I travel (frugally) to uncommon places to seek out overlooked stories. This storygathering fund will greatly help offset opportunity costs that would have been incurred in order to generate cash flow on a day-to-day basis (i.e. doing work outside of investigative journalism). Every dollar seeds a line in publishing underreported narratives that are alternatives to mainstream Eurocentric narratives.
Hello, I’m Dee May. I’m an independent investigative food culture journalist and publisher based in Kuala Lumpur. I’m driven by the possibilities of using food as a conversation starter at unassuming tables; to seek out stories for potential changemakers and restless readers to chew on. 'Plates' is my main body of work. It is an independent collectible evergreen print magazine, which I started in 2018. I recently published its fourth issue, ‘Seeds’. I believe there is an urgent need to go beyond the carousel of celebrity chefs and sensationalist exoticism; and instead amplify minority voices through hyperlocal yet globally relevant human stories. In a ‘pay to play’ industry, I am learning that in order to achieve my goal of nudging minority narratives into a Eurocentric-dominant shelf-space, I have to bring my own seat to their table (for now, at least). It’s a long-term goal. And that’s where you come in. Consider buying me a coffee and choose to be part of the ripple effect by holding the space for alternative narratives to exist and bypass gatekeepers.
The change I seek to create with my work as an investigative journalist and founder of PLATES magazine is of cultural value. And I’d love for you to be part of it too. To be part of the ripple effect in pushing for alternative food culture narratives in an echo chamber of mainstream click-baits and appropriation. My long-term goal is to continue to hold and expand the space for alternative narratives. Exploring underreported human stories that are hyperlocal yet globally relevant. Despite being a proud #DIYeverything solopreneur over the past four- (nearly five) years, I'm realising: I can't do it alone forever. . . . To date, most of the stories published in 'Plates Vol.1 - 4' ('Rice,' 'Durian,' 'Water' and 'Seeds') were born out of serendipitous encounters, which occurred throughout every self-funded storygathering trip. In the rice fields of Kelantan; at the home of a Rice Ritual Specialist in Kota Kinabalu; in a makeshift village on Sepanggar Bay; on the floor of a longhouse in Belaga; and on the back of a motorcycle along Gundaling Hill. Instead of rushing to parachute into an unfamiliar community; grabbing a few quotes to fit a hard-set angle and meet a looming 36-hour deadline—I opt for the slow journalism journey. To allow for the story to reveal itself from within the community and environment. To hold the space for the overlooked and the underreported. This storygathering process typically involves weeks or months living in community, making follow-up trips, taking a chance on surprising off-road leads and, every so often, making the best out of unexpected dead-ends. But with instant gratification, a content-churn norm, ROIs and KPIs, this open-ended storygathering research process can be hard to pitch for traditional funding. That’s where you can help. Consider seeding a story in PLATES and be part of this independent food culture journal’s continuity by making a one-off contribution or becoming a member. (As I continue to explore the Ko-fi platform, in the upcoming months, as a huge thank you for your belief and support, members will get to come along vicariously on these storygathering journeys through access to behind-the-scenes updates, including exclusive field notes and thought processes from the road and makeshift hotdesks, and more. Intermittent updates with depth and purpose.) . . . Every contribution, no matter how big or small, will truly go a long way in my storygathering work for PLATES—be it for a ride in an 'oto kayu' (wooden truck), check-in baggage, a meal at a mom-and-pop shack, or a one month stay in the field. Thank you for your time and for holding the space for alternative narratives to exist. With gratitude, Dee May
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