Welcome to Movable Worlds
Letters about trying to make sense of a changing world and our place in it—from Berlin, Kuala Lumpur, places in between.
This is a newsletter about trying to make sense of a changing world and our place in it—dispatched from Berlin, Kuala Lumpur, places in between.
Who writes it?
Hi, I’m Emily Ding, a Malaysian writer-photographer based in Berlin.
My stories have been published in both news and literary media: the Virginia Quarterly Review, Mekong Review, Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, South China Morning Post, to name a few—and I am still taking commissions.
At the same time, it’s a transitional time for me in both life and work and I’m excitedly (and anxiously) experimenting on personal projects: sharpening what I can already do, trying out forms unfamiliar to me.
This newsletter is a public notebook of sorts, perennially permeated with a sense of place. It’s also a way for me to keep in touch with the people who enjoy my writing. Whoever you are out there, thank you!
Why “Movable Worlds”?
It describes all the different worlds that also exist inside the one we know, as well as the emotional worlds we carry with us wherever we go.
It conveys the idea of a world in constant flux, and also a world capable of change.
It alludes to my lifelong love for stories: both the real, past, and imagined worlds that illuminate, and sometimes unsettle, our own.
Broadly, if you love stories and have a deep curiosity about the world, I think you’ll enjoy this newsletter.
It really is a constantly evolving thing, but my hope is that it continues to serve as a tool for discovery (for myself but perhaps for you too), with each letter building on the one before. In times of such rapid change, when old certainties are giving way, nothing can be the last word on anything.
Signing up is free. By doing so, you’ll be supporting my writing and curiosity, sending me a little encouragement—in the face of our collective attention crisis—that you want my writing, even in this most casual of forms, to exist in the world. Which means a lot.
Some letters, however, are paywalled, for various reasons. If you want access to the archive, you can make a paid subscription.
Either way, I hope every letter comes to you as a mixed parcel of small delights, drawing on the delicate interconnectedness of all things.
What readers have said
“This looks so wonderful! (In fact, breaking my vow not to sign up for new newsletters for this one!) Everything Emily writes is stellar.” —Abby Seiff
“A lovely writer who offers beautiful insights into this strange world we occupy.” —Kevin McSpadden
“How to describe Emily Ding’s newsletter? I forgot to have lunch yesterday so I’m going to go with food—it is my nasi campur of newsletters. There’s a bit of everything and depending on my mood this or that will be delicious. The newsletter is about having a sense of place and storytelling, but there’s something else to it.” —Stuart McDonald
“It feels personal, insightful, on the ground.” —P.C.
“We need to hear more of Asian solo female travellers! Keep those letters coming, Emily. Thank you for evoking once again the fernweh in me.” —Ying Reinhardt
“A good thing to read while waiting in line, or anywhere really, is @emilydingwrites’ newsletter.” —Florentyna Leow
“I want to thank you for your contribution to some really interesting articles. I’ve been enjoying your newsletter; the subject matter is capacious and your writing style is succinct and unique. When I’m reading your webpages, it’s like going down another rabbit hole, but one filled with intrigue and relevance.” —Jan Setter
“I love welcoming new newsletters into my inbox and this one looks like it’ll be a ripper!” —Erin Cook
“Emily is a fellow Malaysian who writes well-researched long form essays about important topics like climate. She also shares about her life, writing and reading.” —Rachel Ooi
“For experiences of and insights on travel, for interesting things to read, and to feel your world expand again a little bit, check her newsletter out.” —Cristabel Tan
“Really enjoyed the newsletter, love the range of content on there, especially the article recommendations, and the quotes you picked out! It made me feel like I was reading an actual newsletter, and I was back in the early 00s, travelling around Asia, when Internet cafes were still a thing, and smartphones were not to be seen.” —Lu-Hai Liang
Recurring characters in my letters
For years, when I travelled, I defaulted to doing so on my own. These days, I don’t travel as much as I used to, and when I do I usually go exploring with W.C., so he gets an occasional mention. (W.C., “Willing Companion”, is a nod to Martha Gellhorn’s U.C., “Unwilling Companion”—a.k.a Ernest Hemingway—in Travels with Myself and Another 😁)
Two family dogs in Kuala Lumpur sometimes make an appearance, too. Let’s call the beagle “Miss Marple” because she always has her nose to the ground, and the big shepherd “Ducky” because she had disproportionately large, almost webbed-looking feet, as a puppy. (And yes, it’s ridiculous, but I am reluctant to name them publicly, even if it wouldn’t implicate any passwords!)
Some housekeeping notes
You can ignore this section if you want to just stick to reading my letters in your inbox. That’s the main thing!
If, however, you mainly read on Substack, whether on its website or app, here are some tips:
You have to be signed into Substack to like or comment on a letter, unless you’re doing it directly from inside your email client.
If you don’t remember ever signing up properly for a Substack account but have previously subscribed to a Substack newsletter, then you already have an account. On the login page, just enter your email address and a log-in link will be sent to you. If you know your password, click “Sign in with password”.
You can adjust your profile settings to determine how you receive newsletter notifications for Movable Worlds, as well as other Substack newsletters you subscribe to. As I would prefer to meet you directly in your inbox for all time (no pressure), I recommend opting for “In email and app” or “Only in email”.
How this newsletter has evolved
It first began in 2019 as an ad-hoc reporting diary, in which I shared unpublished fragments of human stories I had leftover from assignments, as well as haphazard lists of reading and culture recommendations.
But amid the pandemic, I felt I wanted to be more intentional with the newsletter. I refined its mission statement and consolidated the archives, in separate categories, to better reflect the tweak in focus.
In November 2021, I changed the overarching name of the newsletter to Movable Worlds, to better encompass everything I might conceivably want to do with it. (It was originally called ‘The Great Affair’—clichéd, I know!)
For a time, I put real effort into curation with the Landmarkings series, aiming for a measure of eclecticism and capaciousness. At the end of 2022, I discontinued it. I hesitated on calling it a day on it, since I had a feeling that was what many subscribers loved—but it was taking too much time. I still do mini-round ups here and there, however.
In 2024, I phased out guest letters. Q&As will still pop up from time to time.
Those who stay and continue to read throughout this newsletter’s iterations and reiterations, thank you! It’ll probably continue to change shape…