Doors of Perception: Writing the Psyche and Social Self

Paul GnanaSelvam and Danielle Lim in conversation with Vernon Adrian Emuang

Can writing ‘cleanse the doors of perception’, as William Blake once said, and allow us to see life as it is? Singapore Book of the Year Award winner Danielle Lim and Malaysian writer Paul GnanaSelvam speak to Vernon Adrian Emuang about how their short stories open up our perception to the inner workings of the psyche, and reveal how the self is shaped by social forces. While Danielle’s writing examines the subtleties of personal relationships in difficult situations, Paul’s stories bring to the fore the challenges of the Malaysian Indian community in our complex multicultural milieu.