LIONS IN WINTER - THE INTERNATIONAL EDITION

Lions In Winter is under contract with the UK's Salt Publishing for international re-release in September 2009. A new edition, with brand new cover, will be available in the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Juste a temps for the Australian attendees of the Ubud Literary Festival in October this year!

LIONS IN WINTER NOMINATED FOR POPULAR READERS' CHOICE AWARDS 2009

Malaysia - Lions In Winter is one of the fiction titles shortlisted for the Popular and Harris Bookstores' Readers Choice Awards as part of BookFest Malaysia.

A PLUG FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Who says digital books and the Internet have killed school libraries? Wena signing books at the beautiful library of Raffles Institution, the premier boy's junior high/high school in Singapore, which features an awesome pantry with afternoon tea and cake. You can't get that with a Digital Library!

WENA POON AT THE ARTS HOUSE, SINGAPORE

Wena Poon and Malaysian-based editor and writer Sharon Bakar discuss the business of launching a Singapore book internationally to a theater audience at the Singapore Book Club in May 2009. In attendance were published poets and writers, publishers, representatives of arts organizations, members of the public, and writing students. May 22, 2009 at the Arts House, the colonial building formerly housing Singapore's Parliament and Prime Minister's offices.

2009 SUMMER LECTURE TOUR - SINGAPORE

Wena Poon spoke to about 350 members of the public, high school students, and teachers during her week-long Singapore author lecture tour at libraries, schools and theater venues. Lecture topics included, depending on audiences:

*Lions in Winter

*Biophilia

*publishing, distribution, and the business of Art

*jump starting creative writing

*overcoming resistance to learning literature

The talks were organized by the National Library in part, the author, and participating teachers and schools.

WENA'S NEW BOOK: "THE PROPER CARE OF FOXES"

Wena Poon has completed a second collection of stories, called "The Proper Care of Foxes". Contracts are pending with Singapore and UK publishers for Asian and international editions to be released Fall 2009 and Spring 2010.

Here is the preliminary version of the back blurb:

The stories of Singapore-born American author Wena Poon have been described as having “a punchy, kickass, in medias res feel…punctuated with moments of lyrical flair”. Her characters are lovable, tormented, and occasionally side-splittingly funny, but they all have something in common: they would rather be someone else.

In this collection, an Asian woman decides to become a sex tourist in England; a dot com millionaire in Palo Alto falls in love with the Chinese café barista, only to find she has something else in mind; an English couple leaves their baby at the door of a Japanese restaurant in New York; and a depressed transvestite in New Hampshire throws himself into an avalanche in emulation of his favorite Swiss opera heroine.

The stories in this volume unfold like a series of short films, powered by music ranging from New Order to Giacomo Puccini – a celebration of the rhythms of the cross-border, culturally-fluent Internet Age.

Click here to read an excerpt from one of the new stories.

READ WENA'S STORIES ON BOARD SILKAIR FLIGHTS IN ASIA

SilkAir, Singapore's regional airline, features Wena Poon's work as part of its travelling inflight library in 2009. No more excuses to watch another re-run of "Tropic Thunder"!

The inflight library program delighted bookloving tourists. Says a traveller on her blog: "They were handing out these little booklets on flight, with one short story per booklet, written by a Singaporean writer...The short story I got to read was part of the "Lions In Winter" series by Wena Poon, who writes about the lives of displaced Singaporeans living abroad. Very nice; I enjoyed the short story."

WENA POON IN "SINGAPORE" MAGAZINE

Singapore Magazine interviews Wena Poon in San Francisco about "Lions In Winter".

Wena Poon is photographed in Austin, Texas by Shanti Matulewski. Vintage 1950's sunglasses by Martin Leung of AOC in Hong Kong. Sundress by Todd Oldham.

WENA IN MARIE CLAIRE HOLIDAY ISSUE 2008

Wena wrote an op-ed piece in the last issue of Marie Claire for the year. The article ends with a invocation to artists in Asia to persevere. "For you don't choose Art. Art chooses you. And Instinct always win, in the end."

LIONS IN WINTER AT THE 2008 FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR

"Lions In Winter" was selected by Singapore's National Arts Council as part of its official catalog during the Frankfurt Book Fair 2008. Thanks to NAC for the image.

WENA AT 2009 GOTEBORG BOOK FAIR, SWEDEN

Wena Poon has accepted an invitation to appear as a writer at the Goteborg Book Fair in Sweden from September 24-27, 2009, as part of a trip organized by National Arts Council.  The Fair attracts 100,000 visitors annually and is the largest cultural event in the Nordic region.

Photo from the Fair's website.

WENA AT SINGAPORE WRITER'S FESTIVAL 2009

Wena Poon has accepted an invitation to appear as a writer at the biennal Singapore Writer's Festival Oct 24-Nov 1, 2009. Book launch planned for

*Biophilia Omnibus (4 novels)

*The Proper Care of Foxes

Watch this space.

LIONS IN WINTER SHORTLISTED FOR 2008 SINGAPORE LITERATURE PRIZE

September, 2008 - Lions In Winter was one of 5 works shortlisted for the biennial Singapore Literature Prize.