Join us for a reading and Q&A to celebrate the release of Ruby member Sunisa Manning’s debut novel, A Good True Thai (Epigram Books, September 2020), hailed by Kirstin Chen, author of Bury What We Cannot Take, as “an astounding debut from a talented new voice,” and a finalist for the 2020 Epigram Books Fiction Prize. Sunisa will be in conversation with Ruby member Meng Jin, author of Little Gods. The poet Monica Sok, author of A Nail the Evening Hangs On, will read an invocation to open the event.
Books are available for purchase here through East Bay Booksellers.
About the book:
Set in the 1970s, A Good True Thai is a historical epic that captures one of the most famous periods of political unrest and artistic openness in Thailand’s history. It follows the story of three young people –Det, Lek and Chang – whose paths converge at a local university. Det is the descendant of royalty through his mother, the granddaughter of a king. Influenced by Lek and Chang’s political fervour, Det radicalises, and the three of them venture into the Thai jungle to fight alongside the communists. As they are embroiled in the perils of political revolution, they must learn to tame and reconcile their love for one another. A Good True Thai was selected as a finalist for the 2020 Epigram Books Fiction Prize.
About Sunisa:
Sunisa Manning was born and raised in Bangkok by Thai and American parents. She went to Brown University and now lives in California. Her work has appeared in Prairie Schooner, The Rumpus and other places. She’s been honoured with residencies at Hedgebrook and Hambidge, and awarded fellowships at San Jose State and the SF Writers Grotto. A Good True Thai is her first novel.