Enjoy this moody drabble from Malaysian writer, Nick Tan! Who Sits Beneath the Unlit Lantern Nick Tan Qi Jin set the bowl of steaming noodles beneath the unlit lantern at her doorway. The landlord was coming up the street, banging at his tenants’ doors, collecting the rent she could no longer afford. She hurried inside... Continue Reading →
INSTINCTS #21: ‘Mebu’yan Writes a Letter to an Old Friend’ by Alton Melvar M Dapanas
A new poem today, by Filipino poet Alton Melvar M. Dapanas. Enjoy! Mebu’yan Writes a Letter to an Old Friend You are here with meas a daydream in a languagelong gone, like poetry, a birdsong, or a ritual to appease. Mapping you out in inconstant terrains—a looming mountain range,the still mangroves from a distance,the ninth... Continue Reading →
INSTINCTS #15: ‘Bloodwork Mandarins’ by Deborah Wong
Happy November everyone! This month's INSTINCTS poem comes from Malaysian writer and recent Horror Matsuri contributor, Deborah Wong. Enjoy 🙂 Bloodwork Mandarins Deborah Wong for the executed wandering spirits I’d weaved too many ancestors dreams,succulent and salty blood in drips,land being stolen, drenched in mad fears,the fate is to erase history—colossal of wishesin flames and... Continue Reading →
HORROR MATSURI #10: ‘I SHOULD BE ASLEEP’ BY JOYCE CHNG
The final flash story for Horror Matsuri is by one of my favorite Asian writers...one of my favorite people, in fact, the incredible Joyce Chng! I asked for a werewolf story for Horror Matsuri and she delivered. Enjoy! I SHOULD BE ASLEEP Joyce Chng I should be asleep. They are real. They are out there.... Continue Reading →
HORROR MATSURI #7: ‘DECEPTION’ BY THERESE CHOON
It's Week 4 of Horror Matsuri, and this is Therese Choon's second publication in the series! Check out her poem 'Qingming; Clarity' if you haven't already. Today, enjoy a very creepy yōkai story 🙂 DECEPTION Therese Choon Yokohama comes alive at nine PM, thriving on flickering neon signs and the faint buzz from low-lying electric... Continue Reading →
FEATURED BOOKS 2020: ‘BLACK CRANES’ ANTHOLOGY
I have the perfect book recommendation for Horror Matsuri - Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women, edited by Lee Murray and Geneve Flynn and just released on September 26, 2020. I picked this up yesterday and can't wait to read it! And how awesome is this cover? Blurb: Almond-eyed celestial, the filial daughter, the perfect... Continue Reading →
HORROR MATSURI #4: ‘House #197, Argyll Road’ by Deborah Wong
I hope you're all enjoying Horror Matsuri so far! Today we have a horror story by Malaysian writer, Deborah Wong. Deborah was featured in our Author Spotlight earlier this week, and is a contributor in the Southeast Asian Fantasy Drabbles anthology (links follow the story). HOUSE #197, ARGYLL ROAD by Deborah Wong Beware of the... Continue Reading →
HORROR MATSURI #1: ‘QINGMING; CLARITY’ BY THERESE CHOON
HORROR MATSURI #1 / INSTINCTS (POETRY) #10 Kicking of Horror Matsuri, we have a poem by Therese Choon! This poem describes a night on 'Tomb-sweeping Day' which is a Spring Equinox holiday in Asia, but we're happy to share it on the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. 🙂 Therese also has a new flash... Continue Reading →
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: CELESTINE TRINIDAD
It's been a little while since we shared an author interview, and with the release of Southeast Asian Fantasy Drabbles this week, it's the perfect time to meet some our SEA contributors! Celestine Trinidad has been an Insignia contributor since the early days, with her story 'Horse Feet' featured in Southeast Asian Fantasy. She also... Continue Reading →
HAPPY RELEASE DAY: ‘SOUTHEAST ASIAN FANTASY DRABBLES’!
It's here! I've really enjoyed putting together this second drabble anthology; some of the contributors are from Japanese Fantasy Drabbles, but the majority are new contributors and it's wonderful to feature the work of so many native Southeast Asian writers as well. SOUTHEAST ASIAN FANTASY DRABBLES This anthology includes 83 drabbles (100-word stories) inspired by... Continue Reading →