Writers mingling with the audience during the 2019 festival (All photos: Baba Nyonya Literary Festival)
In an increasingly vapid and clinical world, it can feel difficult to give time to history. Yet, standing against the grain of rapid development, the biannual Baba Nyonya Literary Festival sets out to remind us we owe it to our communities to preserve and appreciate the traditions that surround us — especially in the multiethnic societies of Malaysia and Singapore.
Taking you on an edifying, enriching and entertaining exploration of Peranakan culture, this highly-anticipated event — hosted for the third time by the Peranakan Association Singapore — honours its rich heritage and legacies, delving into literature, fashion, architecture, music and culinary traditions.
As with previous years, the literary festival is organised in partnership with its sister associations, the Melaka-based Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum and The Bendahari. Representing the Malaysian Peranakan community are authors Melissa Chan, Dr David Neo and Lee Yeun Thien, each presenting various facets of cultural identity from a different literary angle.
Former housekeeper of the historic Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum Melaka, Chan is the author of Stories of One Malaccan Family, a memoir inspired by the Peranakan Chinese Chan family, whose 19th-century homestead forms the opulent site of the museum and of which the writer is a descendant. Set in the periods surrounding WWII, this profound account of a Straits-born family’s generational tales weaves the image of a simpler, slower Malaysia. In a continued effort to engage with both old and new Melaka, Chan’s creative heritage hub The Bendahari also works with different generations of local artisans to benefit the local community.
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In the culinary realm, Neo, lecturer in cultural studies at UiTM, presents the collaborative cookbook The Melaka Chetti Kitchen: Culinary Journey of 500 Years, shedding light on the unique food culture of the Peranakan Indians. Celebrating the lineage of Melaka Chetti cooking, this Unesco Malaysia-endorsed publication includes not only recipes but also food stories and anecdotes, sharing the beauty of these traditional flavours with the world and promoting them to the younger generations.
Closing the event, a panel on identity and familial roots will feature manager of the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum Lee Yuen Thien and his thesis The Baba Nyonya Renaissance — Identity Maintenance & Shifts. Lee’s compelling work argues for the adaptation of Baba and Nyonya identity in tandem with the modernising world, embracing the assimilation of past and present as a necessary tenet for the community’s survival in the 21st century. All three publications, as well as books by other featured writers, will be available for sale at the venue.
In the spirit of strengthening ties between both countries, the cultural celebration has also received numerous entries from Malaysian participants — primarily the Federation of Peranakan Associations — for its inaugural writing competition launched in conjunction with the event, with many Malaysians travelling to Singapore to attend.
The Baba Nyonya Literary Festival will take place at The Pod, Singapore, on July 27 and 28. For the full programme, visit peranakan.org.sg.
This article first appeared on Jul 22, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.
