What's up this month - April 2006

Welcome

 

I am very excited to launch my Lit Blog. Please do have a look around.

 

What's all the fuss about?

 

You've heard of fusion food, a blend of Far Eastern cooking and Modern British cuisine. Well, this is a fusion blog - a synthesis of my Malaysian-Chinese heritage and my British life today. You will find posts on writing and books, films, food, updates on how my next book(s) are coming along, profiles of people I find inspiring, unusual or interesting, explorations of questions that intrigue me and also, a little bit about what's going on in my day-to-day life. Plus the chance to win a copy of The Flame Tree and to be entered into future prize draws - all for free.

 

So what does that mean, exactly?

 

Most of you probably know what a blog is, but for those who don't, it's short for "weblog", an online journal. "Lit" is short for "literary". So this is a personal space where I can share my writing on, well, writing - and also, the other arts and delights that can be an oasis in our hectic lives.

 

I will update this blog once a month at least, with occasional additional postings in between. Although this is a blog, the posts will be more like "articles", with a bit of structure and theme to them, and so, hopefully, they will be a good read.

 

What's in this blog for me to read, then?

 

To help you navigate round this blog, a summary of my latest posts for April 2006 is listed here. Click on the title to go straight to the full "article".

 

Curious Legacies: My Grangmother's Recipe for Soy Sauce Chicken: I've been collecting notes for a memoir of my childhood growing up in Malaysia and my coming of age in England. I got to thinking about all the people who have been in my life. Some of them, like my family, are a part of me and others, like friends and my partner, have become an important part of my life. Others have come and gone or just passed through. But many have left something behind - curious legacies that, taken together, make up the fabric of who I am. In these notes, I write about some of these curious legacies. Today: My Grandmother' Recipe for Soy Sauce Chicken

 

Holy Smoke, What a Relief!: Dan Brown wins the plagiarism case brought by some of the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail (HBHG). The verdict: he did not steal their ideas. So what does this mean for me and for writers generally?

 

Reflections on "Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus": Not a review exactly, more like thoughts and reflections prompted by this moving film. This is a documentary that is "a spiritual journey (which) explores the "Soul of the South" and a world of marginalised white people and their unique and intense home-grown culture" (BBC Four summary).

 

The World's Best Restaurants - really?: Another article about food - we Malaysians are crazy about food. A list has just been published of the world's best restaurants but are the world's best restaurants really those that are fancy, famous and expensive? I don't think so. What do you think?

 

How doth your garden grow?: There's nothing like a pretty garden - whether in the UK or Malaysia - to get us talking. Add your comment and tell us about gardens you love, wherever you are in the world.

 

Also, have a look at the "Site Navigation" section of the sidebar for help moving around the site.

 

What do I do now?

 

I hope you will subscribe to receive free email notifications of blog updates, and for the chance to win a copy of The Flame Tree. Subscribe now.

 

All subscribers will also be automatically entered into future prize draws to win books and other gifts. Coming up soon, an interview with Caro Fraser, and author of the best-selling Caper Court legal series, plus the chance to win a copy of her latest book A World Apart

 

What else?

 

To find out how to win a copy of The Flame Tree, click here.

 

You can also join my blog community by adding your comment to the posts. Sometimes I ask my readers to update me on what's happening in their area - I'd love to hear from you. Why not share your thoughts and local knowledge with a world-wide audience - eg. see the post "How doth your garden grow?" to add your comments* on gardens in Malaysia, Singapore, England or wherever you are in the world.

 

To find out more about subscribing/ unsubscribing and my subscription policy, click here.

 

 

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