Archives: Authors

Nachanok Ladys debuted as a writer with her first work, Beau is Non-Binary of Everything, back in 2021.

She is a non-binary (she/he/they) who believes that the existence of LGBTQIAN+ in literary works is to declare to the world: I exist.

In the beginning, she was a freelance writer who sometimes worked with publishing houses (e.g. Ms. Kent and Me with Salmon Books). She often publishes her works (because she needs to make a living). She now has more than ten published works, and all her protagonists—Sapphic, Achillean, transgender, and other various genders included—speak for her with the same sentence: I exist.

She’s a co-founder of Ladys and Moonscape publishing house, and lives in Phetchaburi, Thailand—a province with delicious food, beaches, and mountain ranges. She can be found on Twitter and on Instagram under the same handle as @TheoryofLady.

Nisha Mehraj is a part-time teacher and tutor who quit the rat race to tell stories of people who live in her head. Her debut novel We Do Not Make Love Here was a runner up for the Epigram Fiction Prize (2022) and nominated for the Singapore Literature Prize (2024). Her short story ‘Chai’ was published in Mascara Literary Review (2012). Nisha lives in Singapore with her Gen Z boys, her very efficient housekeeper and darling Molly, their four-year-old Cavachon. When not working, Nisha is throwing dinner parties just so she could wear a sari.

Arnaud Frade is a global business leader specialised in rapid business transformation for professional services firms, with broader experience across a number of sectors including Financial Services, Automotive and Consulting, gained working for leading firms and holding companies, including Renault, American Express, WPP, Omnicom and Accenture, across Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa.

In these roles, Arnaud has developed complex programs and solutions for leading brands across a broad range of industries, from Technology, FMCG and Insurance to Retail, Hospitality and Luxury. Through these activities, he has gained a strong knowledge of insights-powered business applications, Go to Market strategies, cross-cultural leadership and over the past several years, AI-based solutions. Arnaud has also advised two Southeast nations on topics related to Nation branding / public diplomacy.

He has also been an advisor to startups for more than 15 years, offering pro-bono advice to founders in Singapore and across the region. Arnaud is also a member of Airbus’ exclusive Star program since 2020, providing advice to Airbus’ Executive Committee on a number of commercial and marketing-related topics.

Arnaud has collaborated with a number of prestigious educational institutions, including EHL and LaSalle and has been featured in a number of industry publications, events and press articles on topics related to the future of retail, commerce & retail media, and branding.

Arnaud, originally from Paris, France, is a husband and a father to two sons and alongside his family has resided in Singapore for the past 19 years.

Arnaud is best reached via his LinkedIn profile, found here: linkedin.com/in/arnaudfrade

For over a decade, Piyachart (Arm) Isarabhakdee has been a visionary strategist and thought leader redefining the future of growth. He is the founder and CEO of BRANDi and Companies, where he leads the transformation of organizations across 20 industries by embedding People, Planet, and Profit into their growth strategies. He also serves as the Chair of BRANDi Institute of Systematic Transformation (BiOST), which acts as a catalyst for change and transition, focusing on developing future-ready ecosystems.

His belief that today’s growth must be re-engineered inspired “Sustainomy”—a bold vision for today and tomorrow’s growth where the economy, humanity, and the planet can flourish in parallel.

Globally recognized for his thought leadership, Piyachart (Arm) has shared his vision at the UN High-Level Political Forum, The Economist, TIME100, and the World Economic Forum, where he has served on the prestigious Global Future Councils on Equitable Transition (2025) and Energy Transition (2024). Trained in Space Technology (focused on AI in space), Piyachart (Arm) applies systems thinking to address complex global challenges and to lead unprecedented change toward a sustainable future.

KARL R. DE MESA is the author of the books of horror News of the Shaman and Damaged People, as well as the non-fiction collections Report from the Abyss and Radiant Void (both shortlisted for the Philippine National Book Awards for journalism and non-fiction) and Calling Out the Destruction.

As a longreads journalist and photographer, he has reported on stories in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Myanmar, and Singapore. He makes music as Dark Horse (Ph) and ExGuerilla.

Hyejin Kim has sailed with whales in the Salish Sea, studied hieroglyphs along the Nile, made kimchi in Scandinavia, immersed herself in the underbelly of Northeast China, and run a school in the tropics. Born in South Korea, she teaches and does research at universities in Singapore and Sweden. Her previous books include Jia: A Novel of North Korea, a book on Chinese culinary culture, and monographs on business and education. She has best friends and muses in her son and husband.

