The Places You Will Go

Lives of the rich, famous and shameless

Yes, sex sells!

By DAPHNE LEE

An author testifies to the truth about the long-held belief among TV producers and tabloid newspaper editors that sex sells – much to the chagrin of earnest literary prize judges, no doubt...

NIGEL Cawthorne, author of more than 80 books, is probably best known for his Sex Lives series, comprising, so far, a dozen books that catalogue the sexual habits of the world’s rich and powerful, famous and shameless.

The 56-year-old British author was in Singapore at the beginning of the month to speak at the Singapore Writers Festival. He was supposed to head a panel discussion on the, erm, ins and outs of writing sex scenes but, unfortunately, this event did not go ahead as planned.

Cawthorne spoke, instead, on being a hired gun. Many of his books are commissioned and he says he never turns down an assignment if the money is good. Also, even when he comes up with his own idea for a book, he will only continue writing it once a publisher makes a commitment to it.

Author-Maker

Get it from the horse’s mouth: the man who decides which manuscript sees print and which is tossed shares his insights about being published.

Introducing the Man

Reading his poems in public isn't Shahril Nizam's favourite thing to do, but he's making more of an effort to be seen and heard now that he has published his first book (of illustrated poems).

Even before the book (If Only), Shahril had a following thanks to his blog on which he posted his work, (he recently wiped the site clean for reasons even he isn’t entirely clear about, but thinks he’ll start posting again soon), but he tended to avoid poetry readings. He’s reading quite regularly now – most recently at WayangKata IV, No Black Tie’s regular poetry gig.

Murder in China

I interviewed US-based Chinese author Qiu Xiaolong in April this year and the story was finally published today.

Since then I've also got around to reading the first book in his Chief Inspector Chen series. I really liked it and I want to read the other books.

HERE are their synopses as they appeared in Reads Monthly (StarMag, 27th May 2007) ...

 

Death of a Red Heroine

ONE afternoon, the naked body of a young woman is found wrapped in a black trash bag in an obscure canal in Shanghai. It is the corpse is of Guan Hongying (the name Hongying can be read as "red heroine"), a national model worker, thus bringing the case’s political aspects squarely into place. Chief Inspector Chen Cao and his older subordinate Yu investigate the case, eventually tracing the likely murderer as Wu Xiaoming, the only son of Wu Bai, a high-ranking Party cadre.

 

A Loyal Character Dancer

CHEN and Inspector Catherine Rohn of the US Marshal Service must work together to find a missing woman. She is married to an important witness in a US criminal case who has refused to testify unless his pregnant wife is allowed to join him. The Chinese government has reluctantly agreed to let her go and the Americans have sent a marshal to escort her. Then, inexplicably she vanishes....

 

When Red Is Black

WHEN Yin Lige, the author of a banned book, is found murdered in her Shanghai apartment, Chen and detective Yu Guangming must solve a case that may have far-reaching political and social implications. (The “red” of the title refers to Mao Zedong’s Red Guard, the “black” to the supposed enemies of the working class denounced during the Cultural Revolution.). 

Yu soon uncovers the long-ago romance between the victim and Yang Bing, a college professor.

 

A Case of Two Cities

THE Communist Party leadership appears to be vigorously investigating rampant corruption among the profligate power elite during China’s economic reforms of the recent past. 

After the head of the Fujian special case squad is murdered in sordid circumstances, Chen discovers that the dead man had been probing a wealthy businessman, Xing Xing, who fled to the United States to escape prosecution. 

Chen himself is then given the highest authority to carry on the investigation, which takes him to the United States, but he soon realises he’s not meant to succeed.

 

Source: Wikipedia, Amazon.com, FantasticFiction.co.uk

Breaking Barriers

StarMag, 8th April 2007.

Breaking barriers

By DAPHNE LEE

An author who wrote about an Australian teenager struggling with her faith strikes a chord among Malaysian teens.

IN Does My Head Look Big in This?, Randa Abdel-Fattah describes the experiences of a young Muslim Palestinian-Australian after she decides to wear the hijab (veil).

Having a Ball with Books

Last week, I met and interviewed Tom Palmer, an author who develops and works on reader development programmes in the UK.

One of the things Palmer does is promote reading through football.

I attended a workshop conducted by him at the National Library and was inspired! My friend and I are hoping to launch a community library next year and I'm really looking forward to the workshops and programmes that we'll be able to run there.

Pop Art

Matthew Reinhart (left) and Robert Sabuda are partners in pop-up crime, whose skills bring movable books to a whole different level.

I have four of their books and paid a pretty penny for each, but ... no regrets. If you're thinking of getting something special for someone who loves books as much as they do art, I recommend a book by Sabuda aand Reinhart.

Star Mag, 22nd October 2006.

Reach for the Rainbow

It was one of the highlights of my week, back when I was in school: Adibah Amin's column As I Was Passing, in the News Straits Times. And so, it was a big thrill when I got the chance to interview her about her first English novel ....

Star Mag, 22nd October 2006

Finding Her Creative Voice

I was in Singapore a couple of weeks ago for the launch of February Flowers, a novel by Fan Wu. The book is the launch title of Picador Asia, a new imprint under the Pan Macmillan umbrella.

I interview Fan Wu and the story appeared in Star Mag on 24th September 2006.

Wanted: Fresh Insights

While I was in Singapore to intrview Fan Wu about her debut novel, February Flowers, I also spoke to her agent Toby Eady, who has been hired by Pan Macmillan as consultant for their new imprint, Picador Asia.

Eady, who happens to be married to Xinran, the author of The Good Woman of China, is agent to writers like Rachel Seiffert and Bernard Cornwell, and he used to represent Jung Chang (Wild Swans).

Daniel Watts, managing director of Pan Macmillan Asia was also present.