The Pathbreakers and Other Stories

Foreword

The Pathbreakers 
Guy Russell

Tug-of-War 
Paul GnanaSelvam

Harsh Winds 
Ksatria Baskara Prasetya

The Last Loaf of Bread 
Ntebeti Ntini

The Colour Green 
Mulki Ahmed

The Daycare 
Ivan Kwok

The Peculiar Boy 
Aqil Rifqi

Nusantara Crimes 
Aneeta Sundararaj

The Climbing Gardener 
Katy Wimhurst

Of Dugong and Seagrasses 
Ismim Putera

The Thumb Sucker 
JM Gravidez Parlingayan

Brittle Wings 
Philip Stenström

Under the Waves 
Ferryn Foong

The Trials and Tribulations of a Contemporary Fisherman 
Stephen T. Homer

The Entertainer 
Edwin Kee

Darwin 
Fadzlishah Johanabas

Old Kong 
Yap Li Tyng

Droplets of My Earth 
Ryoka Tanoi

One Step Is All It Takes 
Iram Moazzam

A Sea Nomad Speaks 
Matthew Yap

Contributor Profiles

About the Blue-White Dot Competition

SDG Publishers Compact 
 

Guy Russell was born in Chatham, UK, and has been a holiday courier, purchasing clerk, media analyst and fan-heater production operative. He currently works in Milton Keynes for the Open University. Guy has also published works under Bristol Books, Comma Press, and Arachne Press. He’s published one poetry pamphlet, Like Basically (Dreich Press), and reviews for Tears in the Fence and its blog. 

Paul GnanaSelvam is an Ipoh-born writer and poet whose work often focuses on the experiences, issues and identity conflicts of those in the Indian diaspora. Writing since 2006, he has published both locally and internationally in anthologies, literary journals and e-magazines. His first collection of short stories Latha’s Christmas & Other Stories was published in 2013, while The Elephant Trophy & Other Stories was published by Penguin Random House, SEA in 2021. He currently lectures at Universiti Teknologi MARA (Perak Campus), Malaysia.

Ksatria Baskara Prasetya is currently studying IBDP—that’s pre-university—at Fairview International School. He hopes to be an engineer, but when he gets inspired, he likes to write! Authors like Isaac Asimov, Orson Scott Card, and Cixin Liu serve as his guides. That is, Ksatria writes to change minds. So, when his chemistry teacher told him about this competition, he was prepared!

Ntebeti Ntini was born and raised in South Africa and is a second-year undergraduate student at Michigan State University. Although she is majoring in engineering, writing has always been her passion. Ntebeti has been writing short stories since she was eight years old, and she now enjoys writing stories that are roughly based on sad realities in Africa. When she is not studying, you can find her sitting down with a good romance novel.

Mulki Ahmed is from Leicester but she’s lived in Kenya for half of her life. She enjoys immersing herself in new worlds, whether that be through reading or writing. An aspiring medic, Mulki was also the regional winner of the Solstice Prize for Young Writers in her age group in 2022. 

Ivan Kwok Hsien Yao is a creative and adventurous high school student, who has discovered a strong passion for writing and the arts. He holds a natural gift for storytelling and loves to entertain and create content. Ivan has the ability to bring his imagination into a narrative story through words. He hopes to further his journey at a prestigious university one day.

Aqil Rifqi is just a regular Greater Klang Valley guy still finding his way in the literary world. He writes mostly in Malay with a little dabble of English works here and there—never rojak, though! So far Aqil has had essays published, nothing too big, but one of his works has been awarded a prize (Hadiah Sastera Selangor).

Aneeta Sundararaj is an award-winning short story writer who also manages a website called ‘How to Tell a Great Story’. Her bestselling novel, The Age of Smiling Secrets was shortlisted for the Book Award 2020 organised by the National Library of Malaysia. In 2021, Aneeta successfully defended her doctoral thesis entitled Management of Prosperity Among Artistes in Malaysia. 

