It’s not a bad form of promotion, he said with a laugh. Quite a few people who have seen his shirt have asked him about it. And at the end of the day, it’s cheaper than a billboard or TV advertisement!
This whimsical move seems right in line with the book’s title, which is an invitation to discover a good story.
“I believe that one of the things I often say is ‘Hey, have I got something to tell you!’ And people always get interested, and ask me what I want to share. I thought that was a good way to get the reader’s attention,” Malachi told FMT Lifestyle recently.
The cover features a man’s hairline and a cup of coffee, two elements from the stories in the book.
“Someone asked me, why no cap on the cover?” quipped Malachi, who is rarely seen without his trademark headwear. “But I said no, I didn’t want to say these were stories about me. I wanted to distinguish myself as the writer, not a character.”
A prolific figure in the region’s literary landscape, Malachi is also known as a bibliographer, critic, editor and academic. He is Emeritus Professor with the University of Nottingham, and founding editor of “Men Matters Online Journal”.
Malachi has published five collections of poetry, and edited five anthologies of Malaysian Literature in English. His book “Malchin Testament: Malaysian Poems” was awarded the Malaysian Book Award 2020 by the Malaysian Publishers Association.
“Have I Got Something To Tell You” marks his second collection of short stories, after 2018’s “Coitus Interruptus”. The book contains content from Malachi’s long career, including his very first published short story, “The Kiss” (1995).
Putting the collection together has been enriching, Malachi said. Now, he can look back on his earlier works through the eyes of experience. He also had the chance to correct previous mistakes, including an unfortunate typo in one story, where a nurse bringing in “soap” was corrected to “soup”!
Published by Penguin Random House SEA, his latest book is an absorbing mix of 20 amusing, poignant and thought-provoking stories. Many feature characters forced to alter themselves to conform with the trappings of society.
Difficult desires, often romantic, are also a major theme here: according to Malachi, this is part of his exploration of human relationships.
“My stories are very much about love. I wanted to keep them within the realm of literary fiction, and not slip into erotica or pornography,” the author said.
“The Good Daughter”, for example, is the story of an Indian lad who learns how his sister has changed after moving overseas. “The Gift of Silence” depicts a complicated friendship between a boy and his deaf friend.
“Sleeping Demon” is a twisted tale of a man caught up in a cycle of abuse, while “Best Man’s Kiss” centers on a rather unconventional love triangle. And “Drowning” is a poignant tale of a man who goes through a traumatic experience, only to have to suffer another kind of painful ordeal after.
“The stories are centered around intense human relationships, and the prices we pay for the choices we make. But sometimes we don’t get to make our own choices, and have to settle for certain things,” Malachi said.
He added that his aim in writing stories was to get readers to think about things that may not have occurred to them before.
For example, one theme of “The Desired One”, the sole supernatural story in the collection, was the plight of animals during difficult times such as the Covid-19 lockdown. “Give Us This Day” revolved around the little-discussed topic of domestic abuse in same-sex relationships.
“I hope the book has a humanising effect on anyone who reads it, and provokes them to think beyond what they normally see and experience. I hope readers are inspired to be less prejudiced, and be more empathetic regarding race, gender or any other such issues,” Malachi concluded.
‘Have I Got Something to Tell You’ is available in major bookstores.