IN a world that is increasingly digital and fast-paced, author Janet Tay has come to appreciate the importance of holding on to the art of words.
With her recent debut, ‘Early Mornings at the Laksa Cafe’, and her forthcoming title, ‘Late Nights at the Donabe Diner’, Tay admits she is not immune to the perils of doom-scrolling.
“Even Netflix calls out to me like a seductive siren.
But a strong foundation is important — thankfully, I grew up in the eighties and nineties when television was the only temptation, and I’ve been a bookworm ever since my mother enrolled me in every library she could find in Kuching,” she said.
As a child, reading brought her comfort and escapism, something that continues to offer her solace to this day. As such, she believes reading is an important exercise for the brain.
“In a world where so much is consumed, we should also create, and readers do that by imagining, visualising, and most importantly — thinking — when they read.”
In a world so heavily influenced by digital media, Sarawak Tribune asked whether she had ever considered the possibility of books becoming obsolete.
Like many things from her childhood that have since faded away, Tay does not believe books will be among them.
Surrounded by many non-readers and people who used to read but no longer do due to time constraints, the author acknowledged that this concern had been raised before, especially with the rise of entertainment sources such as film and television.
Nevertheless, it has yet to materialise.
She added that books were being published and celebrated more than ever.
“Somehow, I’m quite optimistic that books won’t disappear — even from caveman times, we see the human need to express ourselves through language and art.
Not all of us like to stand in front of a camera — I mainly speak for myself, of course.”
Her favourites
Between physical books and e-books, Tay prefers the former.
However, due to her deteriorating eyesight, she has turned to e-books, which are easier on her eyes.
Despite this, she still collects physical books whenever she comes across a particularly beautiful cover.
When choosing what to read, she gravitates towards literary fiction with beautifully crafted sentences.
“My favourite authors have changed over the years, even though I never expected them to, but those who remain include Graham Greene, Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, and Cormac McCarthy.”
With the rise in popularity of Japanese authors over the past decade, she has also been reading translated Japanese fiction by writers such as Yoko Ogawa, Banana Yoshimoto, and Hiromi Kawakami, as well as Japanese classics by Junichiro Tanizaki, Yukio Mishima, and Yasunari Kawabata.
“I think reading the healing fiction genre more extensively in recent years may have influenced my writing more than I realised. But I also hope to improve my literary style — I still have a long way to go.
I find it difficult to craft truly beautiful sentences and really want to improve my craft.”
A quote that’s stayed with her
“The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything is 42,” from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, is a line she first encountered as a teenager and has never forgotten.
Since then, she has fallen in love with his humour and his philosophy on the meaning of life.
Through his writing, she found herself drawn not only to humour, but also to the quiet absurdity of life itself.
Perhaps that is the enduring magic of books — not in providing all the answers, but in offering just enough wonder, wit and perspective to keep readers turning the page.