Katy Wimhurst’s first collection of short stories was Snapshots of the Apocalypse (Fly on the Wall Press, 2022). Her fiction has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies including The Guardian, Cafe Irreal, and ShooterLit. Her first book of visual poems is Fifty-One Trillion Bits (Trickhouse Press, 2023). She blogs at Whimsylph Writes.

Ismim Putera (he/him) is a poet and writer from Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. His latest works can be found in The Big Book of Malaysian Horror Stories (Fixi Novo, 2021). His poem “Durian Blossoms” won third place in the 7th Singapore Poetry Contest (2021) and “Jantina” was longlisted for the Malaysian Poetry Competition (2021). Nipah Nightmares, his debut novel will be published by Gerakbudaya Publication.

JM Gravidez Parlingayan is a 20-something lover of literature from South Cotabato, Philippines. He graduated with a degree in Psychology from Notre Dame of Dadiangas University. His writings have appeared in various literary platforms such as Anak Sastra, KITAAB International, and Cotabato Literary Journal. His essay “Why Adobong Pusit (Squid Adobo) Makes Me Cry” was recently published in the Youngblood Section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Philip Stenström (born 1987) is a short story writer and has published various short stories in many anthologies. His writing is usually characterised by nature, city, and countryside in the light of his upbringing on a farm on the island of Gotland. 

Ferryn Foong, born in December 2008, is an aspiring author who hails from Malaysia. In her free time, she enjoys solving Rubik’s cubes as well as reading—her favourite genre being mystery. Writing is a medium through which she is able to express her opinions and creativity. It is with gratitude that she receives the success of being a contributor to this anthology. Her journey will not stop here as she looks towards continuing to improve her craft for future works!

Dr Stephen T. Homer has a broad interest as an academic in investigating perceptions and interpretations of sustainability driven by his many different work and life experiences. Stephen wishes to explore societal influences upon definitions of sustainability within Malaysia and the ASEAN region. Thus, his position at Sunway University ideally positions him to continue this research and teaching sustainability to students. 

Edwin Kee dreamt of being a pro-gamer only to have circumstances mould him into a programmer in a past life. He has since moved on to write about consumer electronics and other topics.

Fadzlishah Johanabas is juggling between neurons and narratives, and brings a quirky blend of pediatric neurosurgery and speculative fiction storytelling. His short stories have found homes in venues like Interzone and Best of World SF 3, but don’t be fooled; he’s still learning the art of the written word, just like performing his first craniotomy.

Yap Li Tyng is a true-blue Ipoh dweller, and is no stranger to the harmonious intermingling of culture and modernity in what others would sometimes describe as a sleepy town. Currently working as a lecturer at Sunway College Ipoh, she spends most of her days teaching language-based and MPU subjects. Sometimes, she writes.

Ryoka Tanoi is a Japanese writer who aims to capture society from an undiscovered perspective. Her works often grapple with identity, focusing on the liberation and lonesomeness that comes with being on the outer reaches of society. She is currently studying creative writing at the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio. Her writing has been recognised in various places, including the Goi Peace Foundation in which she won the second prize at the International Essay Contest for Young People. 

Iram Moazzam is a Lahore-based freelance writer from Pakistan, who has recently discovered the joys of fiction writing. In the past, she has worked as a Feature writer for Express Tribune women’s magazine and Expert Parenting and Pregnancy Magazine. She aspires to give back to the society by weaving stories that create awareness about social issues and climate change. This stay-at-home mom of two enjoys baking, reading and posting book reviews on Instagram @reclaim_reading.

Dr Matthew Yap is a writer, educator and editor. He graduated with a PhD in Literature from Monash University, where he also taught Film Studies. Matthew enjoys sharing his love for books, films and TV shows by writing commentary on popular culture. Matthew’s articles have appeared in Malaysiakini, the New Straits Times and Goggler. His other short stories include the award-winning MARI (Matahari Books) and Mingxi (Brigids Gate Press). Matthew is interested in crafting stories from a Southeast Asian perspective that resonate with readers globally.