Meet David T.K. Wong at CHAI

A few months ago I got a surprise email from someone I had been curious about for years - David T.K.Wong.  His name may well be familiar to you because of the literary prize he sponsors, which has launched some very successful authors' careers (and here I am particularly thinking of Nam Le and Rattawat Lapcharonsaep, both short story writers I have enjoyed very much indeed).

Or maybe because you have come across his for collections of short fiction (the latest of which is Chinese Stories in Times of Change, and in all the bookshops).  David is currently living in Kuala Lumpur and working on a second novel, and I've had the pleasure of meeting up with him a couple of times for lunch.

He was very happy to take part in an author event, so that he can share his insights and experience of writing and getting published, and I am so pleased that Jo Kukathas was supportive of the idea and offered us use of CHAI.  All the details are below, and please can you pass the information on to anyone who would be interested.  There is a Facebook group for CHAI if you would like to indicate you are are coming for the event  :

Meet the Author - David T.K. Wong

Venue : Instant CAFE's HOUSE of ART and IDEAS [CHAI]

Date: Saturday, February 6, 2010
Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: 6 Jalan 6/3, Off Jalan Templer, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Instant CAFE's HOUSE of ART and IDEAS [CHAI] and READINGS is pleased to present a talk by author David T. K. Wong who will address the question 'Why bother to write fiction?' He will also be happy to answer questions from the audience about his work and about writing in general.

David Wong is also the founder of the annual David T. K. Wong Fellowship in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. The Fellowship awards £26,000 to each successful candidate writing a work of fiction set in the Far East in the English language.

David Wong's latest collection of short stories, entitled Chinese Stories in Times of Change, has just been simultaneously published by Muse in England and by Marshall Cavendish in Singapore. The Singapore edition is available locally at MPH, Borders and Kino bookstores.

Copies will be available at the event, and you will be able to get them signed. Other stories by David can be downloaded for personal enjoyment free of charge at his website where you can also find more information about the author and his books.

Entrance by donation: RM20