Kevin Kwan: Crazy Rich Asians

One of “10 dazzling debut novels to pick up right now.” — O Magazine

Crazy Rich Asians (Doubleday) is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.

When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should—and should not—marry.

Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

Schedule

Program: 7:00 pm
Reception to follow program

Enjoy free admission to the Sarofim Gallery now showing Universe Is Flux: The Art of Tawara Yusaku, open until the start of the program for registered ticket holders.

Tickets

Click here to make a free member reservation, or call 713.496.9901.
Click here to purchase a nonmember ticket.

About the Author

Kevin Kwan was born and raised in Singapore. A graduate of Parsons School of Design and the University of Houston, Kwan spent much of the 1990s working for Martha Stewart Living, Interview Magazine, and M&Co, the legendary design firm founded by Tibor Kalman. With Kalman, Kwan developed commercial and cultural projects for such clients as The Museum of Modern Art, The New York Times, and the iconic Swiss furniture design company Vitra.

Over the past decade and a half, Kwan has managed to balance three diverse lives—as a writer, a fine art photographer, and a creative consultant. Kwan was a contributing writer to SOMA Magazine and was Fodor’s Travel Guides' “Man in the Bahamas.” His evocative nighttime color photography has been exhibited internationally and acquired in public and private collections, including the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

In 2000, he established Kevin Kwan Projects to pursue a diverse array of publishing, commercial, and cultural projects. He has served as a creative consultant for clients such as The New York Times, Rockwell Group, and TED.com, and has produced acclaimed visual books for Oprah Winfrey, Gore Vidal, Larry McMurtry, and Elizabeth Taylor, to name a few. He is the author of I Was Cuba (Chronicle Books, 2007), named one of the Top 10 Art Books by Amazon in 2007, and the co-author of Luck: The Essential Guide (Collins, 2008), which has been translated into nine languages. Kwan lives in Manhattan.

Related Links

Houston Chronicle: Kevin Kwan, in Houston on Wednesday, Talks 'Crazy Rich Asians'

Asia Blog: Interview: 'Crazy Rich Asians' Teach Author Kevin Kwan His Love of Fiction

The New York Times: A Family Blinded by Bling and Fancy Designer Names

Entertainment Weekly: Kevin Kwan Talks Must-Have Beach Read 'Crazy Rich Asians' and a Possible Trilogy Ahead

Supported by The Brown Foundation, Inc., Houston Arts Alliance, City of Houston, The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, Bank of America, and United Airlines – Official Airline of Asia Society Texas Center.