The author Kevin Chong discusses his new novel The Double Life of Benson Yu (Atria Books, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

The Double Life of Benson Yu by Kevin Chong (Atria Books, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Double Life of Benson Yu

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Kevin Chong joins me again. He’s just published a new book, his seventh, The Double Life of Benson Yu. I’ll ask Mr. Chong about this new work that’s described as a “fresh, unique work of metafiction that follows a graphic novelist who loses control of his own narrative.” I finished the book this weekend and it’s a mesmerising novel that takes place in an urban Chinatown that’s recognisable, and has characters that are fascinating, challenging, and that demand your attention. The story takes place in the 1980s, and in the present, and if I say more I’ll probably end up giving it away. I’ll ask Kevin to reflect on some of the themes that recur in the book, trauma, abuse, family, and writing itself. Kevin Chong is the author of six previous books of nonfiction and fiction, most recently The Plague. Is work has appeared in a number of publications including the Guardian, the Times Literary Supplement, the Rumpus, and the South China Morning Post. He is associate professor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in the faculty of Creative and Critical Studies. His website is at www.thatkevinchong.com. This new book is published by Atria Books, which is an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Kevin Chong; Professor Chong, good morning. 

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