Speaking about my latest book Bitter Punch to students is tricky. First, there is the issue of audience: are they there of their own volition, or were they coerced by their teacher(s)? Second, how do I manoeuvre around touchy topics like sex in my writing without treading on unseen toes? Last, and this is most important as far as I am concerned, how do I give a talk such that the participants leave having gained something new from it? Thankfully the 17-year-olds who attended the Book Chat at Anglo-Chinese (Independent) allayed my worries. Together with Ng Kah Gay & Foo Peiying of Ethos Books, the three of us intrepidly infiltrated the school compound on 9 March 2016. I invited Kah Gay & Peiying to join me because I believed it would be fascinating to learn about publishing from various perspectives. Call it a Bitter Punch Director's Cut, if you will. Too often we only hear one side of the publishing story, and that is from the writer's mouth. That is a shame because a book is never just the writer's voice alone; there are those whose expertise contributed in one way or another to the title's production. When we get a chance to hear from individuals such as the editor or creative director, seemingly trivial choices like the type of paper assume greater weight. A book strives to please the eye apart from stimulating the mind. Without design and editorial finesse, a book is nothing but mere ink stains on dead trees. I had hoped the listeners could appreciate that.
And they did. The ACS(I) students wanted to be there, and it showed in what they were curious about. One asked about our creative influences, while another wondered why I like to write about the city. Some even approached us after the talk to find out more about book design and balancing a day job with writing. There was much laughter and candid admissions all around. Here's to another enriching talk!
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