Publications

Publications © Adrian Cheah

Take the hassle and stress out of your book design by letting us make your publication look the best it can be. The process of publication designing – selecting the correct typefaces for headings and paragraphs, page layout, photo editing and cover designing – is a learned skill that requires both book design skillfulness and knowledge of the printing process.


Penang Irish AssociationIrish Insights 

Published by Penang Irish Association (PIA), a non-profit association of Irish and friends of Ireland living in and around Penang. A vibrant organisation that celebrates all things Irish.

The blending of skills which go into the production of each issue of 'Irish Insights' makes it a joy to work with. 

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Monsoon Poems

Author: Yin
Cover design and layout by Adrian Cheah

Monsoon Poems © Adrian Cheah

I had to lay out 45 poems within a 104-page book for a good friend, who pens under the pseudonym Yin. When I first received the draft, I could not put it down. I read it from cover to cover in one sitting, stirring up a well of emotions. As I laid the last page down, I could only marvel at the depth of love Yin had for this late wife. I quickly grabbed my phone and congratulated him on an amazing book. I also told him that I would consider myself extremely lucky if I could love my wife as much as he loved his.

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Anwar Fazal – The Poet

Author: Anwar Fazal
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah

Anwar Fazal – The Poet

This book honours the legacy the experience of a local and global leader, Anwar Fazal, expressed through poetry. Anwar has received the Right Livelihood Award popularly known as “the Alternative Noble Prize”.

Anwar Fazal often called “The Multiversity“ and the ”Cosmopolition Extraordinarie”, speaks in this book of the many facets of his knowledge and innate wisdom encompassing the vast dimensions of life that transcended ecology, equity and economic justice. His poetic voice vibrates soulful whispers of love, peace, and joy that touch your soul. His writing, teaching, and engagement with others reflect his natural flow of profound wisdom sprouting through poetry.

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The Brilliance Imperative – Leadership Strategies for Being Brilliant at Creating Brilliance

Simon Dunford
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah

The Brilliance Imperative

Foreword

Like you all, I am a busy person and, to be honest, whilst I like a good bit of research-based reading, I seldom have the time or the inclination to do it as often as I might like.

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Bersama Lima - Five Together: Celebrating 50 Years and Beyond

Research and writing by Keith Hockton
Editing and indexing by Sharon Giraud
Book design and layout by Adrian Cheah

Introduction

Welcome to, ‘Bersama Lima – Celebrating 50 Years and Beyond’, the story of the fifty years of multilateral cooperation between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom under the Five Power Defence Arrangements. ‘Bersama Lima – Celebrating 50 Years and Beyond’ is intended to walk you through the Five Power Defence Arrangements history interwoven with personal recollections and finishing with a view of what lies ahead. A fitting tribute to a proud history and a bright future.

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Never Forgetting Balik Pulau – exploring an alluring, rustic village in Penang across time

Josephine Choo
Photography, design and layout by Adrian Cheah

Never Forgetting Balik Pulau © Adrian Cheah

"Never Forgetting Balik Pulau" is part memoir, part guide. The author, after spending her entire youth in the village, accumulated a bagful of tales. Exploratory trips back gave credence to past memories but gradually, a comprehensive guide with maps to the village evolved.

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Enjoying the book "Never forgetting Balik Pulau"

Book review by Lillian Cheah
12 December 2020

A book was printed yesterday. Straight from the printers, the very first copy was delivered to me so that I could read and critique it.

Titled “Never Forgetting Balik Pulau”, this 176-page book is physically eye-catching, peppered very generously throughout with beautiful photographs many of which almost breathe life.

I was privy to the journey undertaken by the collaborators of the book – Josephine Choo and Adrian Cheah.

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In the Best of Company: Postcards from the Hajj

Mike Gibby
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

In the Best of Company: Postcards from the Hajj

Muslim pilgrims have been travelling for Hajj for more than fourteen centuries. How similar, how different have their experiences been? In our changing world, how has the safety and convenience of air travel changed the experience of Hajj?

Gathered here are the thoughts and concerns of Hajjis travelling over the last thousand years by trains, boats and planes, by camel, car or on foot – compared with the experiences of a recent pilgrim to Makkah.

This small book is an attempt to have a conversation with earlier generations of Hajjis, and attempts to answer questions about the changing nature of Hajj.

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Fraser’s Hill and Lewis J. Fraser of Singapore

R. H. Hale
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

Fraser’s Hill and Lewis J. Fraser of Singapore

When the name Fraser is mentioned in Singapore, most people ask ‘you mean Fraser & Neave?’ In this case, the answer is ‘No’.

The author’s rigorous historical research and superb narrative skills bring to life the fascinating story of the relatively unknown pioneer, Lewis J. Fraser. Born in Singapore in 1841, Fraser became a well-known and popular businessman there. But fickle markets and financial difficulties in the early 1880s resulted in a high-profile court case that brought his commercial downfall. Fraser was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment.

