[Book Launch] Inner and Oceanic Worlds in the Making of Penang
Speaker: Mareike Pampus
In Conversation With: Prof Emerita Dato’ Seri Dr Wazir Jahan Karim
Date & Time: Monday, 21 July 2025, 8:00 PM
Venue: Conference Hall, Penang Institute
Moderators:Prof Emerita Dato’ Seri Dr Wazir Jahan Karim & Gareth Richards
Note: Registration is free but required for in-person attendees only. The event will be livestreamed on Penang Institute’s Facebook and YouTube.
About the Book
Connected Heritages: The Inner Life of Penang in the Indian Ocean World is an innovative study of transnational and oceanic history, enriched by detailed ethnographic research. The book situates Penang—especially George Town—within fluid lateral networks, highlighting the sea’s influence on the port city’s political, economic, social, and cultural life.
It weaves deep ethnographic insight with historical narrative, immersing readers in the lived experiences of George Town’s communities—particularly the Baba Nyonya and Jawi Peranakan—and explores how historical circulations have shaped the city’s inner life.
About the Author
Mareike Pampus is a Lecturer in the Human Geography Department at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. Her teaching and research focus on food geographies, Indian Ocean connections, heritage studies, and (more-than-)human geography.
About the Moderators
Prof Emerita Dato’ Seri Dr Wazir Jahan Karim is a distinguished anthropologist with extensive work in women and gender studies, Orang Asli communities, food anthropology, and Muslim cultural conservation. Her recent autobiography is Feminism Undaunted (World Scientific, 2025).
Gareth Richards is a writer, editor, and bookseller. He co-edited Discourses, Agency and Identity in Malaysia: Critical Perspectives (Springer, 2021).