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Nusantara - A Sea of Tales

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( 61 ratings, 17 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Nusantara - A Sea of Tales by Heidi Shamsuddin immerses readers in the enchanting world of Indonesia's archipelagic myths and legends. It explores the intricate relationship between the natural world of the islands and the vibrant tapestry of local lore. With a creative narrative, it delves into intriguing cultural stories that highlight the unique science and natural beauty of Nusantara.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this delightful maritime journey if you're fascinated by the rich tapestry of folklore and the interplay between the natural world and human stories. The book brings to life a captivating collection of tales that weave together history, culture, and nature, offering a unique perspective on the enchanting seas and islands of Southeast Asia.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A collection of fairy tales, folklore, fables, myths, epics, legends, wonder and magic tales from all around Southeast Asia.

Nusantara - A Sea of Tales is the most comprehensive collection of folk tales, fairy tales, myths and legends from the Nusantara and Southeast Asian region, and was written to sit alongside the great anthologies of folklore from other parts of the world.

Although it is impossible to trace the origins of most of these traditional tales, we do know that these stories were used as a means to discover ourselves and the world around us. Like a living creature, these tales came into existence at some point, and have since evolved and adapted to suit the needs of the community that it finds itself in. The seafaring nature of the people in this region has no doubt contributed to the spread of these tales and explains the fascinating variations across Southeast Asia.

These rich and layered tales contain all manner of wonder, marvels and strange curiosities, and have been written to enthral a new audience. The author has delved into the history and the meaning behind these tales, but like all good fairy tales and folk tales, each reader will extract their own meaning from these stories. The symbols in these stories engage our imagination and challenge us to question, discuss and unravel life's conflicts and mysteries. Herein lies the true power of these stories and the reason why these tales must be preserved and allowed to live and breathe once more.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Nusantara - A Sea of Tales by Heidi Shamsuddin is praised for its engaging retellings of Southeast Asian folklore. The book is both entertaining and insightful, serving as a valuable resource for scholars and general readers alike. Shamsuddin's imaginative approach helps preserve the folktale genre, ensuring these stories remain relevant in contemporary culture and beyond.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9789814954594

Publisher: Penguin Random House SEA

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 14 December 2021

Country: Singapore

Imprint: Penguin Random House SEA

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 215.0mm

Weight: 260g

Pages: 266

About the Author

Heidi Shamsuddin was born in Malaysia, and spent part of her childhood growing up in Seattle, Washington and Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. After leaving school, she studied law at Nottingham University, obtained a postgraduate degree in corporate law, and after taking her Bar exams, eventually worked as a maritime lawyer in a London law firm. In 2007, she returned home and began to write fiction. Heidi is now an award-winning author of stories inspired by Southeast Asia for both children and adults. Her first short story Johan the Honey Hunter, won the regional prize for the Eye Level Children's Literature Award in 2012. Shortly after, she signed an eight-book contract with Oyez! Books to write The Door Under the Stairs series for children. Since then, she has written and published short stories, readers and picture books including The Malay Tale of the Pig King, which is based on the Malay epic, Hikayat Raja Babi. In 2017, she was invited as a speaker to the Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) in Singapore to talk about the folktales of the region, and in 2018 she was invited to give a TEDx talk at University of Malaya on why we still need our fairy tales. In 2017, her screenplay for Batik Girl won the Intellectual Property Creators' Challenge (IPCC) Award and was made into an award-winning short animated film by R&D Studio and Tudidut Studio. Batik Girl has gone on to receive the Honorable Mention in Audience Favorites award at the Florida Animation Festival, Best Animated Short Film prize at the Festival de Largos y Cortos de Santiago 2019 in Chile, as well as Gold Medal in the Regional category at the 20th Digicon6 Asia in Japan. Heidi has recently embarked on a project to collect and adapt the folklore, fairy tales, fables, myths, epics, legends, wonder and magic tales from all around the Nusantara region, with the aim of spreading and disseminating these traditional tales. As a way to reach a wider audience, she began an online project to highlight and discuss these stories on her YouTube channel (Heidi Shamsuddin) and at www.heidishamsuddin.com.

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