If there were two very close friends in my life and especially during my childhood, they were: 1) An imaginary friend who had multiple personalities who lived up on a tree I frequently climb, and 2) Great books I slept with.

I don’t know what fascinated me about the power of words and about imaginary friends I could run around with and have battles with behind locked doors. Books, books, books... how great books are.

I slept with a world history book ‘Sejarah Dunia’, ‘Hikayat Bayan Budiman’ and ‘Hikayat Seribu Satu Malam’. I can still remember the delightfully musky smell of those classics. The history book was light green in colour, the ‘Hikayat Bayan Budiman’ light yellow, and the ‘Hikayat Seribu Satu Malam’ was light brown... light reading there were not.