Kevin Kwan Popular Books
Kevin Kwan Biography & Facts
Kevin Kwan (born 1973 or 1974) is a Singapore-born American novelist and writer of satirical novels Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, and Rich People Problems. His latest book, Sex and Vanity, was released in June 2020. In 2014, Kwan was named as one of the "Five Writers to Watch" on the list of Hollywood's Most Powerful Authors published by The Hollywood Reporter. In 2018, Kwan made Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people and was inducted into The Asian Hall of Fame. Biography Kevin Kwan was born in Singapore as the youngest of three boys into an established Chinese Singaporean family. His great-grandfather, Oh Sian Guan, was a founding director of Singapore's oldest bank, the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation. His paternal grandfather, Sir Arthur Kwan Pah Chien M.D., was an ophthalmologist who became Singapore's first Western-trained specialist and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his philanthropic efforts. Sir Arthur's wife, Kwan's paternal grandmother Egan Oh, Lady Kwan, was a prominent debutante who became a socialite after her marriage. Kwan's maternal grandfather, the Rev. Paul Hang Sing Hon, founded the Hinghwa Methodist Church. Kwan is also related to Hong Kong-born American actress Nancy Kwan and former Singaporean finance minister Richard Hu, who was a cousin of his father. While in Singapore, Kwan studied at the Anglo-Chinese School and lived with his paternal grandparents. Kwan's father and mother, an engineer and pianist respectively, moved the family to the United States when Kwan was 11. The family moved to Clear Lake, Texas, and Kwan attended Clear Lake High School, graduating when he was 16. He attended the University of Houston-Clear Lake, where he earned a BA in Media Studies, after which he moved to Manhattan to attend Parsons School of Design in order to pursue a BFA in Photography. In New York, Kwan worked for Interview Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, and Tibor Kalman's design firm M&Co. In 2000, Kwan established his own creative studio, clients of which included Ted.com, Museum of Modern Art, and The New York Times. On August 22, 2018, Singapore's Ministry of Defence stated that Kwan is wanted in Singapore for defaulting on National Service obligation. The Ministry of Defence stated that Kwan had failed to register for National Service in 1990 and did not have a valid exit permit to remain overseas, even though he has been living outside of Singapore since he was 11 years old. In 1994, his application and subsequent appeal to renounce his Singapore citizenship without serving National Service were rejected. Kwan is liable to a fine of up to $10,000 and a jail term of up to three years under the Enlistment Act. Career Kwan edited I Was Cuba (featuring photographs collected by Ramiro A. Fernández, published in 2007) and coauthored the book Luck: The Essential Guide with Deborah Aaronson (published in 2008). Kwan became inspired to write Crazy Rich Asians in 2009 while caring for his father, who was dying of cancer. Kwan and his father would reminisce about their life in Singapore while driving to and from medical appointments, and Kwan began writing stories to capture those memories. Kwan stated one of his goals was to showcase the "educated families with style and taste that have been quietly going about their lives for generations" which went beyond the typical contemporary coverage of Asia which focused on conspicuous consumption. Friends had been urging him to commit his memories to paper as well. Moving to the United States has westernized his view of Asia, and he likens himself to "an outsider looking in" when describing his life in Singapore. Crazy Rich Asians Kwan published Crazy Rich Asians in 2013. The book was inspired by his childhood in Singapore; the second chapter more specifically was developed from a poem he had written years before entitled "Singapore Bible Study." Kwan wrote the poem, which describes the study group as "an excuse to gossip and show off new jewelry" for a creative writing course in college. In the process of turning that scene into a chapter of a novel, he was inspired to complete the entire story. The novel was described as "a sprawling, multi-generational mock epic that centers on a clan of Singaporeans whose various factions gather from their respective lairs around the globe for a wedding that is the year's most talked-about event among the international Chinese aristocracy." Upon publication, it received positive reviews, became both a national and an international bestseller, and has been translated into over 30 languages. In 2013, Hunger Games producer Nina Jacobson secured film rights to Crazy Rich Asians. The film was released in the United States on August 15, 2018. Kwan sold the rights to the film for just $1 and served as executive producer on the film with near total creative control, one of the conditions to selling the rights. China Rich Girlfriend Kwan published the first sequel to Crazy Rich Asians entitled China Rich Girlfriend in June 2015. Similarly to Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend became an international bestseller. On August 15, 2018, it was reported that even before the release of the film adaptation of his first novel, Kwan had already been tasked with developing a film from the sequel China Rich Girlfriend. On April 29, 2019, CNBC reported the back-to-back filming of two sequels to Crazy Rich Asians set for filming in 2020. China Rich Girlfriend, as of April 2019, is currently in pre-production. Rich People Problems Kwan's third and final installment of the Crazy Rich trilogy, titled Rich People Problems, was released in May 2017. On April 29, 2019, CNBC reported the back-to-back filming of two sequels to Crazy Rich Asians set for filming in 2020. Rich People Problems, as of April 2019, is currently in pre-production. Sex and Vanity In June 2020, Kwan's novel Sex and Vanity was published to good reviews, and with mention that this novel is not at all like Crazy Rich Asians. The plot has a structure like that of A Room with a View by E. M. Forster, and major characters have similar names. As of July 2020, Sony Pictures has purchased the film rights and the project is now in development. Other projects In August 2018, Amazon Studios ordered a new drama series from Kwan and STX Entertainment. The unnamed series is set in Hong Kong and follows the "most influential and powerful family" along with their business empire. References External links Official Website Kwan, Kevin (August 9, 2018). "Meet the Real Family That Inspired 'Crazy Rich Asians'". Town & Country. Retrieved August 22, 2018.. Discover the Kevin Kwan popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Kevin Kwan books.
