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Malaysia

Patricia Sykes (2006), Malaysia

Poet and librettist Patricia Sykes spent her residency at Rimbun Dahan, Malaysia working on the libretto for a full-length opera, The Navigator, a collaborative work with composer Liza Lim. Sykes travelled through Malaysia and to Cambodia's Angkor Wat researching culture and society in order to enrich her libretto and develop the theatrical aspects of the opera. Sykes is the author of two poetry collections and has edited four books of poetry. Her work focuses strongly on the interactions between people and their contexts and her residency helped explore how a host culture nurtures itself, its people and the environment.

Supported by the Australia Council.

Suzanne Ingleton (2005), Malaysia

Suzanne Ingleton has been at the forefront of political cabaret and stand-up comedy since the mid-seventies, touring widely in Australia and overseas, writing and producing for television and community arts projects. During this residency Ingleton completed a play dealing with the Malayan Emergency of the fifties, Flower of Malaya, and visited local communities in Kelantan to undertake field study and research into shamanism and performance which will feed into her book Being There in Spirit.

Supported by the Australia Council.

Sally Heinrich (2004), Malaysia

Sally Heinrich has worked as a freelance illustrator for twenty years. As well as writing and illustrating children’s books, her clients have included ad agencies, design studios and government departments. During her residency at Rimbun Dahan, Malaysia, and during side trips to Singapore, Heinrich produced an impressive volume of work, including the completion of the final draft of a YA novel Hungry Ghosts. She also collected much valuable reference material which will aid in polishing the illustrations for another forthcoming book The Most Beautiful Lantern.

Supported by Arts SA and the Australian High Commission, Kuala Lumpur.

Lau Siew Mei (2001), Malaysia

Lau Siew Mei migrated from Singapore to Australia in 1994. Her first novel Playing Madame Mao, was published in 2000 after the manuscript was shortlisted in the inaugural Queensland Premiers Literary Awards for the Best Emerging Queensland Author. Her short stories have been broadcast on the BBC World Service and published in literary journals in Australia, USA, Canada and the UK. During her residency in Malaysia, she researched Peranakan culture for her new novel. She also appeared at the Singapore Writers Festival.

Supported by Arts Queensland, the Australia Council and the Hijjas Foundation, Malaysia.

Christine Gillespie (2000), Malaysia

Christine Gillespie is a Melbourne-based writer who has published short fiction in Australia, India and Paris. She has won a number of competitions and awards and her first play, White Stars, was commissioned by Playbox Theatre, Melbourne and performed in 2000. During her residency Gillespie spent nearly nine months in Malaysia as well as undertaking a research trip to India. Hosted by the Hijjas Foundation at their Rimbun Dahan studios, Gillespie gave talks, readings and workshops at various universities and the Australian High Commission and networked extensively with Malaysian and Indian writers and artists. She completed the first draft of her novel, Ornamental Bodies based on the story of Muddupalani, an Indian dancer and courtesan.

Supported by Arts Victoria and the Hijjas Foundation (Malaysia).

Adam Aitken (1998), Malaysia

Adam Aitken is a NSW based poet and fiction writer who has had two books of poetry published, Letter to Marco Polo and In One House. Adam spent his residency in Malaysia working on his poetry and researching Malaysian cabaret. The resulting collection, Romeo and Juliet in Subtitles, was published to critical acclaim by Brandl and Schlesinger.

Supported by the Hijjas Foundation, Malaysia.

Jan Owen (1997), Malaysia

Jan Owen has had four books of poetry published, including Night Rainbows. During her residency in Malaysia Owen worked on a manuscript of South East Asian poems.