TASH AW LIKES A BIT OF BLING
Had the pleasure of lunching with Malaysian-born, London based, international literary sensation Tash Aw in Brisbane the other day. He was quite taken with our city: liked the big shiny skyscrapers which reminded him of KL. They have the “bling” factor and it made him feel at home. His new novel Map of the Invisible World is a cracker; atmospheric post-colonial literature, nothing like Somerset Maugham. Tash described reading Maugham’s stories set in South east Asian colonial settings as “like watching a Merchant Ivory film on permanent loop”. I’m a Maugham devotee but I do see his point. Delightful fellow, Tash, and the best thing to come out of subruban London since Ishiguro.