Heart of Glass by Ivy Ngeow is a wonder of language…it’s fast, staccato sentences from Li-an’s perspective, her internal thoughts feel real….how our thoughts jump, our emotions, those thoughts we keep to ourselves…..this is such a unique piece of writing and I can’t get it out of my head …..one of my favourites for 2019 …
Behavioural scientist Paul Dolan in his new book Happy Ever After: Escaping the Myth of the Perfect Life by Paul Dolan (out 17 January 2019) challenges the ‘success’ indicators of modern myths as narratives and narrative traps: Myth: expectation to be ambitious, wealthy, successful and well educated, married, monogamous and have kids. These are guidelines …
Hong Kong Noir cannot be read quickly. You have to keep putting it down after every story and breathe in. This is because of the very rich, evocative and powerful storytelling. There are 14 stories in this collection, and as you know, 14 is unlucky in Chinese because it sounds like sut sei (must die). …
This is a FaceBook review for which I was pleased to receive the “notification”. I was nervous as it is the first review by a Malaysian reader, about a Malaysian novel and naturally if anybody can spot errors, it would be a Malaysian! What is the connection between a pretty tattooed Iban girl adopted by …
A warm welcome to my guest, the legendary Bill Colegrave, who has collected and been inspired by travel books for more than four decades. He was the owner and publisher of the Cadogan Guides travel series. And now over to Bill… The unforeseen complications of a one-night stand are the foundations of this tale …
“A prosthetic leg with a Willie Nelson bumper sticker washed ashore on the beach, which meant it was Florida.” – Tim Dorsey, Pineapple Grenade. Never been to Florida? There are some eye-opening and thirst-quenching treats for you in our special photo journey today. I have been to Florida in the days BC (before children). We travelled down …
Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. – Benjamin Disraeli Memory decides our journeys long before we do. It is the narrative drive of our travels and forms the organisation of our experience. Bill Colegrave has collected and been inspired by travel books for …
Somerset Maugham famously said that there are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. How to Write Like Tolstoy by Richard Cohen should be read with caution. It is, like all other writing books, a How To book that is a How Not To, which means it shows …
What were the inciting incidents which inspired Cry of the Rhino to become an award-winning novel? Asian Books Blog ran a 500 word article with answers and much more. I was also covered by the American author Robert Raymer in his insightful and entertaining blog, the Borneo Expat Writer. Robert and I interviewed each recently. You can also read the article here …
Did anybody catch this on the BBC over the weekend? A terrible TV film about three Chinese girls in London called CHINESE BURN. The script is so shocking and racist I can’t believe it was made. One has a permanent cleaver looking at little dogs to chop up and eat. One is an out-of-work actress who …
