Researching in Real Time

Researching in Real Time

The decision to set my next novel against the backdrop of Cambodia’s political situation today — as in today today, like now — is proving more and more fascinating all the time. I never know what will show up on my twitter feed while I’m eating...

Why NOT to Stop Being a "Voluntourist"

A friend of mine posted an interesting article on Facebook. It’s called “The Problem with Little White Girls (and Boys).” Certainly a provocative title which got me reading…and that is what a good title should do, after all. But I continued to...
Researching the Next Novel

Researching the Next Novel

I try to give myself a break. I know that the year in which a new novel is published needs to be devoted to giving that novel the best start in life it possibly can get. That means spending a year setting up events, running workshops, writing pieces for blogs,...

On the Radio and Otherwise in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur was the last stop on my SE Asian book tour. In 36 hours I had two events. One evening I drove about an hour out of town to the campus of The University of Nottingham, Kuala Lumpur. There I was hosted by the writer, Shivani Siguranathan, and was the guest...

What to Write Next?

By the time anyone reads this, I will have said my goodbyes to Cambodia for now, and will be setting off on my book tour around SE Asia. First stop, Bangkok. So it seems like a good time to take a moment and reflect on this trip in Cambodia, specifically how it will...