This post guest-blogged by Tan Twan Eng (pictured left doing a little bit of Starbucks product endorsement). Am going to miss this guy when he leaves for South-Africa in a few days time.
"Sharon was kind enough to allow me this space on her blog (one of the best I've ever come across, and surely the best in Malaysia)* to convey my thanks and appreciation to all of you who’ve bought my novel, THE GIFT OF RAIN, since its release in Malaysia on 12th March 2007. She’s also suggested that I write a bit about what it feels like to be a first-time author.
It’s taken a lot of work, patience and endurance to get my book to the shelves in the shops. So it was a good feeling to hold the copy in my hand, in the book shop, and feel a sense of jubilation. I’m sure there was a silly smile on my face. But mixed with that feeling was a growing anxiety. As a friend who called to tell me about it said, “Eh, your book is here!” He meant it’s fair game now, of course, open to be judged and compared, enjoyed, disliked, loved, or be indifferent to.
The encouragement from friends and family has been wonderful, and the support from lovers of good books has been heart-warming. I’ve been back in Kuala Lumpur for two-and-a-half years now, and I’m very glad I’m home in Malaysia when the book was released here. There’s no better place to be for this.
To those who’ve bought my novel, thank you. I hope reading THE GIFT OF RAIN will bring you long hours of great pleasure, provoke your thoughts, raise issues for discussion, and take you on a long and emotional journey through the geography and the past of Penang, and through matters of the human heart.
May you all have a wonderful year ahead."
*Aiyoh. Sure blushing now. Editor.
This post guest-blogged by Tan Twan Eng (pictured left doing a little bit of Starbucks product endorsement). Am going to miss this guy when he leaves for South-Africa in a few days time.
7 comments:
congratulations! we have never met, but i will get your book soon. all the best,
lil ms d - you and Mr Tan were both at the Night of the Living Text. Did Ms Bakar not introduce you?
ms bakar was frazzled. dina came late and went early the room was packed to the rafters. so these guys saw each other but had no chance to chat.
Congrats, Mr Tan! I bought your book over the 'Net as there's no English bookshop where I live now. So far the first few chapters have had me charmed and enthralled.
Tan Twan Eng expressed interest in dropping by Cambridge and seeing the Malaysian students here a while back, but no news from him since...I've tried to find a blog but he hasn't set one up yet. Wonder why not, since he obviously can write well...
Perhaps a prod in the back from your pen can nudge him along, Sharon? :)
angry medic - he is in m'sia now and off to south africa in a few days. i hope he makes it to UK to promote the book and i will tell him you want to see him in cambridge. and i'm sure he will drop by to read these comments anyway.
not everyone wants to blog, no matter how weird that seems to us. and maybe if we blogged less and wrote more we might be heading up the best seller list.
but i have told twan that nay time he feels a blog post coming on he can guest-blog here.
just finished Book One... now onto the exciting yet sad Book Two. Can't wait for the weekend to come so I can stayed glued onto the book :)
Great effort from the first time writer. Loved the beautiful and vivid descriptions of Penang (and Ipoh).
Would love to meet him in person.
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