In this interview, she reflects on her fondest memories of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½, the unexpected encounters that helped shape her career, and how her experiences across science, history, journalism and modelling have influenced her writing. She also shares her thoughts on creativity, embracing opportunities and finding the confidence to follow a different path.
What brought you to ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½, and what are your fondest memories of your time here?
I came to ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ as a Junior Research Fellow in 2007. My fondest memories of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ are of the hours spent practising ballroom dancing in the Lee Hall and performing at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ June Events. The Hall is one of my favourite spaces in Cambridge; I love the light filtering in through the glass windows and how they overlook the serenely beautiful Betty Wu Lee Garden. I have also enjoyed many stimulating and thought-provoking conversations at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ over the years, especially animated discussions at the President’s Lodge hosted by Professor Gordon Johnson.
How did your time at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ influence your personal or professional development?
My time at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ brought me in contact with lots of interesting people, some of whom have helped or inspired my work. I also made many wonderful friends at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ (particularly amongst the Fellowship) and still play board games with them.
I love embracing the magical forces of serendipity, and ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ has supplied quite a few such moments. Back in 2008, when my dance partner and I were practising in the Lee Hall, we saw a face plastered to one of the glass windows, a man studying us with interest. After a while, I couldn’t bear it anymore. I went out to ask him why he was so fascinated by us. He said he liked our dancing, introduced himself as a director of fashion events and asked if I would like to model in his upcoming show. I went with the flow and said yes, ended up doing my first catwalk show just a couple of weeks later… and numerous other brilliant shows over the years.
At a show in 2012, a backstage helper handed me an extremely heavy bag, just before I walked onto the runway. I remember clutching the bag and thinking as I glided down the platform: What if someone put a bomb inside the handbag and we are all going to die? If yesterday were my last day, would I have lived it differently? Years later, I sat down and began writing this episode from the perspective of a catwalk model named Ally. The scene became the first chapter of my second book Future Perfect, while the existential question that surfaced in my head supplied the impetus for the rest of the novel: What if today were your last day?
My time at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ has helped me realise that if one goes with the serendipitous flow of things, both inspiration and delightful opportunities may occur.
Could you tell us a little about your career journey since leaving ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½? What have been some of the most significant milestones or turning points along the way?
For a while, I wanted to be an academic but I became frustrated by the fact that academic papers tend to be read by limited subsets of people. Before I arrived at Cambridge, I wrote for The Economist, a journal with a large and varied audience. The hope that I would be read again by many (and not just a few) was partly the reason why I turned to writing fiction.
A significant milestone along the way was signing with a top literary and talent agency. It proved to be a turning point which opened doors to the traditional publishing industry—as well as to the film world. I went on to publish two novels (Yesterday and Future Perfect) which have been auctioned across various territories and translated into multiple languages around the world. Yesterday is currently in development as a TV series.
I also wrote, directed and edited a few short films along the way, largely as exercises in understanding the technical challenges of filmmaking. Art is partly about creating connections with others: I cherish the many kindred spirits who have read my works and come into my life as a result.
Your novels Yesterday and Future Perfect explore fascinating questions about memory, identity, technology and the future. How have your experiences as a scientist, historian and journalist influenced your approach to writing fiction and the stories you choose to tell?
My varied experiences have helped me write high-concept stories that combine different genres (to hopefully thought-provoking effect). My debut novel Yesterday, for instance, is about a murder which takes place in a world where most people only remember one day. The book has been variously marketed as a psychological thriller, murder mystery, hardboiled crime and police procedural in different territories. Oddly enough, I have also seen the book in the sci-fi, tech noir, philosophical, esoteric and romance sections of bookstores around the world.
Journalism taught me to write clearly and concisely, as well as the mechanics of telling stories in an engaging and structured way. The opening principle of The Economist’s Style Guide resonates strongly with me: ‘Clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought. So think what you want to say, then say it as simply as possible.’
History taught me a lot about the vagaries and frailties of the human condition. I realised from reading war diaries, for instance, that people often have vastly different memories of the same event. I made good use of this in Yesterday, with characters relying on contradictory diary accounts to make sense of their forgotten pasts and being in conflict as a result.
Science and laboratory work—as well as modelling and the fashion world—have taught me to pay attention to the small details that matter. High concepts are merely blank walls to hang tales on; what makes stories come alive are the infinitesimal but lively details that populate them. A small yet beguiling character quirk can really make a book sparkle, much like a tiny yet exquisite diamante on a dress.
In short, nothing is ever wasted; all prior experiences are immensely useful. Everything feeds back into one’s work, often in unexpected ways. They could be the effects of an exploding tube at the laboratory, the tiniest things one has seen, heard, felt, smelt or tasted during one’s travels. At a micro-level, the best scenes in books usually combine all five senses in a rich and enchanting way: one can write more convincingly if one has personally experienced a magical alchemy of senses.
Becoming a published novelist is an ambition shared by many, but one that can be difficult to achieve. What were the biggest challenges or turning points on your journey to publishing Yesterday, and what did that experience teach you?
I discovered that there are good days and bad days and I should make the most of the good ones. Bad days are days when my brain would descend into a fog; ideas would fail to form. I learnt to find more conducive environments to write—or simply to go on walks. I also learnt to be more flexible, to relax and go with the flow. Sometimes, it simply isn’t the right space nor the right time for one to act as a conduit for a story. At the very least, bad days can always be used for Excel or emails.
The discovery that inspiration is the alchemic response to the surprising, unfamiliar and unexpected was another turning point: that’s when I began doing a lot of writing on the road. The process of seeking out new experiences, of being open to different possibilities, really enriches one’s work. I have now visited 165 countries due to my quest to connect the dots in new and different ways—as well as to gain a better understanding of the human condition, particularly what drives people and what creates conflict between them.
Great stories are powered by clear character motivation and conflict, while the most engaging character arcs are journeys that are peppered with interesting obstacles along the way.
Looking ahead, what are you most excited about? Are there any new projects, interests or ambitions you're particularly keen to pursue?
I’m most excited about being creatively involved with the series adaptation of Yesterday. I’m also working on a few other visual projects, including an adaptation of a true story. While there is still room for books and other printed formats, the future of storytelling may well lie on visual platforms, especially if one hopes to reach out to younger generations.
Finally, what advice would you give to current ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ students or alumni who are considering a change in career direction, particularly those who might feel uncertain about stepping away from a more conventional path?
Go with the flow and trust your instincts, above everything else. I grew up in a culture where success was measured in the form of conventional milestones set by societal expectations. A better measure of success might be how closely one gets to one’s dharma—one’s unique life purpose or personal path. When one travels along a road that aligns well with one’s dharma and the natural flow of things, great results may occur.
That said, the first few years of career change can be extremely challenging as one is seldom taken seriously by others, especially in a world where people are often siloed or expected to progress down unidirectional paths. This is why it’s important to keep trying hard and to never give up, as well as to enjoy the process along the way.
As the first sentence of Yesterday states, ‘Happiness is a process’. Dreams come true with determination—and if one has faith in one’s intuition, wits and abilities.