In this episode, I share snippets of a conversation I had the privilege of having with Dr Sarah Wijesinghe. Sarah is a senior lecturer at Sunway University, Malaysia, with expertise in critical tourism, decolonization, and social equity. I met Dr Sarah when I was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last month, and attended a Women’s Day book event held by radical, indie bookstore Gerak Budaya. During the panel, Sarah shared about her recent non-fiction memoir, The Illusions of Freedom, which critically examines neoliberal academia and its cultural norms, offering insights into how academic practices influence inclusivity in Asia. Sarah’s work emphasizes the importance of uncovering implicit biases and rethinking cultural frameworks that sustain inequality. This week we listen to the first half of our conversation as we spoke about the joys and struggles of learning the English language as a child of postcolonial countries, and the intertwined nature of language and identity.

Bookstore: Gerak Budaya

Song: Lo-fi Raya songs

Buy Sarah's book here!