddhist history in his tales – a strong influence on the creative direction of Christmas’s novels.
IABF ran from 3 to 4 May 2025. The book fest showcased 26 authors, poets and artists, and 16 publishers and cultural organisations from the private and public sectors. Story Of Books was one of the publishers.
The talk was held in conjunction with the release of the paperback The Keeper Of Kin and A Request For Betrayal in Malaysia. It also coincided with the release of Scissors in the Fold: Part Seven of the Constant Companion Tales.
The paperbacks, part of The Constant Companion Tales series, are available in Malaysia at Eslite Spectrum Starhill, at MPH Bookstores and on Gerakbudaya online bookshop. Outside Malaysia, the books are available on Amazon and at major bookstores worldwide. The e-book series of which the novels are based are available on Amazon Kindle.
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Salina Christmas 