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The Armenians of Penang

Nadia H. Wright
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

The Armenians of Penang

Why is there an Armenian Street in Penang? This quaint, narrow street draws visitors from around the world but there is little to explain the legacy of Penang’s small, bygone Armenian population, after which it was named.

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Penang Confidential – A Fascinating Glimpse into a Bygone Penang

Author: Mike Gibby
Cover design and layout by Adrian Cheah

Penang Confidential

I had the pleasure of collaborating with Mike Gibby, the author of "Penang Confidential", on three of his previous books. Each time, I have been impressed by his dedication to meticulous research and his passion for bringing his books to life. However, "Penang Confidential" stands out as a particularly exceptional and thorough work that exemplifies Mike's constant dedication to penning a gripping narrative.

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CENTENARY – Celebrating the One Hundredth Anniversary of The Old Frees’ Association

Author: Quah Seng Sun
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah
Cover painting by Khoo Cheang Jin

CENTENARY

In 1923, a group of high-profile individuals which included personalities such as Yeoh Guan Seok, Khoo Sian Ewe, Quah Beng Kee and Harold Cheeseman established The Old Frees’ Association, an organisation for former students and teachers of Penang Free School. The Association reaching its 100th anniversary in 2023 is indeed a milestone. The journey has been marked by resilience in the face of adversity: from surviving the ravages of the Second World War to enduring fires on its premises. Yet, amidst the trials, there have been moments of triumph as well. Notably, the Association played a pivotal role in giving Hutchings School its name, as well as supporting Penang Free School during its Sesquicentenary celebration in 1966 and Bicentenary in 2016. As The Old Frees’ Association reaches its own landmark Centenary in 2023, the occasion is commemorated with a book that reflects upon the Association’s legacy of the past century of years.

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Lies That Blind

A Novel of Late 18th Century Penang

E.S. Alexander
Book cover design by Adrian Cheah

Lies That Blind

What would you risk to avoid obscurity?

Malaya, 1788.
Aspiring journalist Jim Lloyd jeopardises his future in ways he never could have imagined. He risks his wealthy father’s wrath to ride the coat-tails of Captain Francis Light, an adventurer governing the East India Company’s new trading settlement on Penang.

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Ten Thousand Prosperities: The Story of Ban Hin Lee Bank

Quah Seng Sun
Book design and layout by Adrian Cheah
Cover design by Peta Yeap Liew Shih

Ten Thousand Prosperities

Preface

A great part of my working life has been spent in the banking industry. In particular, 23 years of a total 24 were in the employment of Ban Hin Lee Bank Berhad, from 1977 till 2000.

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The Bungalows of Penang Hill

Mike Gibby
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah

The Bungalows of Penang Hill

From the first colonists to the towkays and millionaires of modern Malaysia, a bungalow on Penang Hill has always been an aspiration and a dream. How better to confirm one’s position in society, than with a home at the top of the Hill?

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Discover Penang's ‘island behind the hills’ in this memoir and guide

Book review by Andrea Filmer
The Star, Monday, 26 July 2021

Even with the country in lockdown, Balik Pulau has continued to receive a steady stream of visitors.

Coming in from the long, winding roads that connect the old town with the rest of Penang island, travellers now are not heading for the durian estates or famous laksa stalls.

Rather, most have their attention on their GPS devices, trying to make their way to the mega vaccination centre (PPV) at the Balik Pulau Sports Complex that has been administering hundreds of Covid-19 vaccines daily to those living in the state’s south-west district.

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The Armenians of Singapore: A Short History

Nadia H. Wright
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

The Armenians of Singapore

So small a community: so great a legacy!

Fewer than 750 Armenians have ever lived in Singapore, yet St Gregory’s Church, Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim, the Straits Times newspaper and Raffles Hotel owe their existence to the pioneering Persian Armenians.

Who were these Armenians, what did they do and what happened to them?

This book throws light on those questions.

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The Habitat Penang Hill: a pocket history

Authors: Keith Hockton, Marcus Langdon
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

The Habitat Penang Hill: a pocket history

This handy, illustrated pocket guide tells the rich history of Penang Hill’s early bungalows as seen from the historic trail of The Habitat Penang Hill. It is not only an invaluable guide for those intending to walk The Habitat Penang Hill’s historic rainforest trail but also a useful keepsake for locals and visitors to Penang.

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Alana and The Secret Life of Trees at Night

Book One
by Keith Hockton
Illustrated by Winnie Cheng
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

Alana and The Secret Life of Trees at Night

Trees are magical.

Trees tell stories, love, walk, dance and sing and have done so for thousands of years. When you start to think a tree is just a tree, think again, for at night their world comes alive and they get up to all sorts of secret tree business.

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From Sentul to Oxford: autobiography of Dato’ Dr. R. Ratnalingam

Dato’ Dr. R. Ratnalingam
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah

From Sentul to Oxford: autobiography of Dato’ Dr. R. Ratnalingam

I have written this brief autobiography not as an ego ride but as a source of information for my grandchildren. This gives them an insight into my background and their ancestral past. Hopefully, they can draw upon my success or avoid my mistakes and shortcomings.

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