Being a Muslim Writer in Singapore - More Than Just Words

The Hidden Work Behind Every Author's Success

I have just returned from spending almost 3 months across Australia for my book tour. In the past 3 months, I have sold more books than I did in probably the entire year prior. As an introvert who would rather stay home or go hiking in the mountains with one or two other people, it has been nerve-wracking to speak to big groups and crowds. But I have had to push myself beyond my comfort zone. One lesson I have learnt in my experience as a published author is this: you can write the greatest book that was ever written, but if no one knows about it, its impact will be severely limited. Putting yourself out there and letting people know about you and your book has been the best way to actually sell them.

Before my flight to Melbourne, I did not have any events lined up yet. I had prepared a proposal that I sent out to Muslim organisations across Australia and there had been some interest, but I still did not know if I was going to be away for two weeks, two months or had to return to Singapore with nothing to show for it. Almost three months later, and after speaking to audiences in Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane and Adelaide, from high school students to women in their 60s, I am deeply grateful and humbled I took the leap and got the chance to do this. Once, after my event in Brisbane, an Indonesian woman came up to me and said that it was the first time the community has had a speaker from the Malay world, and she was thrilled to hear my Malay accent addressing a crowd of mostly Arab, Indian and Pakistani Australians.

While I enjoyed the book tour and meeting different people while gushing over books and poetry, it wasn’t what I expected I had to do when I was a young girl dreaming of being a writer. I envisioned spending hours and hours in a scenic cabin in the mountains somewhere, dedicated to my craft, reading and researching and writing pages after pages. In that naive scene, all I had to do was read and write. A million rounds of edits, arguing with printers about types of papers and print quantities, going on Instagram Live, organising book launches and tours by myself, lugging boxes of books up and down trains and planes, figuring out how much to charge for the books, speaking engagements or workshops were all not part of that idyllic dream. I laugh now thinking about how little I knew and how ill-prepared I was for “being a writer”. Part of me is relieved that I didn’t know. Otherwise, I might have been put off from the prospect of being a writer entirely!

And yet, we write for a greater purpose, which helps us endure the publishing side of things. For Maria Mahat, she confessed that she stumbled into writing and publishing, “I didn't plan to go into writing, let alone publishing. At the same time that I published The Truth Seekers @ Haji Lane, I was also an educator training preschool teachers in the Malay language curriculum. Hence, I heard much feedback about the dearth of Malay picture books published locally. I started with There are Saga Seeds in our Pockets!, and the rest is history. I have done Malay and bilingual picture books, short stories, and middle grade chapter books in Malay, and I will be publishing an English language middle grade book with a well-known international publisher slated for 2025/2026, inshaAllah.”

Writing with Purpose: Islam as Inspiration

For Ustaz Ahmad Ubaidillah and myself, our motivation lies in Islam. For me, my spiritual and religious life had been so enriched by books written by our Muslim scholars. I am inspired that Singapore, specifically Kampong Glam, used to be a regional Muslim publishing and printing hub in the late 19th century. I spent many hours browsing, buying books and speaking to the booksellers at Wardah Books on Bussorah Street, learning about our unique heritage. Aside from writing my own books, I’ve long translated works for many local asatizahs from Malay to English.

Ustaz Ahmad Ubaidillah says, “I believe that there is currently a gap in our local literary scene for a form of literature that is religious and conscientious, be it fiction or non-fiction. Our challenge is to ensure that we remain consistent and constant in producing good works of literature based on our Islamic values that engage with the wider society, not just Muslims. Malaysian literature laureate, Shahnon Ahmad, summarised it well when he wrote that Islamic/Muslim literature should be a form of literature for the Creator that enlightens Mankind. I believe that to succeed as a Muslim writer in Singapore is to advocate positive values rooted in our religion in a way that can be universally understood by Singaporean readers and elsewhere. I would say that our past Muslim authors in Singapore, fiction and non-fiction, poetry and prose, have cultivated that tradition of developing conscientious literature. It is up to the current generation to continue this tradition.”

