Chiew-Siah Tei's Blog
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Mar.28.2013
The recent production of Werther by the Scottish Opera brought my attention back to Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1932)’s first novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), on which the opera is based.Sources available indicate the semi-autobiographical elements of the book: of how...
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May.20.2009
This is an extract from my email reply to Xujun Eberlein's question regarding the issue of cultural identity raised by her reader:
I read your Singaporean reader's letter with much thoughts. Confusion of one's identity is a common issue among persons who live outside their cultural roots, be they...
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Mar.26.2009
Democracy and freedom of expression in Malaysia are further threatened following the suspension of two main opposition newspapers on Monday. Harakah, the official voice of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), and Suara Keadilan, published by the Anwar Ibrahim-led Parti Keadilan Rakyat (The People...
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Mar.23.2009
I came back last Wednesday after a fruitful trip to Hong Kong for the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival, at which I had four events. The first I shared with Xujun Eberlein (Apologies Forthcoming) and Neel Chowdbury (The Inheritors), on the topic of Dislocated Voices, discussing the...
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Mar.11.2009
I am looking forward to my events at the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival. It is always interesting to meet and exchange ideas with writers from different countries and backgrounds; and I am extremely excited to have the chance to share the stage with authros who have made their names...
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Jan.17.2009
I felt honoured when told of Little Hut of Leaping Fishes being shortlisted for the Best Scottish Fiction -- a prize held in conjuction with the Glasgow Book Festival, Aye Write! -- alongside James Kelman (Kieron Smith, Boy), James Meek (We Are Now Beginning Our Descent) and Michel Faber (Ther Fire...
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Jan.15.2009
My first Year of the Ox greeting arrived from Malaysia via snail mail. The sight of the pink envelope amongst a pile of the usual dull brown or white brightened up my day; and inside, red peonies blossomed as if they would burst through the folded card, would announce to me, loudly: ‘Hey, it’s...
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Dec.28.2008
Persons who write in a second language (in my case, a third language – English comes after Chinese and Malay) are often thought to be translating sentences, either written or in their minds, into the target language. I am not one of them.
I decided to write a novel in English after a friend sent...
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Little Hut of Leaping Fishes has the breath and balance of a great nineteenth-century novel.
”
—Times Literary Supplement
About Chiew-Siah
Chiew-Siah Tei is author of Little Hut of Leaping Fishes (Picador, 2008), which was long-listed for the Man Asian Literary Award. Keen on experimenting with form and medium, Tei produces works that range across literature, film and theatre in both English...