SINGAPORE -- Alexis stumbles into Mist, a fantasy world of magic and monsters inspired by the mythology of Southeast Asia, to seek out eight unique ingredients, including nose hair from a baku, a dream eater, and sweat from a duyung, a sea siren. Mixed together, the eight substances will become the "memory glue" she needs to restore her beloved grandfather's memory, broken by the spell of a kenit, a forest imp.
When it comes to works of fiction, English-language books written by Western writers dominate the market for translations into Asian languages. But Malaysian-born Singaporean resident Daryl Kho's debut novel "Mist-Bound: How to Glue Back Grandpa" (2021), is raising hopes for the consolidation of a more robust regional literary market.