J M (James Matthew) Barrie was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland in 1860. Peter Pan was inspired by the author’s friendship with the Llewelyn-Davies family. Barrie would tell George and Jack Llewyllen-Davies – the original lost boys – stories about Neverland. He originally wrote the story as a play and its first performance in 1904 was a hit. Barrie then adapted the play into the 1911 novel Peter Pan and Wendy. He was made a baronet in 1913 and awarded the Order of Merit in 1922. J.M. Barrie died on June 19, 1937.

John Griffith “Jack” London (born John Griffith Chaney, January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916) was an American novelist, journalist, and social activist. A pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction, he was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone.
Some of his most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set in the Klondike Gold Rush, as well as the short stories “To Build a Fire”, “An Odyssey of the North”, and “Love of Life”. He also wrote of the South Pacific in such stories as “The Pearls of Parlay” and “The Heathen”, and of the San Francisco Bay area in The Sea Wolf.
London was part of the radical literary group “The Crowd” in San Francisco and a passionate advocate of unionization, socialism, and the rights of workers. He wrote several powerful works dealing with these topics, such as his dystopian novel The Iron Heel, his non-fiction exposé The People of the Abyss, and The War of the Classes.

Carlo Collodi (1826-1890). The renowned italian
author is celebrated for his iconic masterpiece, The Adventures
of Pinocchio.
Born on November 24 1826, in Florence, italy, Collodi’s early
life and experiences greatly influenced his writing.
Collodi was born as Carlo lorenzini, the eldest son of
domenico lorenzini and angela orzali. His childhood was
marked by financial struggles—his father worked as a cook
and his mother as a servant. despite the family’s hardships,
Collodi received a basic education and developed a love for
literature from an early age.
in his youth, Collodi showed a keen interest in storytelling
and began writing for local newspapers and magazines. His
early works primarily consisted of satirical and political
writings, showcasing his wit and sharp observations. However,
it wasn’t until later in his life that he gained widespread
recognition for his literary achievements.
He enrolled at the University of Florence to study law in 1846.
While at university, he actively participated in the cultural
and political scene of the time. Collodi became involved in
the italian nationalist movement; supporting the cause of
italian unification. He wrote numerous articles advocating for
a unified italy and expressed his patriotism. after completing
his studies, Collodi worked as a civil servant and translator.
His life before achieving fame was a period of professional
struggle and financial instability. However, during this time, he continued to write and publish stories, under various
pseudonyms.
in 1881, Collodi published his most famous work,
The Adventures of Pinocchio. initially serialized in a children’s
magazine, the story quickly captured the imagination of readers.
‘Pinocchio’ follows the misadventures of a wooden puppet
who longs to become a real boy. The novel became an instant
success. it has since been translated into numerous languages;
adapted into films, and remains a beloved classic of children’s
literature.
Collodi’s success as an author allowed him to dedicate himself
full-time to writing. He continued to write children’s stories
and novels, though none achieved the same level of popularity
as Pinocchio. His works often carried moral lessons, emphasizing
the importance of honesty, kindness, and personal growth.
Carlo Collodi passed away on october 26 1890 in Florence,
italy, at the age of 63. He did not witness the lasting
impact of his most famous creation during his lifetime. But,
Collodi’s legacy as the creator of Pinocchio endures to this day,
captivating readers of all ages with its timeless charm and
valuable life lessons.

Thomas Hardy was born in a cottage in Higher Bockhampton, near Dorchester, on 2 June 1840. He was educated locally and at sixteen was articled to a Dorchester architect, John Hicks. In 1862 he moved to London and found employment with another architect, Arthur Blomfield. He now began to write poetry and published an essay. By 1867 he had returned to Dorset to work as Hicks’s assistant and began his first (unpublished) novel, The Poor Man and the Lady.
On an architectural visit to St Juliot in Cornwall in 1870 he met his first wife, Emma Gifford. Before their marriage in 1874 he had published four novels and was earning his living as a writer. More novels followed and in 1878 the Hardys moved from Dorset to the London literary scene. But in 1885, after building his house at Max Gate near Dorchester, Hardy again returned to Dorset. He then produced most of his major novels: The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), The Woodlanders (1887), Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891), The Pursuit of the Well-Beloved (1892) and Jude the Obscure (1895). Amidst the controversy caused by Jude the Obscure, he turned to the poetry he had been writing all his life. In the next thirty years he published over nine hundred poems and his epic drama in verse, The Dynasts.
After a long and bitter estrangement, Emma Hardy died at Max Gate in 1912. Paradoxically, the event triggered some of Hardy’s finest love poetry. In 1914, however, he married Florence Dugdale, a close friend for several years. In 1910 he had been awarded the Order of Merit and was recognized, even revered, as the major literary figure of the time. He died on 11 January 1928. His ashes were buried in Westminster Abbey and his heart at Stinsford in Dorset.