Sunday 2 October 2011

Fiction in Esquire Malaysia

I am now the Fiction Editor of Esquire Malaysia!

Aside from the thrill of being associated with the kind of magazine that puts Justin Timberlake on the cover, I'm happy to be able to commission and choose stories from my favourite local writers. One of my formative experiences, way back in the previous century, was reading short stories in the American Esquire by the likes of Raymond Carver and Jay McInerney. The US magazine no longer publishes fiction regularly, but I hope the Malaysian one can - in a local fashion, natch - fill this void.

Plus, haven't we heard/read so many American stories by now? Isn't it time we celebrated our own?

Speaking of celebration, the first story I chose was by Shih Li-Kow whose book Ripples I reviewed enthusiastically almost three years ago.  Her story that I chose, Hungry in Guangzhou, was indeed from Ripples, because to kick off the Fiction section I wanted to give due kudos to a book whose excellence has still yet to be discovered by many.

All subsequent issues will have previously unpublished stories. Let the telling begin!


6 comments:

Chaizani said...

Congrats Amir! I'm not sure that I can get Esquire here in Kota Bharu but I'll try and hunt one down. I absolutely suck at fiction, but maybe by some miracle I'll end up in one of your reviews... (haha)

Anonymous said...

This may actually make me pick up Esquire.

John Ling said...

Well done, Amir. A very exciting development, and one that will no doubt do very very well with you at the helm!

Borneo Expat Writer said...

Congrats! Just found out from Ee Leen that Esquire is publishing fiction. Been out of the loop lately. Just send a short story to the Sam, though it might be too long for your needs. What is the story length?

Also congrats for your runner-up at the Poppies this year.

Unknown said...

Sorry for my earlier question - yes "Jaguar Tracks" in the November issue of Esquire Malaysia is by the same writer, Lee Ee Leen. @Amir Muhammad, you're right - she is one of the best here in Malaysia. Her story is very futuristic and open-ended. Was the main character based on any actor?

CTHua said...

hi Amir

I've been published in the Selangor Times (The Captivity of Joyce) earlier in April 2011. Can I submit to Esquire?
My email is chuatheyhua[at]gmail[dot]com