In today’s essay, Ng Yi-Sheng considers the question of representation - in particular, who gets to represent Southeast Asia in SFF publishing around the world, and what stories get told. Ng is Chinese Singaporean himself, and carefully discusses the place of ethnically Chinese authors in Southeast Asia in general, as well as what stories they tell and what that means for understandings of Southeast Asia in the broader world. He points to specific story examples from a range of countries within Southeast Asia, how they reflect and use cultural ideas.
Focused on Southeast Asia, the essay also speaks to the question of representation in general. After identifying some of the issues, Ng suggests a range of ways forward, depending on an individual’s position; there’s something pretty much everyone can do, if you’re interested.