Wena Poon
Encyclopedia
Wena Poon is a lawyer and novelist based in the United States. She writes English-language fiction.
(2007) portrays the Singapore Chinese diaspora in America, Canada, Australia and England. It is published in the US and Europe by Salt Publishing London and in Asia by MPH. It was a bestseller in Singapore and was longlisted for the Frank O'Connor award in Ireland.
In 2009, Poon released The Proper Care of Foxes. Using Voltaire's "Il fault cultiver notre jardin" as a theme, the stories take place in Singapore, Hanoi, Hong Kong, London, New York, and Palo Alto. The titular story is about a high-flying young London banker who was laid off during the recession and his chance encounter with an old classmate from Malaysia. Published by Ethos Books, it earned her a second longlist nomination for the Frank O'Connor award.
Poon's short stories are episodic and characters often re-appear in her novels and plays in the same fictional universe. It is possible to follow a character's development through the myriad forms of Poon's work. "The Proper Care of Foxes" contains "Neoluce", a spin-off of her sci-fi Biophilia series, which a reviewer in the Business Times characterized as "bite-sized" "Cory Doctorow". She later spun off another story, "Justin & the Cenotaph", in "The Architects", which won the Willesden Herald International Short Story Prize in England in April 2010. Alex y Robert was spun off into a play, and the Chinese and English characters from "The Proper Care of Foxes" appear in her latest London play, "The Wood Orchid".
. A short story spinoff from Alex y Robert, Dialogue Between Novillera & Minotaur, was translated in French and performed on a moonlit night in the ancient Roman amphitheater in Nimes
, France, in June 2011. It will be published by Avocats du Diable in a French anthology called Pas De Deux (September 2011).
Poon's latest play, The Wood Orchid, will be performed on October 21 at Westminster Abbey
, London
, as part of the Bush Theatre
's October 2011 project Sixty Six Books. The play is for 4 actors, based upon a chapter of the King James Bible. In The Wood Orchid, a Buddhist Chinese association in London re-imagines Paul's sufferings in a comedy starring a serious English banker, a sexy Taiwanese ingenue, and a dapper Hong Kong leading man. The title refers to Hua Mulan
, the Chinese woman warrior. It is one of the few English language fictional works about the Teochew Chinese diaspora. The play will be published by Oberon Books London in an anthology called 66 Books (October 2011).
Poon's next novel, Alex y Robert, is a 21st century novel about a young woman from Texas who goes to Spain to break into the male-dominated world of bullfighting. It stars Alejandra Herrera and Roberto de la Torre, two 19-year-old Twittering, Facebooking, videogaming bullfighters, and portrays a hipster generation's interpretation of an ancient and controversial spectacle. It was adapted by BBC Radio 4 for serialization over two weeks for its Books At Bedtime radio show. The series ran from September 6–17, 2010. "Alex y Robert" was launched on July 12 at the London Literature Festival to favorable reviews. On July 28, 2010 the separatist-minded Spanish province of Catalonia officially banned bullfighting, an event predicted by and portrayed in the fictional world of the novel.
with a degree in English Literature
. She received a Juris Doctor
degree from Harvard Law School
and continues to practice law.
She is a fellow of the Hawthornden Castle writing fellowship in Scotland, and a visiting fellow of the International Writing Workshop of Hong Kong Baptist University. In 2011, she was awarded a writer's residency by French literary press Avocat du Diable in the bullfighting region of southern France.
Biography
Poon began writing fiction in her early teens and studied English literature. She refused to enroll in any creative writing classes. She obtained her degrees in English literature and law. Despite her prolific publication, she has never been a full-time writer. She is a corporate finance lawyer by profession. Born and raised in Singapore, she has lived in Hong Kong, New York, Boston, San Francisco and Austin. Her family is of Chinese Teochew descent and has lived in Singapore for five generations. She speaks English, French, Mandarin, Teochew, Cantonese, and Fujian. These languages are sometimes used in her English-language fiction.Short Fiction Collections
Lions in WinterLions in Winter
Lions in Winter is the debut collection of short stories by Singapore-born, US-based writer Wena Poon. The book is first published in 2007 by MPH Group Publishing....
(2007) portrays the Singapore Chinese diaspora in America, Canada, Australia and England. It is published in the US and Europe by Salt Publishing London and in Asia by MPH. It was a bestseller in Singapore and was longlisted for the Frank O'Connor award in Ireland.
