As the Earth Turns Silver - Alison Wong

[helen]

A new book is due to be released by a N Z local Chinese writer - with origins from Gwa Leng Village Zengcheng.

www.goingbananas.org.nz/PDF/AlisonWong_flyer.pdf

[helen]

beattiesbookblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/outstanding-first-novels-from-nz-women.html

As the Earth Turns Silver'

Alison Wong,
Penguin - $37

On Monday night this week Unity Books Wellington hosted another packed launch, this time for Alison Wong's excellent first novel 'As the Earth Turns Silver' published by Penguin books NZ.
Dame Fiona Kidman launched the book with enormous praise & recognition of the novel's historical content and crafted writing as well as the importance of the voice of the Chinese community in Wellington .
Penguin publisher Geoff Walker also spoke of the book's high qualities as a first novel and it's instantaneous overseas success. Both Alison and Geoff also acknowledged the intelligent influence that Patricia Grace had had on the novel's conception.
The event was very well patronised with many of Alison's supportive friends and family also in attendance.

“Alison Wong’s first novel is not merely a good book, it is a prodigious one… As the Earth Turns Silver is, as one critic remarked, written with a poet’s ear for language and an artist’s eye for detail. With a first novel of this calibre behind her, Wong must now meet high expectations as a major voice in contemporary New Zealand fiction. On the basis of this book along, I’m confident that she will.” — Christopher Moore, Your Weekend

“Wong is the Patricia Grace of the Chinese New Zealand experience… The book is tightly plotted, and Wong is adept at keeping readers in suspense and using particularly enthralling language.” — Karen Tay, Sunday Star Times

“Imbued with lyricism and sublime imagery, the result is archetypal and enjoyable historical fiction…” — NZ Listener

[Henry]

Dear Colleagues,

Helen alerted me to this interview of Alison Wong - please view, as i do not know how long it will be kept online:

tvnz.co.nz/good-morning/s2009-e250809-alisonwong-video-2944707


Henry

[helen]

T he finalists in the NZ Post Book Awards include former Wellingtonian Alison Wong. Her first novel, As the Earth Turns Silver, is nominated alongside Fiona Farrell's Limestone and Owen Marshall's Living as a Moon.

Wong has swapped her favourite writing refuge – Titahi Bay's Aunt Daisy's Boathouse Cafe – for temporary digs in Geelong, Victoria. But she assured The Dominion Post she had not lost touch with her roots. "I'm very much a New Zealand writer," she said. "I've just been watching the All Whites." The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 22/06/2010

[helen]

In the fiction category, novelist Alison Wong won with her first novel As the Earth Turns Silver, beating more established writers Fiona Farrell and Owen Marshall.

Hastings-born Wong was described as a "powerful new voice" by the judging panel. Her novel has been shortlisted for the Australian Prime Minister's Literary Award, a prize previously won by J.M. Coetzee, among other greats.


As the Earth Turns Silver by Alison Wong (Penguin Group (NZ))

" ... a delight to look at and hold, as well as deeply moving to read." - Charmaine Pountney, judge.