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Occupying a two-story shophouse on Lebuh Pantai (Beach Street), <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hikayatpenang/?DestinAsian">Hikayat</a>, is a George Town fixture founded by editor Gareth Richards and news anchor–turned-writer Bettina Chua Abdullah focuses on storytelling in its myriad forms. The first floor is the recently expanded Gerakbudaya Bookshop, whose Malay name is a portmanteau of the words for “movement” and “culture.” It features works by Southeast Asian authors, including prominent Malaysian writers Tan Twan Eng and Saras Manickam. Non-fiction takes up the front of the store while the back is devoted to fiction and poetry. A tiny art gallery demarcates the two sections and exhibits the works of Penang-based creatives with mediums ranging from photography to textile weaving. Upstairs, the Blue Room hosts regular film screenings and author talks and book signings, as well as children’s book clubs. —Dana Ter
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hikayatpenang/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fb.com/hikayatpenang/</a> 
+60 4 261 9001 
<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/41NnvcRjwHPcpJtU6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">226, Lebuh Pantai, George Town, Penang, Malaysia</a>

Hikayat: Finding the Words