In 2009, Poon released The Proper Care of Foxes. Using Voltaire's "Il fault cultiver notre jardin" as a theme, the stories take place in Singapore, Hanoi, Hong Kong, London, New York, and Palo Alto. The titular story is about a high-flying young London banker who was laid off during the recession and his chance encounter with an old classmate from Malaysia. Published by Ethos Books, it earned her a second longlist nomination for the Frank O'Connor award.
Poon's short stories are episodic and characters often re-appear in her novels and plays in the same fictional universe. It is possible to follow a character's development through the myriad forms of Poon's work. "The Proper Care of Foxes" contains "Neoluce", a spin-off of her sci-fi Biophilia series, which a reviewer in the Business Times characterized as "bite-sized" "Cory Doctorow". She later spun off another story, "Justin & the Cenotaph", in "The Architects", which won the Willesden Herald International Short Story Prize in England in April 2010. Alex y Robert was spun off into a play, and the Chinese and English characters from "The Proper Care of Foxes" appear in her latest London play, "The Wood Orchid".
Theater
Although never formally trained in theater, Poon wrote and performed in theater in high school and college. Her novel, Alex y Robert, was commissioned by a Singapore theater director originally for the stage. Within two months of its publication in London, the novel was adapted by BBC Radio 4 as a 10 episode radio drama starring veteran BBC American actress Lorelei KingLorelei King
Lorelei King is a United States-born actress who has been based in the United Kingdom since 1981. She has narrated audiobooks, acted in radio plays for BBC Radio 4 and appeared on television.- Early life :...
. A short story spinoff from Alex y Robert, Dialogue Between Novillera & Minotaur, was translated in French and performed on a moonlit night in the ancient Roman amphitheater in Nimes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
, France, in June 2011. It will be published by Avocats du Diable in a French anthology called Pas De Deux (September 2011).
Poon's latest play, The Wood Orchid, will be performed on October 21 at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, as part of the Bush Theatre
Bush Theatre
The Bush Theatre is based in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 above The Bush public house by Brian McDermott, and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. An intimate venue renowned for its close-up...
's October 2011 project Sixty Six Books. The play is for 4 actors, based upon a chapter of the King James Bible. In The Wood Orchid, a Buddhist Chinese association in London re-imagines Paul's sufferings in a comedy starring a serious English banker, a sexy Taiwanese ingenue, and a dapper Hong Kong leading man. The title refers to Hua Mulan
Hua Mulan
Hua Mulan is a legendary figure from ancient China who was originally described in a Chinese poem known as the Ballad of Mulan . In the poem, Hua Mulan takes her aged father's place in the army. She fought for 12 years and gained high merit, but she refused any reward and retired to her hometown...
, the Chinese woman warrior. It is one of the few English language fictional works about the Teochew Chinese diaspora. The play will be published by Oberon Books London in an anthology called 66 Books (October 2011).
Novels
In 2009, Poon published four novels in her New York sci fi series, The Biophilia Omnibus. Described by readers as "an absorbing video game with a love story embedded in it," the "Biophilia" series represents a departure from the male-dominated graphic-novel/science-fiction genre, featuring a young heroine who does most of the fighting while her male counterpart designs the latest space gear. During Christmas 2009, CNN's online magazine voted it the Best Book Gift of the Year in Singapore. The New Straits Times compared "Biophilia" to the works of film director Terry Gilliam in its book review. The series has been exhibited at the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco. Poon is working on the fifth Biophilia book,"Ars Musica".Poon's next novel, Alex y Robert, is a 21st century novel about a young woman from Texas who goes to Spain to break into the male-dominated world of bullfighting. It stars Alejandra Herrera and Roberto de la Torre, two 19-year-old Twittering, Facebooking, videogaming bullfighters, and portrays a hipster generation's interpretation of an ancient and controversial spectacle. It was adapted by BBC Radio 4 for serialization over two weeks for its Books At Bedtime radio show. The series ran from September 6–17, 2010. "Alex y Robert" was launched on July 12 at the London Literature Festival to favorable reviews. On July 28, 2010 the separatist-minded Spanish province of Catalonia officially banned bullfighting, an event predicted by and portrayed in the fictional world of the novel.
Poetry
Poon's poetry has been published in anthologies, magazines and newspapers in Asia and Australia. In 2010, she was shortlisted for the Bridport Poetry Prize in the UK.Education and Writing Fellowships
Poon graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
with a degree in English Literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
. She received a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
and continues to practice law.
She is a fellow of the Hawthornden Castle writing fellowship in Scotland, and a visiting fellow of the International Writing Workshop of Hong Kong Baptist University. In 2011, she was awarded a writer's residency by French literary press Avocat du Diable in the bullfighting region of southern France.