We commemorate the declaration of Malacca as a historical city by exploring books that put a sense of place front and centre, creating and describing cities that are rich, palpable and detailed. Picks include Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities, Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, and Neil Gaiman's American Gods. Books discussed:

1. Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino

2. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

3. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

4. Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell

5. American Gods - Neil Gaiman

6. A History of the World in 100 Objects - Neil MacGregor

7. The Sum of Our Follies - Shih-Li Kow