Tash Aw on books

Mention e-books to Malaysian novelist Tash Aw and the mild-mannered 37-year-old gently but expressively winces.

"Books should first and foremost be about pleasure. And every time i turn on an appliance, it is not about pleasure, it is for work," he tells Lifestyle over breakfast at the Four Seasons Hotel.

"I really enjoy books on so many different levels, not just what is in them but the aesthetics of books. There needs to be a connection between the reader and the book, you connect with the text and also the physicality of the book."

The Read Interview by Stephanie Yap, Sunday Times, June 14, 2009

Malaysian writer, London-based Tash Aw was in town recently to promote his second book. I read his debut - The Harmony Silk Factory - which was a pretty good read. Going by his replies in the above interview, well, let's just say he's scored more points with me. Couldn't agree more with his take on the appeal of books and one's love for them. My good friend SP always gives me that incredulous look when i say I'm going to buy a book; he would helpfully suggest that I go to a particular website where I can find what i want and read for free.

"Browsing in a bookshop is still a very pleasurable thing. There is something mysterious and alluring about books, what they contain and the way they look, and i think that will endure."

- Tash Aw (as quoted in Sunday Times)