[Book Launch] Inner & Oceanic Worlds in the Making of Penang

DETAILS

Speaker: Mareike Pampus

Title of Talk: Inner and Oceanic Worlds in the Making of Penang: Mareike Pampus in conversation with Wazir Jahan Karim

Date, time: Monday, 21 July 2025, 8pm

Venue: Conference Hall, Penang Institute

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Abstract of book/book talk

Connected Heritages: The Inner Life of Penang in the Indian Ocean World is an innovative study of transnational and oceanic history paired with granular ethnographic research. The book situates Penang – and particularly its historic core, George Town – within the fluid realm of lateral networks, revealing the profound influence of the sea on the port city’s political, economic, social and cultural landscape. It does so by integrating ethnographic depth, offering readers an intimate and immersive journey into the lived experiences of George Town’s diverse communities, notably its two major Peranakan groups – Baba Nyonya and Jawi Peranakan – with a broader historical understanding of the circulations that have shaped the inner life of the port city.

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About The Author

Mareike Pampus is a Lecturer at the Human Geography Department, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. She researches and teaches courses on food geographies, Indian Ocean connections, heritage studies and (more-than-)human geography.

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About The Discussants

Prof Emerita Dato’ Seri Dr Wazir Jahan Karim is an anthropologist who has worked extensively on women and gender, Orang Asli, the anthropology of food and the cultural conservation of Muslim communities. She has just published her autobiography Feminism Undaunted (World Scientific, 2025).

Gareth Richards is a writer, editor and bookseller. His most recent book (as co-editor) is Discourses, Agency and Identity in Malaysia: Critical Perspectives (Springer, 2021).

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