Fierceland, launch evening with live reading
Some nights are just perfect for staying at home. This is not one of them.
On 27 November, Malaysian-Australian writer and performer Omar Musa will be at Ruang Tamu Ekosistem in Alam Sutera to present his new novel, Fierceland, which has recently been published by Penguin SEA. No big stage, no distance. Just a room full of people, a stack of fresh books, and a microphone.
Omar will read and perform from Fierceland in a way that only an author who is also a poet can. The words won't just sit politely on the page; they'll move through the room, shifting in tone and picking up rhythm. Between readings, he will sit down with his mentor, Yee I-Lann, for an open conversation about writing, art, Borneo, and the importance of telling stories from this region.
Around them, Ruang Tamu does its thing, opening its space to share ideas, discover new work and spend time with stories told up close. There will be time to get a copy of the book signed, to ask questions and to chat without feeling rushed.
And, somewhere in the middle of all that, the smell of Omar's aunt's legendary nasi kuning will fill the room. This is the kind of dish that spreads by word of mouth faster than any press release. As you balance a plate in one hand and a book in the other, you remember that good stories and good food speak the same language.
If you care about poetry, novels, critical thinking, or simply enjoying a good story, this is an event worth leaving the house for. Bring a book-loving friend and come as you are. Entry is free and the room will be warm.
About the book
Fierceland
Fierceland is a novel about returning to a place your family helped destroy.
After spending years abroad, siblings Roz and Harun return to Malaysian Borneo for their father Yusuf's funeral. Yusuf was a powerful palm oil tycoon who made his fortune by cutting deep into the forest and people's lives. The money built comfort and status. But it also left a trail of damage, including the disappearance of a man who dared to stand in his way.
Roz, an artist trying to stay afloat in Sydney, and Harun, a successful tech entrepreneur in Los Angeles, come back carrying their own compromises and distances. In an attempt to give back to the forest what their father took, they must confront what they have inherited: power and corruption, dreamers and exiles, thugs and zealots, as well as the quiet accomplices who looked away.
The novel moves between continents but keeps circling the same questions: What do you do when your comfort is built on someone else's loss? How do you live with the ghosts of colonialism, family, language, and a landscape that remembers more than people do?
Fierceland is a family story, an environmental story, and a Borneo story, all at once. It is told on a scale that feels both intimate and mythic.
Omar Musa
Omar Musa is a Bornean-Australian author, rapper, visual artist and poet from Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia. He has released four poetry books (including Killernova), four hip-hop records, and received a standing ovation at TEDx Sydney at the Sydney Opera House.
How to get to this event?
Ruang Tamu Ekosistem
1st Floor, Block K, Lot 63, Lorong Plaza Utama, Alamesra Plaza Utama, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.