Award-winning author, Tan Twan Eng, discusses his love of Malaysian culture, tells of his ideas to spark off new literary talent and offers the media some candid advice.
MC speaks to one of Malaysia’s greatest literary talents in a two-page interview.
It’s not every day you come across a writer like P.S. Duffy. Aside from gaining critical acclaim for her debut novel, “The Cartographer of No Man’s Land,” Duffy’s likely the sole name at the center of a Venn diagram of people who’ve authored both a graduate-level textbook in neuroscience and a fiction novel set during World War I. It’s safe to say that “multifaceted” is a world that would fit within the “special skills” section of the Minnesota author’s resume.
“The Cartographer of No Man’s Land,” which tells the story of a father at war and a son coming of age at home without him, was selected as a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. It was also a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, an international award that recognizes the power of literature to foster peace. The book has been published in Britain, Taiwan, Canada and will soon be out in Hebrew in Israel.
Fortunately for Wayzata readers, fans of Duffy won’t have to travel far to hear more about her career-shifting piece of literature. The author is getting ready to leave her Rochester home and travel north to lead Wayzata in the second-annual Wayzata Reads community book club discussion Thursday, Feb. 26, at Wayzata Library and city hall. 
The novel was selected by Wayzata’s former longstanding bookstore, The Bookcase, and the event was organized by the City of Wayzata, Friends of the Wayzata Library and the Wayzata Chamber of Commerce. A pre-presentation book discussion is 1 p.m. at Wayzata Library, followed in the evening by a 7 p.m. author presentation in the Community Room at Wayzata City Hall.
Between Duffy’s scientific research and thinking about her next novel, which the author has decided to keep mum about, she found time to talk with the Sun Sailor about her inspiration for the book, the research that went into it and how it feels it be making a return trip to Wayzata.
This article was first published in the Sun Sailor by Jason Jenkins on
To read the full article, including a Q&A with the author, please click here.
Gavin Weston, author of Harmattan, Writer-in-Residence at HMP Magilligan and editor of the prison magazine TIME IN recently visited the world’s ‘most humane prison’ at Halden in Norway. During the visit he met and interviewed prisoners who were receiving professional training as journalists, musicians, chefs and artists, as well as a jury of young inmates who were serving as judges for an international multimedia project for prisons organised by the PriMedia partnership.
In March, Gavin plans to visit the notorious Buca prison, in 
Izmir, Turkey, where he will represent the Prison Arts Foundation and help prisoners establish an e-journal.
You can learn more about these projects by following Gavin on Twitter: @WestonOfTinTown
Mural at Halden prison by Norwegian artist Dolk
Sheffield Chinese New Year 2015: Monday 16th February at Sheffield City Hall
Tim Murgatroyd will be one of the speakers at this year’s Chinese New Year celebrations held at Sheffield City Hall. There will be events on throughout the day and will finish with a spectacular evening performance.
The Sheffield Chinese New Year celebration 2015 will be hosted yet again in the beautiful grade II listed building of the Sheffield City Hall, situated in the heart of Sheffield city centre. A flavour of Chinese culture and authenticity will be promised at this year’s Chinese New Year celebration!
The evening will include traditional Chinese dance and music with glittering authentic costumes throughout the show. The performance also includes the highly visual and artistic Dragon Dance, specialist Chinese performers soaring all the way from China to perform, plus much more to be announced very soon!
After Tim’s event he will be signing copies of his Chinese trilogy in the City Hall Ballroom from 4pm.
Celebrate 2015 Year of the Sheep
Sheffield Chinese New Year Show
China Land of Wonders
4.00pm – 6.45pm Pre-Show in the City Hall Ballroom
7.00pm – 8.30pm Irwin Mitchell Oval Hall Main Performance
For more information, or to purchase tickets, please visit the Sheffield City Hall website: http://www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk/events/Sheffield-Chinese-New-Year-Show-
The Fat Boy with the Bomb and 299 of the World’s Craziest Politicians was launched with a bang by authors Brian O’Connell and Norm Chung at Blackwell’s bookshop, Oxford on Tuesday 2nd December.
It was a successful launch with a good turn out and appearances from Sales and Marketing Manager, Kate Nash and Publisher, Ed Handyside.
The Fat Boy with the Bomb and 299 of the World’s Craziest Politicians profiles individuals from every corner of the world; 18 of the included politicians come from Africa, 70 from North Americas,19 from Central and South America, 47 from Asia, 16 Australasia as well as 80 from Western Europe and 43 from Eastern Europe. And all have a bespoke illustration by artist Norm Chung.