A Librarian's World | From Manuscript to Memory: Spells, Stories, and Semangat in the Malay Literary Tradition

The A Librarian's World series turns to magic in the Malay literary tradition on Wednesday 28 Oct, 7pm to 8pm, in the Programme Room on Level 7 of the National Library Building. The talk, From Manuscript to Memory, treats magic as a long-standing element of the tradition: mantera recited for healing and for protection, hikayat heroes put through supernatural trials, and tales of spirits that reside in particular places. It is delivered in English.

One hour, one room, and a subject that tends to reward people who already know the hikayat as much as those who have only met them as names on a shelf. The stated audience is adults — young adults, those in their thirties and forties, and seniors — which makes it a weekday evening for grown-ups rather than a family outing.