About Erni Salleh
Erni Salleh started writing stories at the age of 12 and has never looked back. Her first novel, The Java Enigma, was shortlisted for the 2020 Epigram Books Fiction Prize.
Hailing from vibrant, multicultural and multilingual Singapore, Erni’s superpower is that of a polyglot parrot, thanks to her mixed Malay-Javanese heritage and Muslim upbringing. That and the fact she’s usually one of four minority students in class, she’s picked up Mandarin so she can confuse people further when asked about her ethnicity.
Fascinated by languages and books, Erni spent many years working as a librarian before moving to the United Kingdom. She currently works at the museum where she combines storytelling with history and public engagement. Erni finds inspiration for her stories in the diverse cultures of both her home countries and regularly disappears into a magical Welsh book town called Hay, on one of her many secret literary quests!
Apart from writing, Erni also actively promotes diverse representation in books by curating reading lists on her Booktok channel and participating in diversity panels with publishing houses such as HarperCollins and Penguin Books. She has also spoken at various platforms including the Singapore Writer’s Festival and at various bookclubs both in Singapore and the UK.
Logotype Design : Judith Lee at The Pensive Desk.
Photography: Rob Coombe Photography
FAQs
What does your author’s icon represent?
There are two things that I love most in the world - books and kerises - and these are reflected here in my icon. The keris represents my Javanese, Bugis, Malay and Bawaeanese heritage; my love for Southeast Asian history and its hidden voices. The icon is also positioned to look like a book sliding out from shelves, a tribute to my time as a librarian and my continual love for books.
How do I pronounce the author’s name?
(air-knee, sull-ay).
Erni Salleh is a Malay name. Malays do not use surnames or family names but tend to follow the form of (personal name) + (patronymic). As such, I should always be referred to as Erni, and NOT Salleh as that is my father's name.
For cataloging purposes, do not feel burdened by the dewey decimal classification just because it doesn't cater to this Malay naming convention. It should always be shelved under 'E'.
I don’t live in Singapore/Southeast Asia. Where I can find your books?
You can still purchase the books from Epigram.sg which will calculate shipping for you. However, if you’d like a signed copy with some goodies, please contact me directly. Postage within the UK will be free but for all other locations, a mailing fee on top of the book’s price will have to be included. Payment will be via PayPal.
Do you do school visits/ public talks?
Yes! I am currently based in the UK and open to travelling within the country if part of the costs are covered, on top of reasonable fees. I also make yearly trips to Singapore. Please get in touch!