We Are PROTAGONIST
STUDIO

Writing | Translation | Research | Creative Education

SAYUGIA

Our commercial arm working in the areas of writing, translation and research. We translate between Malay, English and Spanish, and also understand Jawi script. Our research capabilities are in the fields of policy and social science.

PROTAGONIST STUDIO

Writing. Translation. Research. Creative education. This is what we do at Protagonist Studio. And we do it as a unit with two pillars, Sayugia and Cocoon Creative Lab.

COCOON CREATIVE LAB

Part playground and part think tank, our creative exploration arm offering programs in three areas: adventures through language, multidisciplinary storytelling and education. CCL is where we develop our artistic practice, test our ideas and reach for creative frontiers. Through it all, we build community.

SERVICES

WRITING
WRITING
Your organisation is in the business of thought leadership. Or, you do good work and simply want to tell your story. You have many ideas to share, but need help in making the writing fresh, persuasive and smart.
TRANSLATION
TRANSLATION
Malay. English. Spanish. Jawi. An unusual combination, but we can translate between them! We are particularly strong in translating in the fields of tech, art and policy.
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
Sometimes, you need in-country partners to provide local expertise and context familiarity to your research projects. If you work in policy or the social sciences, we can be your partner.
WRITING
WRITING
We are a home for artists and writers. When writing plays, dramatic tension, exposition and dialogue are our trusted tools. Our curiosity and desire to explore the human condition drive our non-fiction work. We aim to be culturally specific yet universally resonant.
TRANSLATION
TRANSLATION
Poems, short stories, essays, creative non-fiction, plays. These are a few literary works we translate. For us, literary translation is like a portal to a journey that seems unfamiliar, but becomes a memory that lingers.
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
With our artistic lens and curiosity for the world, we can conduct research for creative output. Do you have an art exhibition or theatre showcase in need of a curator? Maybe you are an artist in need of a dramaturg, or a sounding board.
CREATIVE EDUCATION
CREATIVE EDUCATION
Teaching is about camaraderie and community. Through writing workshops, playwriting labs and arts residencies, we learn from one another and celebrate humanity. All while having fun!

SHOWCASE

Enhancing language | Synthesising content | Translation
Enhancing language | Synthesising content | Translation
Translation
Translation
Research & Analysis
Research & Analysis
Crafting storylines | Creative writing | Synthesising content
Crafting storylines | Creative writing | Synthesising content
Storytelling | Writing for performance
Storytelling | Writing for performance
Translation | Localisation
Translation | Localisation
Curation | Moderation | Synthesising content
Curation | Moderation | Synthesising content
Curating learning content | Facilitation
Curating learning content | Facilitation

ABOUT US

OUR STORY

“Language, writing and creativity form a synergy sought after in society. Whether commercial, civic or public entity, everyone stands to benefit from succinct language and self-assured writing, the fruit of expansive imagination and analytical precision. We offer all this and more at Protagonist Studio.”

– Adriana Nordin Manan, Founder and CEO

OUR FOUNDER

Adriana Nordin Manan

Adriana Nordin Manan has fifteen years of work experience in areas ranging from policy research to playwriting. The establishment of Protagonist Studio adds “entrepreneur” to her list of vocations: writer; translator; researcher; playwright; dramaturg; curator and educator. 

Adriana’s vision as a founder is to do good work, explore the intricacies and intersections of language, writing and creativity and build a team that celebrates its place in Malaysia, Southeast Asia and humanity at large.

Adriana has a Masters in Politics from New York University, and a self-designed major in Globalization and Social Justice from Colby College. She is also an alumna of the United World Colleges movement. She speaks Malay, English and Spanish.

THE PROTAGONIST CHARTER

Protagonist Studio is a place with:

  1. A writer’s command of words and the power they possess
  2. A researcher’s sense of curiosity and drive to find answers
  3. An artist’s sensibility and sensitivity towards the world we inhabit
  4. A social scientist’s inclination to explore nuances and patterns in human behaviour
  5. A Malaysian and Southeast Asian pride and love for our roots, and the passion to build bridges in a polyphonic world

CLIENT TESTIMONIES

"Your magic please."
    “Your magic please.”

    A client when asking us to translate an environmental journalism article they had written

    " This is a job really well done! Loved how your interweaved complex ideas with everyday situations, and delved into many human elements in this project. It treated both these with respect and humour. Lovely."
      ” This is a job really well done! Loved how your interweaved complex ideas with everyday situations, and delved into many human elements in this project. It treated both these with respect and humour. Lovely.”

      A client commenting on the coffee table book we had written for them on a major R&D program

      " I just wanted to thank you guys for your amazing efforts in keeping track of what was a rather technical session, and for providing us with the first draft of the webinar report!"
        ” I just wanted to thank you guys for your amazing efforts in keeping track of what was a rather technical session, and for providing us with the first draft of the webinar report!”

        A client, speaking about the rapporteur’s report we prepared for a climate finance webinar

        " What set you guys apart from other translators we know is your solid command in both Malay and English."
          ” What set you guys apart from other translators we know is your solid command in both Malay and English.”

          A client from public relations, who we work with regularly on translating press releases in the fintech and FMCG sectors

          Our Blog

          CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR LATEST NEWS

          A Year of Malaysian Stories

          Despite the disquiet of the pandemic, 2022 was a year when we were fortunate to pilot story development programs. Our creative arm, Cocoon Creative Lab, secured two International Literature Showcase (ILS) Collaboration Fund grants from the UK’s National Centre for…

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          Spanish and Malay: Distant Yet Familiar

          One has tenses and moods for almost every emotion. The other has no tenses, but can also be emotive and beguiling in its own way. One has genders for animate and inanimate objects. The other has neither. One is a…

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          The Story Behind Our Name

          We owe a certain debt to the field of architecture when recalling the origins of our name. In 2019, news broke that Johannesburg-based architecture firm, Counterspace Studio, had won the bid to design the Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Hyde Park…

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