Images from the launch (1/6)

I'd like to thank everyone who turned up!

I am not sure what I babbled during my speech but I was happy to see so many people. It was a bit of a crush so I must apologise for not having had the time to speak to many.

Special thanks (ahem!) to See Ming and Sek Thim for buying 10 books each. Who needs patrons when you have book-lovers like these?

We have now shifted 426 books by the end of the launch day. The busiest sales venue was the actual launch at The Annexe (188 books), followed by the Amcorp Mall flea market (78), postal pre-sales in Malaysia (62), midnight sale at The Attic Bangsar (22), pre-sales in Singapore (15), the Mont Kiara flea market (13), the Freedom Film Fest last screening (10) and the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (8). Another 30 (as the book comes from the printer in packs of 30) I have set aside for the media and complimentary copies to folks such as venue sponsors and proofreaders.

From now on, Matahari Books will always have public book launches rather than those invites-only things. And the next time, there shall be food!

"But...but...what about the remaining 574 books of the first edition?" I hear you ask.

Well, as I'd said earlier, it will not be sold in bookshops. They will instead be sold directly at several venues this coming week. Details will be announced as they become available.

You can now also order it online (from anywhere around the world) at Kinibooks. Do support this virtual bookstore as one third of the price goes to Malaysiakini, a more decent 'newspaper' than our other news organisations that actually use paper.

But the book can no longer be at the launch price of RM20. After factoring in printing costs, the posters and buntings, the space and PA rental, commissions to the sales people at the non-Annexe venues and so on, I find that I am still in the red! But that's OK because I wanted to get it out there first to the people who would most appreciate it.

The following photos are by Nikki Tok. The artwork on the wall is by Hishamuddin Rais (you can read more about the series, in Malay here) except for the first one, which is by Danny Lim.

The others I would need to thank are: Evelyn, Pang, Chung Wei, Lennard Gui, Llewelyn Marsh, Joe Kidd & Saiful Razman. And to Brian Yap and Sharanya for reading.

Do you recognise anyone in the following photos?