This book conveys the essence of a series of guided conversations with leading Malaysian intellectuals—predominantly writers, journalists, academicians, some artists, and other thinkers—in the early 1970s. Based on interviews with 133 intellectuals, supplemented by hours of informal conversation, socialising, and common attendance at intellectual activities or events, the book highlights the cultural significance of the 1970s, an under-appreciated era, and features “conversations” on topics that are integral to the nation’s intellectual history.