Tan Twan Eng
Encyclopedia
Tan Twan Eng is a Malaysian author born in Penang
in 1972. His first novel The Gift of Rain
was published in 2007 and long-listed for the Man Booker Prize
that year; it is set in Penang in the years before and during the Japanese occupation of Malaya in World War II
and has received critical acclaim around the world. It is also a bookclub favourite.
He worked as an intellectual property
lawyer before going full time into writing. He is working on his second book. He has a first-dan ranking in aikido
.
In the last year he has spoken and appeared at various literary festivals, including the Singapore Writers' Festival, the Ubud Writers' Festival in Bali, The Asia Man Booker Festival in Hong Kong, the Shanghai Literary Festival, the Perth International Writers' Festival, and also at the Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne, Australia. in May 2009 he was a guest at the Franschhoek Literary Festival in South Africa, where he appeared together with Justin Cartwright
and Vikas Swarup
.
He ranks Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro
as two of the best writers writing today.
The Gift of Rain has been translated into Italian, Spanish, Greek, Romanian, Czech, Serbian and French.
His second novel, The Garden of Evening Mists will be published in January 2012.
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
in 1972. His first novel The Gift of Rain
The Gift of Rain
The Gift of Rain is the first novel by Tan Twan Eng published in 2007 by Myrmidon Books in the UK and by Weinstein Books in the US. It was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize that year.-Plot introduction:...
was published in 2007 and long-listed for the Man Booker Prize
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
that year; it is set in Penang in the years before and during the Japanese occupation of Malaya in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and has received critical acclaim around the world. It is also a bookclub favourite.
He worked as an intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
lawyer before going full time into writing. He is working on his second book. He has a first-dan ranking in aikido
Aikido
is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
.
In the last year he has spoken and appeared at various literary festivals, including the Singapore Writers' Festival, the Ubud Writers' Festival in Bali, The Asia Man Booker Festival in Hong Kong, the Shanghai Literary Festival, the Perth International Writers' Festival, and also at the Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne, Australia. in May 2009 he was a guest at the Franschhoek Literary Festival in South Africa, where he appeared together with Justin Cartwright
Justin Cartwright
Justin Cartwright is a British novelist.He was born in South Africa, where his father was the editor of the Rand Daily Mail newspaper, and was educated there, in the United States and at Trinity College, Oxford. Cartwright has worked in advertising and has directed documentaries, films and...
and Vikas Swarup
Vikas Swarup
Vikas Swarup is an Indian novelist and diplomat who has served in Turkey, the United States, Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Japan, best known for his novels Q & A and Six Suspects.-Early life:...
.
He ranks Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro
Kazuo Ishiguro
Kazuo Ishiguro OBE or ; born 8 November 1954) is a Japanese–English novelist. He was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and his family moved to England in 1960. Ishiguro obtained his Bachelor's degree from University of Kent in 1978 and his Master's from the University of East Anglia's creative writing...
as two of the best writers writing today.
The Gift of Rain has been translated into Italian, Spanish, Greek, Romanian, Czech, Serbian and French.
His second novel, The Garden of Evening Mists will be published in January 2012.