Books
Regrettable Things That Happened Yesterday
by Jennani Durai
From obituaries and job ads to crime reports , Regrettable Things That Happened Yesterday is a collection of ten short stories connected by the motif of newspapers and the unexpected ways they end up affecting our lives.
No Friend But The Mountains
by Behrouz Boochani
Writing from Manus Prison is an autobiographical account of Behrouz Boochani’s perilous journey to Christmas Island and his subsequent incarceration in an Australian government immigration detention facility on Manus Island.
When Heaven and Earth Changed Places
by Le Ly Hayslip
A 1989 memoir about the author’s childhood during the Vietnam War, her escape to the United States, and her return to visit Vietnam 16 years later. The Oliver Stone film Heaven & Earth was based on the memoir.
Sergius Seeks Bacchus
by Norman Erikson Pasaribu
A heartbreaking and humorous rumination on what it means to be in the minority in terms of sexuality, ethnicity and religion. The thirty-three poems find inspirations equally in the work of great Indonesian poets and the international literary canon.
At First They Killed My Father
by Luong Ung
This non-fiction book graphically retells the story of a family – and nation – torn apart. She vividly describes the sight and smell of rotting corpses and being forced to eat whatever scraps they could get their hands on, and the terror and loss suffered by so many. It’s a story of survival that will grip you and not let go, even after you’ve turned the final page.
Call and Response: A Migrant/Local Poetry Anthology
by Migrant Writers of Singapore
Singapore is a migrant nation. This anthology gathers the voices of more than 30 ‘migrant’ poets and pairs them with a creative response from the same number of ‘local’ writers in this initiative.
Bumi Manusia
by Pramoedya Ananta Toer
First published in 1980, the story was originally conceived whilst the author was imprisoned on the political island of Buru in eastern Indonesia, narrated verbally to fellow prisoners. It follows the love story of a Javanese royal and a half-Dutch woman as Indonesia rises to independence from colonial rule.
Films and TV Shows
Utopia
by John Pilger
This controversial documentary film by acclaimed filmmaker John Pilger draws on his long association with Indigenous Australians; an investigation into Australia’s colonial past and wealthy present, setting out to break the stereotypes of the first people of Australia.
Street Food: Asia
by David Gelb and Brian McGinn
Embark on a global cultural journey into street food and discover the stories of the people who create the flavorful dishes. Specifically the episodes on Bangkok, Yogyakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore & Cebu
The Stranded เคว้ง
by Christian Durso and Ekachai Uekrongtham
18 year old Kraam survives a devastating tsunami along with thirty-six of his fellow students at an elite private high school on a remote island in the Andaman Sea. As mysterious events start happening on the island, it quickly becomes clear that no one is coming to rescue them and Kraam must lead the students to rescue themselves.
At First They Killed My Father
by Luong Ung and Angelina Jolie
A 2017 Cambodian–American Khmer language biographical historical thriller film directed by Angelina Jolie and written by Jolie and Loung Ung, based on Ung’s memoir of the same name. Set in 1975, the film depicts 5-year-old Ung, who is forced to be trained as a child soldier while her siblings are sent to labor camps during the Khmer Rouge regime.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: Phnom Penh
by David Chang
In Episode 4 of Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, chef David Chang and writer, actor, and comedian Kate McKinnon explore the beauty of Phnom Penh and food that comes out of hardship.
Thai Talk with Paddy
by Paddy Jenkins
Paddy is a Thai-speaking Australian who hits the streets of Sydney interviewing Thai people, Australians and any others he meets about cultural differences, adapting to life in a new country, current affairs, relationships, Thailand (obviously) and a whole lot more. The aim is to build cultural understanding between Thailand and other countries like Australia through the use of fun and insightful videos!
Podcasts
Aussie English
by Pete Smissen
This podcast aims to share: a ton of Aussie slang and vocabulary, heaps of terms and expressions and a bunch about Australian history and culture.
The Role of History Education in the Development of the Singapore Story
Sydney Southeast Asia Centre
In a podcast from the Sydney Southeast Asia centre, Dr Yeow-Tong Chia chats with Dr Natali Pearson to explore the role of education in the formation of the Singapore developmental state and how it provided a source of inspiration for China’s early modernisation strategies.
Foreign Policy Talks
by Noto Suoneto
A casual foreign policy talk made by an Indonesian Foreign Policy’s enthusiast, Noto Suoneto, who currently works in Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia. Usually featuring invited foreign policy’s experts and leaders across SEA and Asia.
Casefile: True Crime
by Anonymous
Casefile True Crime Podcast, or simply Casefile, is a weekly Australian crime podcast that first aired in January 2016 and hosted by an Australian man who remains anonymous. The series deals with solved or cold criminal cases, often related to well-known murders and serial crimes
The Coconuts Podcast
by Coconuts
The Coconuts Podcast delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news and insightful interviews on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.
Lowy Institute: Live Events
by Lowy Institute
The Lowy Institute is an independent, nonpartisan international policy think tank located in Sydney, Australia. On Soundcloud, they host podcasts from our events with high-level guest speakers as well as our own experts. Essential listening for anyone seeking to better understand foreign policy challenges!
Conversations
by Richard Fidler
This podcast draws you deeper into the life story of someone you may have heard about, but never met. Longforminterviewing done right, with significant time and energy invested in production, delivering the ABC’s most downloaded podcast. Richard Fidler is adept at finding the unique and untold aspects of a person’s story.
SBS Radio Podcasts
by SBS
Available in English & a variety of ASEAN languages (Burmese, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Hakka Chin, Khmer, Lao, Rohingya, Thai, Vietnamese)
Share with us your recommended books, essays, films, TV shows or podcasts on ASEAN and Australia!
