Yee Heng Yeh

is a writer and Mandarin-to-English translator whose work has been featured in The KITA! Podcast, adda, Strange Horizons, NutMag, Nashville Review and Guernica. You can find him on X at @HengYeh42.

8 posts

ON THE UNCERTAINTY OF BEING DUA DARAH EXPLORES MIXED-RACE IDENTITY

5 min read

Dua Darah explores identity beyond rigid racial categories, following a Malay-Chinese Muslim navigating faith, memory and duty. Intimate and layered, it opens space for difficult conversations on belonging in Malaysia.

by Yee Heng Yeh

A Recap of George Town Literary Festival 2023

5 min read

A weekend extravaganza that brings in writers, performers, translators, publishers and readers, GTLF now boasts visitors numbering in the thousands from dozens of countries.

by Yee Heng Yeh

Imaginings of Nationhood: on “Negaraku”, a Collector’s Show by Bingley Sim and Ima Nurbinsha

6 min read

The exhibition “negaraku” may borrow its title from the anthem, but its version of the story hardly toes the line of official sources—each artwork offers its slice of truth, which, put together, forms a more complete picture.

by Yee Heng Yeh

Keeping the Curtain Open for Peking Opera

7 min read

GuoGuang Opera Company, formed in 1995, was the outcome of the historical development of jīng jù in Taiwan. Today, it is celebrated for its innovative approach of presenting the stories of traditional opera through a modern lens, alongside creating new scripts for performance.

by Yee Heng Yeh

Raging Against the Machine: Reflections on Pendatang, Abang Adik and Maryam Pagi Ke Malam

5 min read

What do (a) a family living in a speculative, segregated Malaysia; (b) two brothers squeezed into a Pudu flat and; (c) a woman of royalty who owns an art gallery, all have in common?

by Yee Heng Yeh

Exposing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

5 min read

A Play Review: Material Woman in the Beauty World. Written by Leow Puay Tin, directed by Tung Jit Yang, performed by Ling Tang. Featured as part of the George Town Festival 2023.

by Yee Heng Yeh

What Writers Think About Writing

7 min read

Penang’s vibrant literary scene is home to writers, poets, translators, and more. With the George Town Literary Festival on the horizon, a spotlight falls on local talents whose works transcend genres, mediums, and languages.

by Yee Heng Yeh

Book Review: The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010-2020, Exploring the Faculty of Malaysia’s Fictioneers

4 min read

In The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010–2020, each of the 19 stories seems to answer the question of what makes a short story successful in its own way, constantly challenging and reshaping the reader’s expectations.

by Yee Heng Yeh