Food, the social and cultural glue that keeps Malaysians integrated, is the common thread that runs through this collection of 30 short stories
Telltale Food: Writings from the Fay Khoo Award 2017–2019 is an anthology of shortlisted submissions to The Fay Khoo Award for Food+Drink Writing.
Like any proper Penangite, Fay Khoo's greatest passion was food. It showed in her contributions to print and broadcast media, and in her relationship with chefs, restaurateurs, and other F&B personnel. Causing nationwide grief, her loss to cancer in April 2017 was the catalyst for The Fay Khoo Award, a competition created in her honour. The annual contest, whose eminent judges include Chef Darren Teoh of Dewakan, entered its third year in 2019, and culminated in Telltale Food, edited by Bettina Chua Abdullah.
"I’d like to think that something special’s been cooked up here, with all flavours in balance, including the bittersweet joy of commemorating the glorious, gluttonous life of my friend Fay Khoo," expressed Chua Abdullah, also founder of The Fay Khoo Award.
Published by Hikayat and launched at George Town Literary Festival in November 2019, the anthology includes stories by: Aileen Lim, Aizuddin Anuar, Betty Lee, Cheah Soon Seng, Chrisse Kueh, Damyanti Biswas, Denise Chin, Dipika Mukherjee, Emilia Fuller, Golinia Michelle Gody, Harrison Cowan, Hezreen Abdul Rashid, Kathlyn D’Souza, Lee Say Lor, Ling Tan, Loh Yi Jun, Marc de Faoite, Meena Amavasai, Paula Tan Poh Lin, Petrina Fernandez, Raidah Shah Idil, Raja Ummi Nadrah, Renie Leng, Sammi Roxy Lim, Sandra Khoo, Serena Lee, Shahriar Khan, Suzanne Kamata, and Yap Hsu-Lyn.
Whether fine dining or fast food, the occasional egg tart or daily doses of 'mamak', all manner of comestibles are dissected in writing for you, the reader, to devour.
