After what felt like a slow year in 2025, it feels like everything is culminating in a MASSIVE stack of books releasing at the end of 2026. I'm going to list them out in (somewhat) chronological order, as best as I can, because my head's also starting to spin.
Out of the upcoming 6 releases, 4 of them will be launched at the George Town Literary Festival, so if you're in the region, you should make it a point to attend! The fest is free, but you'll need to register for a free Festival Pass via CloudJoi, probably for statistics.
And on to all the new books!!
Oct 31: The Queen Arrayed in Gold
We have an e-book preorder link for The Queen Arrayed in Gold and other myths and legends that releases at the end of the month!
You'll find my retelling of Bidasari in here, along with other retellings of myths from our world and myths from other worlds!
Links to paperbacks and other retailers will go live on publication day, or something like that.
Nov 24: Jasmine and the Perfect Brew
As you can see, we now have a release date!
The latest update is that the book files are currently being processed by the distributor, which means we should get the links pretty soon.
In the meantime, we DO have a physical launch planned for Jasmine and the Perfect Brew at GTLF! My BIG worry is whether the books will arrive in time, seeing that shipping is very slow these days...
Launch details:
Day: Sunday, 29 November
Time: 14:45-15:45
Venue: Multi Hall, Wisma Yeap Chor Ee
Nov 28: A Spoonful of Malaysian Magic 2: Modern Folktale Retellings
An elderly woman receives an unexpected visit from the legendary Hang Tuah. Pari-pari, bunian, and other mythical creatures form friendships with humans—offering companionship, protection, and even love. Participating in the Unduk Ngadau binds a pragmatic university student to her culture in unexpected ways, while a lake in Sungeiway is briefly invaded by heaven.
A Spoonful of Malaysian Magic 2: Modern Folktale Retellings immerses you in a world that is both modern and magical, familiar and strange, as 14 Malaysian authors retell fairy tales and folklore from across Malaysia. Stir a little spoonful of magic into your tea, whether you’re from these shores or from far away.
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Look at that fantastic cover by Afique Asyraf!
We just announced the cover today and launched preorders, so I'm actually still scrambling to get everything settled.
If you're living in Malaysia, you can preorder your paperback copy over at the Teaspoon Publishing website.
I don't have links for international paperbacks yet, but some of the ebook links are already up. I just set it up a few days ago, so if you don't see your favourite retailer there yet, check back again over the next few weeks.
Launch details:
Day: Saturday, 28 November
Time: 17:00-18:00
Venue: Multi Hall, Wisma Yeap Chor Ee
Nov 29: Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here is the fourth anthology from the Dutt Award for Literary Excellence. With stories that explores loss of loved ones, places, or people we once were, the anthology takes its title from one of the most deceptively simple phrases in the English language.
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Well, I submitted a short story for this award last year, and obviously didn't win anything, but the story still made it into the anthology!
Launch details:
Day: Sunday, 29 November
Time: 11:30-12:30
Venue: Non-fiction Hall, Wisma Yeap Chor Ee
Nov 29: The Lushness of the Sea: A Marine Conservation Anthology
The future of our seas knocks at our doors—or seeps beneath them. What do you imagine you will see? Featuring storytellers such as Anna Tan, Lim Wan Phing and Paul Gnanaselvam; poets Mi Chelle Cheah and Sheena Chakrabarty; and conservationist Louisa Ponnampalam, this anthology invites you to imagine futures already taking shape, including some you hope never to see.
A courageous 13-year-old girl seeks help from a primordial giant crab living near Teluk Intan. A man on a journey into his past sees his family’s lost underwater kingdom. The sea cements a Hollywood director’s legacy. And in a future that feels more familiar than distant, a woman twists and turns beside an endangered dugong.
Interweaving magic, science and folklore, these pieces explore humanity’s destructive hunger and the vulnerability we face when confronted with the consequences of our choices. Each offers a different view of our relationship with the sea and its enduring mythological and ecological wonders. If we are ready to listen, we may find answers within these pages.
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No cover for this one yet, so I suppose that'll be another newsletter in the future.
Launch details:
Day: Sunday, 29 November
Time: 17:00-18:00
Venue: Launch Hall, Wisma Yeap Chor Ee
Jan 2027: Self-Help & Other Fantasies
Krakens in therapy. Superheroes in crisis. Adventurers whose biggest challenge is their own self-doubt.
What happens when self-care, self-improvement, and mental health collide with fantastical worlds and magical creatures?
Find out in TWO new short story collections featuring twenty authors all with a unique spin on the theme.
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My short story "Out of Nowhere" will be in Self-Help and other Fantasies!
Both anthologies will be released in January, but the Kickstarter launches on November 2nd. Supporting the Kickstarter usually means you'll get the books earlier than the actual publication date, so that's a pretty nifty reason to do it. :)
Right. I think that's all for now. Because that is A LOT and I gotta get back to fixing the epub file.
I'll see you next month.
anna