Best Seller Kevin Kwan Books of 2024
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Breathe In, Cash Out
Madeleine Henry“The Devil Wears Prada meets Wall Street” (TheSkimm) in this sizzling debut about a banking analyst who plans to finally pursue her yoga career fulltime after her bonus hits, but u...
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Sunshine Nails
Mai NguyenA Real Simple MustRead Book of Summer 2023“Mai Nguyen has proven herself to be a real standout.” Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling authorA tender, humorous, and paget...
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Luck
Deborah Aaronson & Kevin KwanFilled with everything you need to live a luckier life, Luck: The Essential Guide is here with information, advice, or if you just have to knock on wood.
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The Fortunes of Jaded Women
Carolyn HuynhA GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK A WASHINGTON POST BEST FEELGOOD BOOK OF THE YEARFor fans of Amy Tan, KJ Dell’Antonia, and Kevin Kwan, this “sharp, smart, and gloriously extra...
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The Greatest Works of P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouseeartnow presents to you this unique collection, designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Jeeves & Wooster Series Nov...
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Lies and Weddings
Kevin KwanA TIME MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK From the iconic internationally bestselling author of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy: A forbidden affair erupts volcanically amid a decadent tropi...
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Once Upon a Sunset
Tif MarceloThe author of The Key to Happily Ever After“a true gem filled with heart, laughs, and a cast of delightful characters” (Nina Bocci, USA TODAY bestselling author)returns with a hear...
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Sex and Vanity
Kevin KwanNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER GMA BOOK CLUB PICK The author of the international phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians takes us from Capri to NYC, where a young woman finds herself torn betwe...
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What We Were Promised
Lucy TanSet in modern Shanghai, a debut by a ChineseAmerican writer about a prodigal son whose unexpected return forces his newly wealthy family to confront painful secrets and unfulfilled...
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The Hemsworth Effect
James WeirA sleepy town is about to wake up and smell the turmeric lattes #DontForgetYourKeepCup It started with the Hemsworths. Now, Byron Bay local, Aimee Maguire, is about to lose ...
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White Ivy
Susie Yang“A truly addictive read” (Glamour) about how a young woman’s crush on a privileged former classmate becomes a story of love, lies, and dark obsession, offering stark insights into ...
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In a Book Club Far Away
Tif MarceloFrom the author of Once Upon a Sunset and The Key to Happily Ever After comes a heartwarming and moving novel following three Army wivesestranged friendswho must overcome their dif...
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ROMeANTICALLY CHALLENGED
Marina AdairAmazon Best Romance of the Month Publishers Marketplace BuzzBooks: ROMANCE 20202021 pickFresh Fiction Fresh Pick “Fun, flirty, and fresh!” Jill Shalvis, New York Ti...
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How to Live Like a Crazy Rich Asian
Philip ChooIndulge in the fantastical lifestyle through this vibrant coffee table book! Philip Choo has been running a Crazy Rich Asians tour in Singapore since 2014and this book wi...
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American Babe
Babe WalkerAuthor of the New York Times bestseller White Girl Problems and Psychos, Babe Walker, faces her most daunting challenge yetsuburbiain the third caustically witty White Girl Problem...
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Crazy Rich Asians
Kevin Kwan#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The international sensation and blockbuster Hollywood rom com. "A Pride and Prejudicelike sendup about an heir bringing his ChineseAmerican girlfrien...
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The Paper Bark Tree Mystery
Ovidia YuSHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA SAPERE BOOKS HISTORICAL DAGGER'Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life' CATRIONA MCPHERSON 'Charming' RHYS BOWEN...
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Lion City
Jeevan VasagarA compelling, illuminating and evocative history of Singaporethe world's most successful citystate.In 1965, Singapore's GDP per capita was on a par with Jordan. Now it has outstrip...
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The Essential Works of P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouseeartnow presents to you this unique collection, designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Jeeves & Wooster Series Nov...
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The Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy Box Set
Kevin KwanThe New York Times bestselling international sensation that was the basis for Hollywood’s highest grossing romantic comedy in over a decade. "A Pride and Prejudicelike sendup abou...
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China Rich Girlfriend
Kevin KwanNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The author of the international sensation Crazy Rich Asians delivers a “snarky … wicked … funny” followup (The New York Times) that’s a deliciously fun r...
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Lie With Me
Philippe Besson“I remember the movement of his hips pressing against the pinball machine. This one sentence had me in its grip until the end. Two young men find each other, always fearing that li...
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Ponti
Sharlene TeoAn awardwinning novel about the value of friendships in presentday Singaporea “stirring debut…relatable yet unsettling [that] smartly captures earnest teenage myopathy through a tu...
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The Key to Happily Ever After
Tif MarceloOne of BuzzFeed’s “Books Coming Out This Summer That You Need to Seriously Read” One of Bustle’s “New Romance Novels to Make Your Spring Reading Even Dreamier Than You Imagined” A...
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The Cannonball Tree Mystery
Ovidia Yu'One of Singapore's finest living authors' South China Morning Post'Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life' CATRIONA MCPHERSON'Charming...
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Rich People Problems
Kevin KwanNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the author of the international sensation Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend, here is the trilogy’s uproarious conclusion. “A memora...
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Heiress On Fire
Kellie McCourtAfter accidentally blowing up her husband, can Indigo get back on her fourinch heels? In this madcap debut, One for the Money meets Crazy Rich Asians with a little Miss Fisher's Mu...
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The Mimosa Tree Mystery
Ovidia YuLONGLISTED FOR THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER'Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life' CATRIONA MCPHERSON 'Charming' RHYS BOWEN'One of the mo...
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The Unhoneymooners
Christina LaurenTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews