I have just returned from a month in Asia. I caught up with old friends in Vietnam, explored northeastern Cambodia (including two days biking along the Mekong River outside Kratie), and spent a week in Bangkok meeting ThingsAsian Press writers, editors, photographers, illustrators and translators. For the most part, ThingsAsian relationships rely on Cyberspace. I have worked with some people for years without ever hearing their voices. This week was an amazing opportunity to put faces to names, have long conversations, and feed on the creative energy that makes up the ThingsAsian community.
The highlight of the week was a Sunday night party at Nomad restaurant, where about 65 ThingsAsian contributors gathered to celebrate the publication of To Myanmar With Love and Tone Deaf in Bangkok. Many of the contributors to the Myanmar book were were on hand to eat, drink and socialize, and Tone Deaf author Janet Brown can be credited with making the party a huge success—she organized the entire affair and proved that she is as good at party planning as she is at writing. The evening peaked with some entertaining interpretive moves on the dance floor and a small group of night owls hunkered over a hookah pipe!
The most exciting aspect of working for ThingsAsian Press is that everything is a collaboration. Publisher Albert Wen thrives on bringing creative types together just to see what might happen. The result is always surprising and thrilling. Numerous new book ideas were hatched during our weeklong “Bangkok Summit,” while two ThingsAsian series were strengthened and expanded. Look for North India, Nepal, Cambodia and Thailand books to join the To Asia With Love guidebook series in the upcoming year, and a wide selection of volumes to join our children’s primer series that began with H is for Hong Kong. Check out the ThingsAsian website page for a full list of titles.
To Myanmar With Love contributors Donald Gilliland and Jan Polatschek practice donning traditional Myanmar longyi.
ThingsAsian Press publisher Albert Wen with book designer Janet McKelpin and translator Michelle Lai Wong.
Writer John Padorr and photographer Hans Kemp check out new ThingsAsian Press titles.
Editor Nabanita Dutt socializes with writers Emily Huckson and Adam Bray.
