Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows Book Launch @Booksactually

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows was sold out at Books Actually last Thursday night after Balli Kaur Jaswal's book launch.

Another wonderful, warm novel from Balli, and a very enjoyable book launch.

Here's a review from one of my favourite newspapers, The Economist.

Many thanks and hats off to the multi-talented Daryl Qilin Yam for taking most of these images.

All images are copyright Jon Gresham and Daryl Qilin Yam, all rights reserved. Please contact me if you wish to purchase rights to use an image.

We Rose Up Slowly launched at 24 Hours at BooksActually

On 10 July 2015, We Rose Up Slowly was launched at BooksActually’s 24 Hour event.

Cyril Wong took over photography duties for a while, and I read the first few pages of the title story, the tissue packet scene from Idiot and Dog, and the start of A Fleeting Tenderness at the End of Night.

I took my glasses off so I didn’t get too nervous at people watching me read but didn’t notice my editor, Stephanie Ye, only three feet away.

Anyway, here are some images from the evening with Audrey Chin launching Nine Cuts, Dora Tan and Rosemarie Somaiah reading their stories from Balik Kampung, edited by Verena Tay, Cyril Wong launching The Lover’s Inventory, Stephanie Ye launching the Second Edition of From the Belly of the Cat with J Y Yang and Joshua Ip reading, and The Sixes, a poetry collective, including Joshua Ip, David Wong, Hao Guang, Amanda Chong, Samuel Lee & Jennifer Champion.

BooksActually launched their loyalty program with a membership card that gets you a 10% discount on all purchases.

We Rose Up Slowly, Launch on 10 July at BooksActually

The debut collection of short stories, We Rose Up Slowly, by Singaporean English Australian, Jon Gresham, will be launched at 9pm on 10 July 2015 at BooksActually at 9 Yong Siak St, Tiong Bahru.

The launch is part of BooksActually's annual 24 Hour Bookstore Event. NB you don't have to hang around for all 24 hours!

Please come along. You can RSVP here.

You can buy We Rose Up Slowly on line here (free delivery in Singapore!).

The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye launch at Kinokuniya

The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye was launched yesterday at Kinokuniya by Sonny Liew.

Recent controversy does not seem to have dampened enthusiasm for the book - Kinokuniya’s main store sold out. The fact Sonny is a Liverpool FC supporter also should not distract from how wonderful and important this book is for Singapore and comics. 

I’m half way through the book. I'll finish it by the end of the day. I think the design and art work are beautiful … and it’s funny. A great deal of research, craft, intelligence and talent has gone into the book. I’d put it up there with Joe Sacco, Art Spiegelman, Harvey Pekar etc as an example of how documentary graphic stories/comics shift perspectives and make you think in new ways.

I grew up on Beano, Mad magazine and Commando comics (I used to look like Dennis the Menace). So I love the range of graphic styles displayed in the book. These diverse styles and influences reflect the history of comics and the theme of exploring multiple narratives, and highlight the need to tell stories at a personal level beyond the dominant orthodoxy.

There is an in depth interview by Paul Gravett with Sonny here.

Speaking of the past and visual stories, here are links to images from March 2015 following the death of Lee Kuan Yew: 

• Vigil
• Tribute
• After
• Cortege

Eastern Heathens, An Anthology of Subverted Asian Folklore

A story of mine will be published in a new anthology, Eastern Heathens, edited by the  talented Ng Yi Sheng and Amanda Lee Koe. The launch is on Saturday, 23 March 2013 at The Arts House, Singapore at 630pm.

See you there if you can make it.