Meet-The-Author: Vanessa Chan of The Storm We Made

28TH MARCH 2024 (THURSDAY)
7.30PM-9PM
Kinokuniya Singapore Main Store

In a lively discussion of what inspired Vanessa’s debut novel, the author shared that the idea came from her grandmother’s stories. Vanessa expertly engaged the small crowd present by sharing an amusing anecdote of her grandmother telling the grandkids in the most casual and offhanded manner how to avoid bombs that fell from the sky.

She revealed that the novel had grew out of a short story she had written for an ungraded assignment in her days as a graduate student. Her professor had encouraged her to flesh it out into something longer like a novel and she took that advice to heart.

When asked which of her characters was the easiest to write, Vanessa laughed and said that as a beleaguered eldest daughter herself, it was easiest to channel that same energy into the character of Jujube. She also discussed the character of General Fujiwara, humorously likening him to that one guy your female friend is obsessed with but possesses neither good looks nor redeemable qualities.

Vanessa admitted that historical fiction was a challenging genre to tackle, and that she would likely explore a different genre for her next novel. The event ended with an intimate book signing session where readers got to take photos with Vanessa.