By Holly Sykes
At a special in-person Book Club event, WiPS members were delighted to welcome Hong Kong-born author Katy Phoon for a discussion of her novel A Fine Piece of Jade. Gathering at Salon 10 on Arbuthnot Road, an intimate setting reminiscent of a literary salon with its velvet armchairs and striking wall murals, we relaxed with a glass of wine while Katy treated us to a bonus chapter of her novel, which honours her late mother’s wish to share her life story.
Inspired by her mother’s experiences growing up in Wuhan during the Japanese invasion and rise of communist China, Katy’s story centres on the friendship forged between two young girls, Wang Qi and Yuanyuan. Interwoven with traditional Chinese mythological tales, it follows the girls as they navigate schoolyard bullying, personal loss and the challenges of living under a hostile occupation.
During the talk, Katy reflected on the balance between authenticity and storytelling, explaining that while she sought to remain as true as possible to her mother’s life, certain elements were necessarily fictionalized in order to shape the narrative.
Later, Katy answered questions from the floor (as well as from those joining via Zoom) and asked a few of her own: Which character did we most identify with? Which scenes were most memorable? In this way, the evening truly felt like a Book Club discussion, only with the added bonus of having the author amongst us.
It was a delightful evening which extended well beyond the usual Book Club hour. The conversation continued as we ordered more drinks, whilst Katy generously signed books and posed for photos.
After many years of hosting Book Club, started in the early days of Covid, this event marked Gillian Kew’s swansong. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Gillian for her outstanding contribution to WiPS and its members. What a wonderful note on which to take her leave!