Kwan also let the audience in on his plans for the future. Kwan never intended to publish his book, calling it “nonsensical scribbles” and his “crazy side project.” Nevertheless, he published the novel in 2013, and has since written two more books - “China Rich Girlfriend” in 2015 and “Rich People Problems” in 2017. The poem became a short story, and soon after, the beginning of his book, and then of the movie.

In college, he wrote a poem titled “Singapore Bible Study” about ladies using lunch meetings as an excuse to gossip.

Strolling down memory lane with his father before he passed away made Kwan realize “I need to put these down on paper.” Kwan, who moved to Texas at age 11, said he left Singapore “at the right moment in life” for his mind to preserve childhood memories. A video of Henry Golding (leading man Nick Young), a former hairdresser, cutting Kwan’s hair, was a highlight of the night. Among the many topics: Kwan’s cameo in the movie, the fact that Gemma Chan (who played Astrid Teo) doesn’t sweat, and how Michelle Yeoh (Eleanor Young in the film) insisted on wearing her own jewelry.

Kheng and Kwan engaged in witty banter the whole evening, and the audience in the sold-out auditorium ate it up. “ actually led to me having really interesting conversations with friends afterwards about representation of different Asian identities.” “I thought it was really interesting to hear of his childhood and experiences had influenced his storytelling,” Maia Jones SC ’20 said. Kwan told stories about his life of privilege, where yelling “I’m thirsty” in the middle of the night brought his 70-year-old nanny running from the servants’ quarters to bring him a glass of water. Photos of a youthful Kwan, his grandparents’ marriage and his great-grandfather’s house flickered across the screen. Kheng and Kwan took the audience back in time with a slideshow of Kwan’s Singaporean childhood. Tan Kheng Hua, who played Rachel Chu’s mom in the movie, interviewed Kwan and contributed her own quips and experiences. There, he met an exceptional group of influential figures: politicians, prominent Singaporeans and even a Thai princess.Īt these lunches, Kwan said the group simply gathered to “bitch about life.” This became one of many inspirations for his wildly successful book-turned-blockbuster-film: “Crazy Rich Asians.”ĥC students, faculty and Claremont community members packed Garrison Theater on Jan. When author Kevin Kwan was a child, his aunt, a journalist, invited him to eat lunch with her friends after church every Sunday. Tan Kheng Hua (left) and Kevin Kwan photograph the crowd at Scripps College’s Garrison Theater last Thursday.

Crazy rich asians author