Self-made: Creative Lives in Southeast Asia

Published by Singapore-based writer Stephanie Peh, Self-made grew of her ‘personal insecurities as a writer and a desire to become a better listener'. Over the course of two years, she met 24 South East Asian creatives working in a range of fields, often in places to which she wouldn't normally travel, to get their stories in their own words.

The book is split into sections based on three themes, and contains some fascinating material, such as Vietnamese architect Võ Trọng Nghĩa's unconventional meditation-based approach (in the Making Your Own Rules section) and Thai designer Sukajit Daengchai's mission to rehabilitate the production of indigo fabric in the Sakon Nakhon province (in The Bigger Picture). Each conversation is preceded by a brief biography, and while short, packs much in. For the practising or aspiring creative, this might serve as a compact book of meditations or aphorisms, which can be opened at a random chapter to digest something that arouses interest or inspiration.