Imagining Brunei | Dr Kathrina Mohd Daud | TEDxUniversiti Brunei Darussalam

Cultural Landscape & Reading Habits - The speaker highlights a disparity in reading habits, noting fewer individuals have read novels set in Brunei compared to those set in America, Japan, or Korea [2][3] - The speaker, a Bruneian with degrees in literature and writing, did not encounter a Bruneian novel until the age of 29, despite reading 140-150 books annually [6][7] - This late discovery was attributed to reading primarily in English until her 20s, a result of a mixed-race background and an education system where English was the medium of instruction [7] Bruneian Literature & Access - While the first Bruneian novel was published in 1951, the first in English didn't appear until 2009 [8] - Bruneian novels were not introduced into the local curriculum until the 1990s, limiting access for earlier generations [9] - The lack of readily available Bruneian literature and limited access shaped the speaker's early imaginative life and writing [9][10] Writing & Cultural Identity - When the speaker began writing, she initially wrote in English about familiar foreign settings due to the lack of a "repository or vocabulary of form or convention" for Bruneian settings [10][11] - Writing about Brunei presented challenges, including how to represent Bruneian experiences, social worlds, and cultural nuances in fiction [12][13] - Reading "Pungabyan," the first prize winner of Brunei's inaugural novel writing competition, at 29 was a revelatory experience, as it depicted the familiar Bruneian world [14][16] Current Landscape & Future - Since the first Anglophone Bruneian novel in 2009, around 20 Bruneian novels in English have been published [18] - Main bookstores in Brunei now have dedicated sections for Bruneian writing, and these books are included in secondary and tertiary curricula [18] - Despite these changes, the speaker notes that the number of people who have read a Bruneian novel has not significantly increased, emphasizing the need for a conscious effort to engage with local literature [19] - The speaker encourages reading widely but also emphasizes the unique power of reading and writing about one's own social, cultural, and national heritage to imagine new futures [20][21]