Publications, Awards and Speaking Engagements
2025 Current project – new novel for 2026 publication
2024 Nusantara: A Sea of Tales nominated for the IBBY Honour List 2024
Zarra and the Twelve Realms of Kayangan published by Penguin Random House
SEA
Guest speaker at Universiti Malaya: The Landscape of Nusantara Folktales
Guest speaker at Universiti Putra Malaysia: Cultural Influences in Writing
2023 The Case of the Two Bugis Kings, published by Oyez! Books an imprint of Integra
Creative Media Sdn Bhd
The Case of Munsyi Abdullah and the Secret Society, published by Oyez! Books an
imprint of Integra Creative Media Sdn Bhd
2022 The Magical Healing Powers of Folktales: Strategies for Survival in Selected
Malaysian Folktales, an article published in Bookbird Journal (2022, Vol. 60, No. 2)
Plenary Speaker at the IBBY International Conference in Putrajaya
Invited to speak at the Singapore Writer’s Festival (took part in the musical adaptation
of my book, Nusantara: A Sea of Tales, presented by Orkestra Sri Temasek, and a
Kamishibai performance of stories from the same book)
Guest Speaker for Fifty Short Stories on Saving Marine Life by Young Malaysian
Authors
2021 Nusantara: A Sea of Tales, published by Penguin Random House SEA
Putra Jaya and the Fairy of Perang Besar, a children’s short story published in the
anthology, Gemilangnya Putrajaya, published by Penerbit Mahir Sdn Bhd
Speaker at the MBBY International Conference on Children and Books
Represented Malaysia in the International Storytelling Festival ISFM 2021, in
conjunction with the National Library of Malaysia
Started Nusantara Fairy Tales with Heidi on YouTube as a way of spreading the
folklore from Southeast Asia
2020 The Malay Tale of the Pig King, an illustrated children’s book based on the Javanese
saga Hikayat Raja Babi, published by Matahari Press
Tiga Sekawan, a four issue children’s chap book
Acted as the judge for the First Malaysian Novel Contest sponsored by Fixi
Created an online writing course for young authors, in conjunction with Kuala
Lumpur Book Capital 2020
2019 The Case of the Warrior Queen, published by Oyez! Books an imprint of Integra
Creative Media Sdn Bhd
2018 The Case of the Missing Elephants, published by Oyez! Books an imprint of Integra
Creative Media Sdn Bhd Kayu of Manis Valley, a chapter book published by MPH Publishing
A short story titled A Pod of Seeds for the Ghostman published in the anthology Little
Basket 2018 by Fixi
Wrote 3 stories in the Dragonfly Readers Series published by Oxford University Press
Spoke at TEDx Universiti Malaya on Why We Still Need our Fairytales
Acted as judge for the Storymaker’s League Writing Competition
2017 Chickaboo the Ostrich, a picture book published by Oyez! Books an imprint of
Integra Creative Media Sdn Bhd
A short story titled Strange Positions in the Night, published in the anthology Micro
Malaysians! by Fixi
A short story titled The Twins of Rumahku in Remang, an Anthology of Ghostly Tales
published by Terrer Books
Won the IPCC (the Intellectual Property Creators’ Challenge) Award to produce the
short animated film titled Grin
Wrote the screenplay for the short animated film Batik Girl which also won the IPCC
Award in a separate category. Batik Girl has gone on to receive the Honorable
Mention in Audience Favorites award at Florida Animation Festival, Best Animated
Short Film prize at the Festival de Largos y Cortos de Santiago 2019 in Chile, as well
as Gold Medal in the Regional category at the 20th Digicon6 Asia, Japan
Wrote scripts for R & D Studios for an animated children’s series
Attended the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
Invited as a speaker to the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) in Singapore
to talk about the folktales of the region
2016 The Case of the House at No. 74, published by Oyez! Books an imprint of Integra
Creative Media Sdn Bhd
The Case of the Football Champion, published by Oyez! Books an imprint of Integra
Creative Media Sdn Bhd
A short story titled Neighbourhood Watch in the anthology PJ Confidential, published
by Fixi
A short story titled Sharina’s Baby in the anthology KK Chronicles, published by Fixi
2015 The Case of the Talented Trio, published by Oyez! Books an imprint of Integra
Creative Media Sdn Bhd
The Mystery of the Missing National Anthem, published by Oyez! Books an imprint of
Integra Creative Media Sdn Bhd
Attended the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair
2013 Signed an eight book contract with Integra Creative Media Sdn Bhd for The Door
Under the Stairs series.
2012 Won the regional prize for the Eye Level Children’s Literature Award for the short
story Johan the Honey Hunter.
Education and Professional Qualifications
2000 Admitted as Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales
1998 LL.M in Corporate Law, Nottingham Law School
1997 Barrister at Law (Lincoln’s Inn)
1996 LL.B (Hons), University of Nottingham
Professional and Personal Background
Heidi Shamsuddin read law at Nottingham University in the UK and went on to complete her
postgraduate degree in Corporate Law. She obtained two professional qualifications:
Barrister at Law (Lincoln’s Inn) and was subsequently admitted as Solicitor of the Supreme
Court of England and Wales. She secured a position as a solicitor at the London law firm of
Holmes Hardingham where she specialised in maritime law, before returning to Malaysia in
2007 to pursue a writing career.
Heidi lives in Malaysia and is married with 3 children. She is an award winning author of
stories inspired by Asia for both children and adults, and is now fulfilling her ambition of
collecting and adapting the folk and fairy tales of the region in order to revive and spread
these traditional tales throughout the world.