Page Updated: 23/09/98
Hwee Hwee Tan
Hwee Hwee Tan
About the Author (Photo by Jason Bell)
Bibliography
Foreign BodiesForeign Bodies Newpbk 24 Sep 98


New Paperback - Penguin (1998)
First British Edition - Michael Joseph (1997)

Foreign Bodies
'We all have stories buried in our past… these are our real stories, the stories only we know, the stories of our foreign bodies…'
Mei, a beautiful young Singaporean lawyer, is woken by a call form her English boyfriend, Andy. It's one in the morning and 'I'm in jail' are definitely not the kind of words that put a girl in a good mood. Working as a relief teacher, and in Singapore because of his best friend Eugene, Andy has been arrested for masterminding a multi-million-dollar international soccer gambling syndicate. He swears he's been framed, and this leaves Mei and Eugene, friends through childhood, only two weeks to prove his innocence.
Switching from East to West, from past to present and form one voice to another with incisive dexterity and wit, this stylish novel unravels three quite different stories - of abuse and betrayal; of murder and lies; and the search for a greater truth behind the lager sagas of Freshers and other twenty-nothings.
Theses diverse stories of expatriated, hungry ghosts and UEFA Cup matches collide in a startling fashion. Now the three friends have to confront their disturbing histories. Should they reveal their secrets to one another? Will the truth set Andy free, or will the unveiling of their past only serve to destroy their future?
A dazzling fusion of Western pop culture, Christian mysticism and Taoist rituals, Foreign Bodies is a brilliantly multi-layered and decidedly humorous debut.
'Fast-paced… streetwise… what is impressive, especially in so young a writer, is Tan's assurance' The Independent
'An intriguing first novel… smart, stylish stuff' The Guardian
'A thoughtful, witty, intelligent novel with a fine twist at the end' Daily Telegraph
'A novel of distinction… almost indecently accomplished for a 23-year-old' The Economist
'Foreign Bodies explores serious themes with an enviable lightness of touch… a witty, confident, not to mention brave debut' Literary Review
'A fresh, funny debut novel of crime and chopsticks' She
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About The Author
Hwee-Hwee Tan was born in 1974 in Singapore, and arrived in England via a three-year stop-over in the Netherlands. She has degrees in English Literature form the University of East Anglia and the University of Oxford, where she also tutored. Her stories have been broadcast by the BBC and have also been published in PEN International, Critical Quarterly and New Writing 6. They have won numerous awards, including the Ian St James Short Story Award and the BBC Radio Four 'First Bite' competition for young writers. Foreign Bodies is her first novel. In her spare time, Hwee-Hwee thinks deep thoughts about serious issues such as the mystery of the Incarnation, American-ASEAN bilateral relations and exploding gerbils.

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Bibliography
N.B. dates and publishers in dark red indicate British First Editions. Dates and publishers in black indicate recent reprints.

  • Foreign Bodies (Michael Joseph, 1997) New Penguin Pbk Sep 98

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