While I had recently ventured to Australia for my book tour because I believed I needed to reach English-speaking Muslim audiences for my book, both Ustaz Ahmad Ubaidillah and I published our recent books with a Malaysian publisher. For me, it was because I felt I had reached the Singapore Muslim audience with my first 2 books and if I wanted to gain access to a wider readership, going with a Malaysian publisher could help in that regard.

Publishing Across Borders: Venturing into Malaysia

When I asked Ustaz Ahmad Ubaidillah, this was what he had to say: “The decision to publish with a Malaysian publisher was because my novel revolved around Muslim characters with themes of religious humanism and religious extremism, while also being rooted in both Jordan and Singapore contexts. An author must be sensitive to the intended readership of their manuscript, as the fate of their work, and to some extent, their future as an author, are dependent on it. I believed that publishing in Malaysia, a country that has a strong Muslim readership, would bode well for my novel. For this reason, bearing in mind that some Malaysian publishers do distribute publications in Singapore, I decided to send my manuscript to Gerakbudaya, which they fortunately accepted. The process of editing my novel with Gerakbudaya was an enlightening one as well, as I learnt a lot from my editor Rachel and the rest of her team about editing, designing, and publicising. Nevertheless, I look forward to working with Singaporean publishers one day.”

All 3 of us – Ustaz Ahmad, Maria Mahat and myself – were at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair or Pesta Buku Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (PBAKL) this year. There were other Singaporean authors as well, Ustazah Liyana Musfirah, Maimunah Mosli, the sisters from Homely Hammock, Ustaz Mizi Wahid, Muhammad Ashraf, Nur Khairiah, amongst others. Participation in literary events is vital for networking, learning and visibility. Given the size of Singapore, authors and publishers need to venture to present their works at international platforms whenever possible.

Ustaz Ahmad Ubaidillah says, “I have attended PBAKL as both an author and a consumer, and I never fail to feel enlightened after attending. Such events are useful as they allow Singaporean authors and publishers to showcase our works that are unique and are able to bring value to the attendees. Although I do not know the technicalities of it, any author who has the chance to showcase their work at these type of events should grab the opportunity. To be a published author means you must go beyond sitting behind a desk typing on your laptop and actively promote your work. An author is a sum of many things, not just a writer. Authors are teachers, advocates, facilitators, and entertainers, who should be dedicated in promoting the literary art form wherever and whenever.”

On being at PBAKL and other events, Maria Mahat says, “If you are a self-published author, you have to do what you have to do to get your books out there – whether setting up booths, sharing your journey via events, podcasts, vodcasts, having an active online presence etc. Setting up a booth can be costly, especially overseas. As a self-published author, you are both an author and an entrepreneur; you need to work out your costs to see the viability of setting up a booth locally or overseas. If you are published with a publisher, the heavy weight of setting up a booth will be done by your publisher but you still have a duty and responsibility to make your presence at the booth and market your books. You are your own book influencer.”

Conclusion

While I looked forward to gaining new audiences in Malaysia with my third book, I never expected the response it would get in Singapore. My books are to do with my experience as a Muslim and my target audience are Muslims as well. Specifically, my third book, When You Think You’re Falling, is a non-fiction book on istiqamah, or persistence and steadfastness in your journey to God. In Malaysia, “Islamic non-fiction” is a category or genre in itself, but that genre does not exist in Singapore. So it’s been a great surprise for my book to be in the Straits Times bestseller list together with books like Ikigai by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles, Atomic Habits by James Clear, and Living The Asian Century by Kishore Mahbubani for multiple weeks since its publication in March! As a writer writing about Muslim topics in secular Singapore, I didn’t think success could be found here. And yet, I’ve realised that success can be defined in various ways.

Reflecting on my own experiences alongside the insights of Maria Mahat and Ustaz Ahmad Ubaidillah, it becomes clear that being a Muslim writer in Singapore involves a blend of creative endeavour and strategic marketing. It’s about cultivating a sustainable literary ecosystem that celebrates diverse voices and perspectives.

As we continue this journey, we must collectively support one another, enhance our visibility, and engage our communities to create a vibrant literary culture. Ultimately, being an author is not just about the words we write; it’s about the connections we forge and the impact we strive to leave on our readers.