Bruneian Speculative Fiction
Panel Aammton Alias, Hafidz Yakob, Hannah Ming Yit Ho | Moderator: Rinni Amran
Virtual * | Online on AFCC Website | OR Festival Pass
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This panel explores the role of speculative fiction in a globalised world. It discusses Southeast Asian writings, with an emphasis on the emergent Bruneian literary scene. Given the rising trend of an Asian body of speculative literary writings, it is timely to examine the speculative genre’s place, function, and relevance in addressing global, regional, and local issues or concerns. Regarding the writing process, inspiration for and sources of these stories are discussed. In terms of reading, the panelists also shed light on the various matters that arise when thinking about the target audience and public reception of speculative fiction. Speculative fiction opens up valuable possibilities for receiving an education about society and transcending established boundaries for teachers and students. The future of speculative fiction writing is promising, with writers and researchers committed to the cause of not merely entertaining readers through an art form but also offering kernels of truth amidst elements of fiction.
Aammton Alias (Brunei Darussalam)
Dr. Aammton is a family physician and the author of thirty-three books of supernatural stories. He has won the Brunei Best-seller Award for Real Ghost Stories of Borneo 2. His Real Ghost Stories of Borneo book series is very popular and is the most sought-after book series in Brunei.
Hafidz Yakob (Brunei)
Hafidz is an orthopaedic surgeon living in Brunei with his wife and three children. He is an avid reader of fantasy. In his mind, he has led great armies, slain dragons, dispatched hordes of enemies, and even toppled an evil god or two. He may not always win the heart of the princess, but with each heartbreak comes valuable life lessons. He is a firm believer that literacy is a valuable skill which is at risk of fading away. It is unknown whether his stories will rock the world, but even if one person gets inspired, he’ll call that a win.
Hannah Ming Yit Ho (Brunei Darussalam)
Hannah is an assistant professor in English studies at the faculty of arts and social sciences at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. She read her PhD in contemporary Asian diaspora literatures at the University of York. She was a postdoctoral fellow at King’s College London and University of California. Her research interests include contemporary anglophone Bruneian literature. Her scholarly work is published in international peer-reviewed journals like Global Society and Southeast Asian Review of English.
Moderator Rinni Amran (Brunei)
Rinni is a Lecturer in English Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Her research focuses on the relations between oil, environment and culture in contemporary Brunei. Her latest journal article is on the ecoGothic in Bruneian speculative fiction, which is currently under review.
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