500 words from...is a series of
guest posts from authors writing about Asia, or published by Asia-based, or
Asia-focused, publishing houses, in which they talk about their latest books.
Here Shenzhen-based American Ray Hecht talks about his new novel South China
Morning Blues, published by Blacksmith Books based in Hong Kong.
Ray’s earlier books were The Ghost of
Lotus Mountain Brothel and Loser
Parade. He currently writes for Shenzhen
Daily, the only daily English-language newspaper in the south of mainland
China.
South China is like a giant test
tube where ideas and people from all over the world meet. Expats and locals
alike must try to make sense of the crazy present, if they are ever going to
forge the brilliant future that is China’s ambition. That is precisely what the
characters in South China Morning Blues
are trying to do. There’s Marco, a crooked businessman with a penchant for call
girls; Danny, a culture-shocked young traveller; Sheila, a local club girl
caught up in family politics; Amber, a drug-fuelled aspiring model; Terry, an alcoholic
journalist; and Ting Ting, an artist with a chip on her shoulder. Their lives
intertwine in unexpected ways as they delve deeper into their surroundings and
in the process learn more about themselves.
So: over to Ray…
I have always been fascinated by
China. So when I was invited to move to Shenzhen I jumped at the opportunity. I wanted to learn all I could
about this fascinating and strange place.
Shenzhen, famed for supposedly having
no culture, was a small fishing village until the post-Mao economic reforms.
Now, it’s a city with a population that outnumbers New York. And I realised upon
arrival that the future of China can be as fascinating as the past; the
Special Economic Zone of Shenzhen became an inspiring place to me.
I wanted to write about the expat
scene, about all those weird people who drop everything in their lives back in
the home country in order to try to make it big abroad. I wanted to write about
the local people, about the youth navigating their way through the 21st century
while being pushed by their parents in what must be the biggest generation gap ever.
I wanted to write about international traders, party girls, English teachers,
drug dealers, courtesans, models, artists, people from all over the world who
participate in the new global experiment that is South China.
Meanwhile, Shenzhen borders Hong Kong, a city that defies definition. In one sense it is under
the heel of the mainland People’s Republic, yet in other
ways it is sovereign, more like a free Western city. Certainly, it is one of the most
international places in the world. For me, whenever Shenzhen got to be too much, I
could always hop the border and find English bookstores and uncensored films. Hong Kong was like an alternate reality just across the river. I wanted to write about outsiders visiting this compelling place.
Then again, there
was the city of Guangzhou. I moved there for a year, to research and better
understand this whole Pearl River Delta thing. Guangzhou is even more massive than the other
two cities, yet it has an ancient culture which gives it a unique flavour. I
went to old temples, and I studied the history of revolutions and uprisings. I
think I did some of my best writing while living in Guangzhou.
Eventually I had to return to
Shenzhen, where I completed my novel South
China Morning Blues, which is told through the perspective of 12 characters that
each correspond to an animal in the Chinese zodiac. I filtered my various experiences
and research and hearsay into stories meant to capture the essence of what modern
China represents. It is a confusing place indeed, but a place where people can learn
about themselves as well as the city, and China.
Writing and publishing this novel
has been an amazing journey. I am still as overwhelmed and confused as ever by South China,
but I’ve been very happy that the book has enabled me to share my humble
feelings and observations with interested readers from around the world.
Details: South China Morning
Blues is published in paperback by Blacksmith Books, priced in local
currencies.