And it seems we’re not the only ones excited about historical fiction placed outside the normal geography. This year’s Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction went to The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng. The story is set in post WWII Cameron Highlands, Malaysia.

Mr Eng was born in Penang, Malaysia and splits his time between Kuala Lumpur and Cape Town, South Africa. His debut novel The Gift of Rain was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. The Garden of Evening Mists was shortlisted for the same. That’s an impressive start to a writing career.

Score a major victory for books written of Long Ago and Far Away!

And this one just leapt to the top of my To Be Read pile. I spent four years right across the Malacca Straits in Sumatra. In fact, the outline of my novel was birthed while on a much needed vacation in the Cameron Highlands. I can’t wait to read this!