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The Joy of a Left Hand

by Liang Wern Fook

Stories from a left-handed perspective

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Stories from a left-handed perspective

Confucius in a chair, an uncle speaking after decades of silence, and a potato entrusted with a secret signal the collection’s range of imaginative premises. Liang Wern Fook frames these stories as products of a “left hand” working against a “right-handed reality,” a conceit that links their absurd and comic elements to personal difficulties and shared tragedy. The book is translated from Chinese into English by Christina Ng. Wern Fook’s background as a writer, musician, singer, and professor of Chinese literature also places the collection within a broader body of creative work spanning literature and music.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in imaginative short fiction with absurd or comic premises.
  • Readers exploring Singaporean Chinese literature in English translation.
  • Readers interested in fiction that connects personal difficulties with shared experience.

Themes

Perspective and the limits of ordinary realityAbsurdity and ironyPersonal difficulty and shared tragedyChinese literature in translation

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Confucius sits in his chair. A mute uncle utters his first word in decades. A talking potato is sworn to confidentiality.

These are stories written with Liang Wern Fook's left hand. All authors write with this hand, coaxing out left-handed stories from a right-handed reality. Liang has been writing with his right hand for a long time, but in this thought-provoking collection, he has returned to his left, crafting stories that surprise even his right. Stories that are replete with playful irony, ranging from the absurd to the comical; stories which transcend personal difficulties to reveal shared tragedies, collectively endured.

 

 

About the Author:

Liang Wern Fook is a writer, musician, singer, and professor of Chinese literature. During the 1980s, he played a pivotal role as one of the pioneering figures in the xinyao movement, which celebrated Singaporean Chinese folk songs. He has received numerous awards across diverse artistic genres, including the prestigious Singapore Cultural Medallion. With a prolific body of work, he boasts over twenty publications spanning various creative genres and an impressive repertoire of more than three hundred songs. Widely recognised for his ability to blend literature and music, his works have left an indelible mark on Singapore's vibrant art scene.

 

About the Translator:

Christina Ng is a Singaporean writer, journalist and translator based in Berlin. Her Chinese to English translations include poetry by Singaporean poets Liang Wern Fook, Ting Kheng Siong, Dan Ying and Chinese poet Hua Qing.

 

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