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Join renowned Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng in conversation with Professor Ananya Kabir, FBA (Department of English) on his historical novels that meditate on beauty, creativity, and human relations in the wake of violence, social upheavals, and war. The event will be chaired by Dr Nadiah Ghani (Dickson Poon School of Law).

Tan Twan Eng was born in Penang, Malaysia. His debut novel The Gift of Rain was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2000. The Garden of Evening Mists won the Man Asian Literary Prize 2012 and the 2013 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2012 and the 2014 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. The House of Doors is his third novel. It was longlisted for the Booker Prize 2023 and shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize 2024. It was also recently chosen by Her Majesty Queen Camilla as one of her books for The Queen's Reading Room.

About Tan Twan Eng’s novels

Set in Penang during World War II, The Gift of Rain is a haunting and unforgettable story of betrayal, barbaric cruelty, steadfast courage and enduring love. The Garden of Evening Mists is a story of art, war, love and memory, that captures a dark moment in history with richness, power and incredible beauty. The House of Doors is a masterful exploration of public morality and private truth revolving around the visit of Somerset Maugham and his lover to Penang. Based on real events and the presence in Penang of key historical figures such as Sun Yat Sen, it is a drama of love and betrayal under the shadow of Empire.

The event is free but please register here to give us a sense of numbers.