Book Talk, Mph MidValley

Having a book talk at MPH MidValley is a safe bet for authors. We need not worry we'd be speaking to air alone. The courtyard where the event is held is a favourite haunt for readers to browse and do a spot of free reading (ok, guilty as charged). It doesn't matter they're doing their own thing, wishing 'the speaker will shut up and leave me to read in peace'. They help make up the crowd.

Having said that, I'm happy that some turned up specifically for the book talk. Eric Forbes was there as were Kenny Mah and Spiffy who came all the way from Seremban. Then there was Fam who saw me on Resensi Sabtu on RTM and Len who had bought the book earlier and came so I could autograph her nicely wrapped book. Patricia who was shopping for book gifts bought two copies of Honk! and one copy of Life's Like That for some overseas friends. She said I should promote it as gifts for foreigners. Couldn't agree more.

There were others too who lent me their ears but a few couldn't be bothered and continued to pore through the books on their laps.

Since Chinese New Year was a week away, I bought a box of oranges and gave them to members of the audience who spoke up when I asked for some Malaysian traits.

A good session in all. Hop over to Kenny's for a more detailed write-up of the event, complete with Gong Xi missiles and Fa Cai lumps.


No. 3 (in red) helping me to throw oranges to participating members of the audience. The lady in red on the far right ended up with four oranges!


Eric, Kenny and Spiffy were very supportive - Kenny especially who guffawed throughout my reading of excerpts. Thanks, guys.


Spiffy, sorry I forgot to mention to the audience that you came all the way from Seremban. Thanks for going the distance.


Articulate and personable Kenny is young and available!


(L-R) Kenny, Spiffy, Eric and MPH bookstore staff, Poh Choo and Kok Seng. (No. 3 who took this pix has shaky hands.)

MPH, One-Utama

My book talk on Saturday, 3 February 2007. Turnout was not good but those who turned up were very supportive and asked a whole lot of questions. Roped in Philipp Gan aka The Eternal Wanderer to help honk in the store to attract attention. Of course my own kids were there too as honkers. One-U management didn't allow us to honk outside, so we had to be contented with kicking up a ruckus inside the store.

During the course of the talk, the question of why local books aren't doing as well as foreign books popped up. Feedback from the audience, especially Anand, a magazine editor, indicates that readers look at the whole package : cover design, graphics layout, quality of paper etc. and not just the book content. So publishers, take note.


With my daughter and Philipp


With Anand - he bought two books for his sisters who live overseas


With Kher Cheng Guan, actor and cartoonist (you might have seen his cartoons in The Star). He walked in after my talk and we started chatting after I said, "Hey, I know you."

Midi : Book of the month!

Malay magazine, Midi, selected Honk! If You're Malaysian as the Book of the Month and me as Author of the Month for their February 2007 issue.