The first story which I wrote and submitted was for the 1984 New Straits Times Short Story Competition. It was called Miel and the Honey Bunch or something pretentious-sounding like that. The exact story and wording are all gone now. Success came to me early as a writer, to my detriment, as I since then I always …
“Support a JB writer’s book project” article by blogger Peggy Loh
Blogger Peggy Loh is a writer herself. She is, like me, born a writer, and born and raised in Johor Bahru. She is a writer with the New Straits Times. Read Peggy’s detailed and insightful write-up here of Heart of Glass and of me. Check out her blog also at peggyloh.com which is called MY Johor Stories. Her blog has …
REVIEW: David Szalay’s “All that Man is” Man Booker 2016 shortlist
I started this book in 2016 and finished it in 2017. That is because I did not want it to end. This book is on the Man Booker Prize 2016 shortlist. There are famously 9 parts to this novel. It has been heavily debated whether it should be a novel or nine short stories. I …
REVIEW: Stefan Zweig’s “Fantastic Night and Other Stories – Tales of Longing and Liberation”
“Fantastic Night and Other Stories” was written in 1922. Zweig was born in Vienna in 1881 to a wealthy Austrian Jewish family. He moved everywhere after he was a student in Berlin, he ended in London and New York and finally Brazil. He died in a double suicide with his wife in Brazil in 1942. These are …
“Sweetwise”, published in Sunday Megazine, 22 March 1998
Click here to read Sweetwise
“The Lightning Kid”, published in Sunday Megazine, 5 April 1998
Click here to read The Lightning Kid
Rejections and the Pound on the Ground
So I had two rejections today, both for short stories. Another for my novel pitch, four days ago. No thanks For those of you who are young (you know who you are), they used to be called rejection slips in the good old days. The postman brought them to your door. They are in thick, creamy, …
NEWS: HUNGRY FOR MORE? “Hungry in Ipoh” has come to UK
It’s official. It’s out. Get Hungry in Ipoh on Amazon UK now > Product details Paperback: 300 pages Publisher: Buku Fixi; 1st edition (2015) Language: English ISBN-10: 9670954053 ISBN-13: 978-9670954059 Product Dimensions: 21.4 x 14.9 x 1.9 cm Click to buy, leave a review, etc.
HUNGRY? A New Year treat: “Hungry in Ipoh” London Launch and how I did it
Brixton, London, Wed 10 February 2016, 7pm. HUNGRY – PART I – The Launch itself Finally the day had come. The planning took about four weeks, six if you include thinking time, and I always include thinking time because without it, the rest won’t follow anyway. Please can I not have to do a selfie …