UBUD WRITERS & READERS FESTIVAL DIRECTOR JANET DENEEFE PICKS FOUR HOLIDAY BOOKS BY AUTHORS ATTENDING THIS YEAR’S EVENT

A CASE OF EXPLODING MANGOES

Enjoy the ride with Mohamad Hanif’s provocative debut novel. Set just before and after the fateful crash of former Pakistani president, General Zia, Hanif has some almost-comical conspiracy theories, complete with quirky and often crazy characters, in this gutsy fast-moving tale of tragedy.

MISTER PIP

Set on the lush, fertile island of Bougainville, Lloyd Jones tells a powerful and deeply moving tale of the 1990’s blockade. In this superbly written novel, characters like the young teenager Matilda and the eccentric school teacher Mister Pip, will stay with you long after the last page.

PAST CONTINUOUS

The brilliant debut novel by Neel Mukhergee tells the very real tale of Ritwick Ghosh, a young gay man who flees a miserable life in Kolkata, complete with noisy and suspicious relatives, to the freedom of Britain. An Indian novel with a difference.

LIONS IN WINTER

Singaporean Wena Poon’s impressive and refreshing debut collection of 11 insightful stories looks at the quiet lives of displaced Singaporeans abroad and in Singapore. She tells their tale with exuberance and wit, playfully examining the lives of a whole host of characters, in a subject that’s clearly close to her heart.

UBUD WRITERS & READERS FESTIVAL | OCTOBER 7-11, www.UBUDWRITERSFESTIVAL.COM