Natasha Jamalkhir and Diana Yeong of the KL Book Appreciation Club with Ho and Sajeet
When was the last time you picked up a book to read? That was the question posed by Sajeet Soudagar, an author and publisher who recently took it upon himself to address the concern plaguing the local literary community — where have all the bookworms gone?
Statistics provided by the National Library show that Malaysians do, in fact, read. Drilling down into the data reveals, however, that we are reading rather objectively, as indicated by the chosen texts.
Sajeet explains that the largest category of consumed publications is textbooks, followed by religious and self-help books. “We are reading because we want to pass exams, save our soul, gain something or improve ourselves. We are not reading for joy, which means we have become a society that is not prepared to pause for pleasure.”
Amplified by the increasing prominence of short-form content and visual-based platforms, which, although not inherently harmful, compete with books for time, attention and cognitive engagement, further challenging the cultivation of reading as a habit.
A technologist by training, Sajeet, who has resided in Malaysia for more than two decades, designs software solutions for businesses and educational institutions. Reading has always been up there for him. “Sometimes, you read more; sometimes, you don’t read enough,” he muses.
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The Covid-19 pandemic was the catalyst that led him to find fulfilment in, not reading this time, but writing — the result of which his first book — Silencing the Lambs, a fictional thriller that was highlighted at the 2024 Popular-The Star Readers’ Choice Awards, and is currently being sold in India and soon in Iran.
This brought Sajeet to book clubs, where he found himself presenting his novel to other bibliophiles. Over the course of time and connecting with groups of organisers, he noticed that although clubs often had more than 100 registered members, only a handful would show up and the numbers were dwindling. Thus, he engaged a professional market research company to garner data on the conditions for reading. “There were some statistics that would not allow me to sleep, but somebody needs to do something about it.”
All this led to the inception of World of Words Kuala Lumpur (WoW-KL), a literary initiative that in its first form, manifested into a festival. Held from Sept 17 to 19 at Bank Negara Malaysia’s central learning hub Sasana Kijang, the event was a series of forums, workshops and story circles that served as a base to bring storytelling to the masses.
The three-day affair saw activities tailored for different demographics: schoolchildren on the first day; tertiary education students on the second; and the general public on the third. Each day was packed with programmes such as writing sessions and a contemporary short story writing competition, as well as workshops with field figures on careers in writing and publishing. Outside the halls, stalls and shelves were lined with books for browsing or purchase.
Under his publishing company Story Me Books, Sajeet also helped launch five novels at the fest — Ancient Wisdom, Modern Lives by Aneeta Sundararaj and Vaidya C D Siby, Fritz the Great Frog by K R Basker, If The Walls Of Melaka Should Crumble by Edham Kaizer, The Universe Always Falls In Love With A Stubborn Heart by Kamlesh Veloo and his own novel, Chronicles of Kuching — Adventures of Young Alia.
Sajeet’s vision was to bring together individuals from various backgrounds to further understand the issue at hand from different perspectives. To do so, he invited a line-up of panellists comprising industry and thought leaders such as psychologist Andrew Mohanraj, education pioneer Parmjit Singh and novelist Chuah Guat Eng. “It was a lot of pitching from the ground up,” he says.
The initiative itself caught the interest of established bodies and the event managed to draw support from organisations such as Bank Negara’s Financial Services Library, the National Library, the Writers’ Association of Malaysia, British Council, the National Association of Private Educational Institutions and Google Malaysia.
Planning the event did not take very long, starting February this year. “Seven months down the line and we are in. I wanted to do it quickly. My idea was not to make it elaborate,” he mentioned.
It mostly served as a medium to collect more data for the initiative to be carried forward. “The target was not in numbers; it was in goals, and also in collecting diverse views and thoughts, of which it has more than met its initial benchmark,” Sajeet exclaims.
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So, what is the next chapter for WoW-KL? “We do not want it to be a flash in the pan, to do a big thing and then just forget about it,” he says, adding that the journey has just begun
Using information they have compiled, a plenary committee is preparing to meet in mid-October to design a sustainable programme that will be conducted in learning academies. Although the idea has yet to be fully fleshed out, there is a rough plan. Sajeet intends to have a five-year strategy to organically grow the World of Words movement into a national one, which will see a number of schools and universities adopted and coached for a year, with book clubs established in each centre.
Asked about Malaysia’s literary future, Sajeet is optimistic. He recalls a session where two students, aged nine and 10, spoke with such confidence and clarity that the panellists were left momentarily speechless. “I am confident because we have talked to the children and younger people. They like to read. It just needs to be made convenient, easy. Kids don’t know what to ask for; parents have to give it to them,” he reflects.
Sajeet’s words serve as both encouragement and a reminder that nurturing a love of reading begins with access and guidance. As WoW-KL grows, it invites everyone, from parents and educators to publishers and readers, to continue supporting the ecosystem in Malaysia. After all, the written word lives on only when a community carries it forward.
Another important element of World of Words Kuala Lumpur was the 2025 Literary Awards, a celebration of the many hands and hearts that sustain Malaysia’s literary landscape. Spanning editors, illustrators, bookshops, educators and writers, the prizes celebrate not just individual achievements but also the collective efforts of facilitating a culture of reading.
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“We wanted to recognise people who have been encouraging reading and to choose categories that actually matter,” explained Sajeet. True to his vision, the process was democratic: Nominations were submitted by the public, shortlisted by a panel and put again to a popular vote before the winners were announced on the closing day of the festival.
The awards were presented by distinguished figures such as Dr Tengku Muhammad Fa-iz Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail Petra of Kelantan, chief librarian Mohd Irman Mohd Din of the Bank Negara Malaysia Financial Services Library and The Edge Media Group publisher and group CEO Datuk Ho Kay Tat, alongside Sajeet himself.
The evening’s accolades highlighted the breadth of local talent. The KL Book Appreciation Club was named the Most Influential Book Club, while Tapestry of the Mind and Other Stories by Aneeta Sundararaj had the Best Book Cover Design. Ninot Aziz was celebrated for making Social Impact in Literature and Teoh Choon Ean took home the Best In Book Illustrations prize. Riwayat received the People’s Choice Community Bookshop Award, while Gerakbudaya was lauded as Best Local Independent Publisher.
Beyond that, Erica Eng shone as Young Literary Talent and Jayati Roy was recognised as Outstanding Literary Educator. Muhammad Haji Salleh was honoured with the Lifetime Contribution to Malaysian Literature award, and Mohana Gill received the Special Jury Award. Lastly, Zuhairah Ali was named Reading Culture Champion, a testament to her tireless work in fostering more readers through education activism.
WoW-KL affirmed one truth: The local literary community is thriving and worthy of every reward.
This article first appeared on Oct 6, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
