The Man Who Built A Castle
By Mike Gibby
Cover design and book layout by Adrian Cheah
Designing "The Man Who Built a Castle"
I have had the pleasure of working with Mike Gibby on three of his remarkable books: "In the Best of Company: Postcards from the Hajj" (2019), "The Bungalows of Penang Hill" (2020), and "Penang Confidential" (2023). Every time I work with Mike, I come away with a deeper appreciation for the art of storytelling. He is a brilliant writer, a thorough researcher, and an intuitive photographer. His books take readers on captivating journeys through time’s passageways, places, and the heart of human experiences.
To understand Mike is to see the educator, explorer, and storyteller in one. Born in Britain, he has spent most of his life in Southeast Asia, where his curiosity about the natural world and the human spirit continues to shape his work. A dedicated teacher and outdoorsman, Mike has led expeditions to remote mountains and introduced his students to the wonders of mangroves, seashores, rivers, and rainforests. It is this rare combination of intellect, empathy, and adventure that enables Mike to craft stories that captivate and inspire.
This book, The Man Who Built a Castle, delves into the fascinating life of William Kellie Smith, the Scotsman behind the legendary Kellie’s Castle in Perak. The castle has long captured the public imagination, surrounded by tales that blur the line between truth and myth. Through meticulous research and a storyteller’s sensitivity, Mike separates fact from fiction, tracing Kellie Smith’s journey from Scotland to Malaya Peninsula in 1889. He explores how Kellie met his wife, Agnes, how together they built their fortune, and why the grand castle, so full of promise, was never completed. Enriched with many previously unpublished photographs, the book brings to life not only the man and his dream but also the era and landscape that shaped them.
Working with Mike on this book was, as always, an inspiring experience. He provides a clear and complete vision of his work, yet he deeply values collaboration and trusts my creative direction in shaping the layout and cover design. Mike’s meticulous approach extends beyond research and writing. He checks, proofreads, and thoughtfully considers every detail to ensure that the final work reflects both accuracy and artistry.
Designing the cover of the book was exciting. From the outset, I had a long list of elements I wanted to weave together: the castle itself; the man who built it, William Kellie Smith; his proud Scottish heritage; and the state of Perak, where the castle still stands today. The real challenge was shaping these diverse elements into a single image that could visually convey the depth and spirit of the engaging book.
At the centre of the book cover design is a black-and-white photograph of Kellie Smith, framed not within a conventional rectangle or oval but within the shape of a shield rising behind the castle. Shields, often featured in coats of arms and family crests, are emblems of lineage, honour, and tradition. Paying tribute to his Scottish roots came naturally. The tartan pattern of his clan forms an evocative backdrop, grounding the design in his heritage. On either side of the shield, streamers in the colours of the Perak state flag bring balance and harmony, linking the man’s personal story to the land where he built his dream.
The typography of the title arches gracefully across the top, unifying the composition and lending it a sense of grandeur befitting its subject. Beneath it, a graphic motif merges the national flowers—the thistle of Scotland and the bunga raya of Malaysia—rendered in a warm yellow hue. Together, they form a subtle yet powerful emblem of the two worlds Kellie Smith bridged, celebrating both his Scottish heritage and his enduring bond with the land of Perak.
Both Mike and I were truly happy with the final design, which we felt was a fitting prelude to the story within. In designing this project, I found myself reflecting on how ambition, heritage, and time shape the stories we leave behind. Like Kellie Smith, every creative endeavour begins with a dream—and this one, I believe, has found its rightful home in print. I hope readers will open its pages and discover, as I did, the extraordinary life of the man who built a castle and the dream that still stands today.
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Written by Adrian Cheah
© All rights reserved
25 February 2025
William Kellie Smith lived in Perak between 1889 and 1926—for more than half of his short life. This was a time which saw Perak transformed from a sleepy rural state to a thriving economy. William saw its early booms and busts, firstly in tin mining, then coffee growing, followed by rubber planting. He amassed a fortune from rubber, which at the time was hailed as a new miracle crop.
The nineteen year old William came from a Scottish farming family, yet he was first employed building the Sungei Ujong railway in Negri Sembilan, before becoming by turns a surveyor and independent contractor, then a planter of coffee and rubber, as well as a tin miner. The fortune he made during the first rubber boom financed the construction of the extraordinary Kellie’s Castle. William was also a visionary, at the time of his death agitating to develop the pristine Cameron Highlands into a health resort and agricultural region.
The Man Who Built A Castle
By Marcus Langdon, with photographs from the Robert Hussey Collection
February 2024, Entrepot Publishing Sdn Bhd
Hardcover. 15.24 cm x 22.86 cm, 168 pages
Language: English
Illustrated throughout
Genre: Non-fiction, history
ISBN 978-629-99042-0-5
Available at https://entrepotpublishing.com/
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About the Author
Mike Gibby is a British-born educator who has spent the majority of his life in Southeast Asia. He holds a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Leeds and a M.Sc. in Evolution from the University of Liverpool. His primary interests in the life sciences are in the related fields of ecosystems, conservation and evolution and he has a passion for historical investigation. As a committed educator and outdoorsman, he has led expeditions to the mountains of Ladakh, Nepal, Iceland, Norway, and Morocco as well as the principal summits of Java, Sumatra, Vietnam, Malaysia, and South Korea. His students have been introduced to the varied delights of mangrove, seashore, rivers, and rain forests.
Mike is married with two children and lives in Penang. He has been a keen hiker, biker, photographer, and explorer of the many wonders of Penang. His favourite questions are ‘how?’ and ‘why?’
He is the author of several books:
• Penang Confidential, Entrepot Publishing, 2023
• The Bungalows of Penang Hill, Entrepot Publishing, 2020
• In the Best of Company: Postcards from the Hajj, Entrepot Publishing, 2019
• Jerejak: Penang’s Untold Story, Entrepot Publishing, 2018
• Penang Hill: A journey through time, Entrepot Publishing, 2017
• Street Art Penang Style, Entrepot Publishing, 2016
• Crowned with the Stars: The Life and Times of Don Carlos Cuarteron, First Prefect of Borneo 1816–1880, Diocese of Kota Kinabalu, 2005
• Islands of Malaysia, Diamond Sky Publishing, 1994