Duong Huong was born in 1948 in the northern province of Thai Binh, and currently lives in Quang Ninh. The author of six books, he is best known for his novel No Man River, which won Vietnam’s most prestigious prize for fiction in 1991. Considered one of the three best novels about the American War in Vietnam written in the Reform era, it has been widely read, studied and critiqued, translated into French and Italian, reprinted several times, and twice adapted into film. For his outstanding achievements, Duong Huong received the National Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Arts in 2017.
Translators
Quan Manh Ha is professor of American literature and ethnic studies at the University of Montana (USA). He is the co-translator/co-editor ofOther Moons; Hanoi at Midnight, a short-story collection by Bao Ninh;The Termite Queen, a novel by Ta Duy Anh; Longings: Contemporary Fiction by Vietnamese Women Writers; Light Out and Modern Vietnamese Stories, 1930-1954; and The Colors of April.
Charles Waugh is the co-editor and co-translator of three books of Vietnamese fiction: Ta Duy Anh’s novel The Termite Queen with Quan Manh Ha; and the story collections Wild Mustard, with Van Gia and Nguyen Lien; and Family of Fallen Leaves, with Nguyen Lien. A professor of English at Utah State University (USA), he is also the Associate Editor for Fiction at ISLE, the journal of the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment.
Malcom Seah is a Singapore-based writer who is currently pursuing a Bsc. in Economics.
In the 2023 Epigram Books Fiction Prize, he attained a long-list finish. Swimming Lessons is his debut novel.
He is also a struggling full-time dog-dad to a grumpy Chihuahua-Maltese and an enthusiastic Bichon.
Malcom apologises for the diminutive author bio, courtesy of him only turning 23 in 2024.
You can grow up with him on Instagram @malcomseah.
Nikki Jurado is a dynamic force in the world of personal development and financial wisdom. With over a decade of experience in the financial markets and financial education sectors, Nikki has honed a philosophy that goes beyond conventional financial success. Her approach is grounded in aligning financial decisions with personal values, ensuring that every action taken is both intentional and impactful.
In her groundbreaking book, The Wisdom of YOLO, Nikki challenges the status quo by merging the thrill of seizing the moment with the wisdom of thoughtful reflection. She empowers her readers to redefine success on their own terms, emphasizing that true wealth is about more than just money—it’s about living a life that is authentically yours. Through her transformative teachings, she encourages strategic risk-taking, mindful decision-making, and living in the present while being fully prepared for the future.
Widely regarded as the ‘father of English literature,’ the renowned poet and author of the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, holds a significant place in the annals of English literature. He was born around the year 1343 in London, England. Little is known about his early childhood and family background, but it is believed that he came from a prosperous middle-class family. Chaucer’s talents were recognized when he was appointed as a customs controller in London, a position that provided financial stability and allowed him to pursue his literary aspirations. It was during this time that he began writing his most famous work, The Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucer passed away on October 25, 1400. His legacy as a poet and storyteller remains unparalleled, with his works serving as a cornerstone of middle English literature.
Seashell Meow is a first-time novelist and Pickle Mist is her debut book.
Angeli E. Dumatol is a nuclear medicine physician by profession and when she’s not in the clinics, she can be found writing stories, reading books, or getting lost in a daydream. She was a Fellow of the 3rd Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio Writers Workshop and the 1st Kabanata Young Adult Writers’ Workshop, as well as an awardee of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in 2011. With a firm belief in the healing power of smiles and stories, Angeli’s ultimate wish is to be able to use both medicine and literature in making a difference in people’s lives. She’s a part of #RomanceClass, a community of Filipino writers, readers, and creatives dedicated to happily ever afters. Angeli currently lives in Quezon City, Philippines with her ever supportive family.
Thammika Songkaeo is a transnational novelist, non-fiction writer, and film producer of Thai origin, whose lived experiences in India, Uganda, Rwanda, the United States, and Singapore, have informed the making of Stamford Hospital, her debut novel following a nomination to the Bread Loaf Environmental Writers Conference, which she attended on a Katharine Bakeless Nason Scholarship, a fellowship to the Comparative Literature PhD program of the University of Texas at Austin, and a grant from the Smithsonian Freer|Sackler Galleries. She earned Highest Honors for her study of French Literature at Williams College and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the Vermont College of Fine Arts before becoming a Storytelling grantee of the National Geographic Society in 2022 and continuing a transnational gaze on stories of the relationship between womanhood and society. Her writing, including a feature of monologues, has appeared in Ninth Letter and in World Literature Today online, and for the Singapore National Library Board.
When not writing, she will be found working on social and environmental issues through her company, Two Glasses LLP, designing experiences that transform how people think and feel about their identity and planetary mayhem. She is the Producer of Changing Room, a dance film that asks, “What does criticizing our bodies have to do with climate change?” and its global experiential screenings that utilize somatic practices and guided journaling. Her social science work has been referenced by Brookings Institution and The Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights. Despite these, she identifies equally as a writer.
Kam Raslan is a Malaysian writer and broadcaster. Originally a film-maker working in London, Los Angeles, Malaysia and Indonesia, he has written for many publications including The Economist, Mekong Review and he had a long-running column in The Edge Malaysia. He hosts two shows on BFM Radio: A Bit of Culture and Just For Kicks. Kam Raslan is the author of Confessions of an Old Boy, a collection of short stories, the various adventures of Dato’ Hamid from the 1940s to the 2000s. The book was first published in 2008 and has been re-issued in 2024.
Patrick Sagaram’s work has appeared in Quarterly Literary Review Singapore (QLRS) and Wine & Dine. His short stories have appeared in Best New Singaporean Short Stories: Volume 4 and Volume 6 and included in How We Live Now (2022), commissioned by the Ministry of Education as a GCE O-Level Literature text. His stories have also been anthologized in the collection Quiet Loving, Ravaging Search – 20 Years Of Quarterly Literary Review Singapore. He has also contributed to the non-fiction collection Letter to my Father (2022) edited by Felix Cheong. He lives in Singapore and works as a teacher.
Jet Tagasa is a former OFW and broadcast media professional. She lived and worked in Hong Kong and Dubai for over two decades, from 1996 to 2018. In 2019, she settled back in Manila, alongside her husband and two cats . When she’s not weaving spine-chilling stories, Jet unleashes her creative energy as an Events Creative in Manila, Philippines. Her inaugural literary venture, The Secret Lives of OFWs, opens a new chapter in her storytelling journey.
