Simon Choa-Johnston's Blog
May 13, 2016
Great Review
Alex Browne from the Peace Arch News in BC Canada was kind enough to write this article about my recently launched novel: The House of Wives. Click on the link for more details: http://www.peacearchnews.com/entertai...
April 25, 2016
The House that Opium Built
In my new post at http://simonjohnston.ca I'll be telling you about the mansions built by my great grandfather Emanuel when he was the foremost opium trader in Hong Kong. As big as castles and adorned with rococo flourishes, these stately homes spoke of power, influence and money. And then of course there were his two wives ...
April 21, 2016
Book Launches
May is going to be a busy month with book launches in several Canadian cities:
- May 4th at Ben McNally Books, Toronto 6pm - 8pm
- May 7th at Ben&Shawn's Brewery, Dundas 2pm - 4pm
- May 12th at Gateway Th. Richmond, BC 7pm -9pm
- May 15th at Peninsula Prods, White Rock, BC 2-4pm
- May 17th at iA Financial Group Atrium at BMO Theatre, Vancouver, BC 7pm-9pm
I hope you can join me at any of these events. http://www.simonjohnston.ca
- May 4th at Ben McNally Books, Toronto 6pm - 8pm
- May 7th at Ben&Shawn's Brewery, Dundas 2pm - 4pm
- May 12th at Gateway Th. Richmond, BC 7pm -9pm
- May 15th at Peninsula Prods, White Rock, BC 2-4pm
- May 17th at iA Financial Group Atrium at BMO Theatre, Vancouver, BC 7pm-9pm
I hope you can join me at any of these events. http://www.simonjohnston.ca
January 25, 2016
What's In A Name
When my mother passed away a few years ago, I found a box amongst her belongings that contained clues to unspoken, never to be discussed subjects about my ancestors. Reading the material, I realized that I knew very little about own parents, less about my grandparents and almost nothing about my great grand parents. But here at last, her papers provided some clues in letters, diary entries and photographs. Imagine my surprise to find out that we were Indian-Chinese-Jews that had converted to Christianity. Not only that, but great grandfather Emanuel was Hong Kong's foremost opium dealer and Chairman of the Hong Kong and Shanghai bank!
Hungry for more details spurred two trips to India, China and Hong Kong as well as Vancouver and led me down myriad paths and dusty archives uncovering my family's cultural anthropology. Along the way, I felt my mother's gentle hands guiding me in one direction or another to discover the things she could not or would not voice when she was here but somehow felt free to share now that she was at peace.
As a tribute to her, I have added her maiden name Choa to mine because "The House of Wives" is the story she wanted me to find that I now share with you.
For more information please go to: http://www.simonjohnston.ca
Hungry for more details spurred two trips to India, China and Hong Kong as well as Vancouver and led me down myriad paths and dusty archives uncovering my family's cultural anthropology. Along the way, I felt my mother's gentle hands guiding me in one direction or another to discover the things she could not or would not voice when she was here but somehow felt free to share now that she was at peace.
As a tribute to her, I have added her maiden name Choa to mine because "The House of Wives" is the story she wanted me to find that I now share with you.
For more information please go to: http://www.simonjohnston.ca
