Monday, June 1st, The Pod at the National Library. It was a rather good turn out especially on a Monday evening! The Pod’s a restricted area on the 16th floor there and the staff there had to beep their cards so we could take the lift up.
Guests signed in and received some Writer’s kit booklet along with other Book council pamphlets and NAC info stuff.
It started around past 7pm as people were greeting each other and mingling about in the meantime. Red chairs were neatly arranged and there was quite a crowd for the book launch. From the audience, I could recognize some people such as some writers who had launched their books last month, literary agents and bloggers about events like these.
The book launch had Tash Aw reading an excerpt from his book “Map of the Invisible World” and there was a question and answer session besides the introduction of who he was in the beginning. Hardcovers are available in Malaysia by the way! Singapore has the large book format which is pretty good too. Fun fact, if you got a Singapore published one, check the back. You’ll see some interesting line there that I’m sure you can’t get in the other countries.
Okay, so after the whole session bit we could get autographs and good grief, you can see how many people were there here.
A little reception since Tash was available to talk to and all after that. In summary, it was a pretty posh calm affair in a way. I don’t really know how to describe it but yes, it was pretty calm and soothing in a way.
He did explain on the title of his book and well, I’m not spoiler girl (much) so I won’t say but it has to do with the story and you’ll soon realize it when you read it. Actually, heck that.
I’m spoiler girl.
It has to do with the relationship of the brothers in the book and the “current” world their in and the world that they were back in the past. I’m paraphrasing here! The invisible world is the world that no one else sees and more of what they’re feeling/seeing instead.
Lastly, it was rather late and I had to leave, this shot is interesting because… Well, it’s the toilet. Heh, heh “Little Women”, the gent’s was “Three Men in a Boat”. I couldn’t take that picture because the toilets are near the lift and the staff would surely give me odd looks if I headed towards the gent’s sign.
There’s an interview with Tash Aw is in The Sunday Times. And the book got two-and-a-half stars.
But the really BIG NEWS is that the White Rabbit Sweets are back in the shops!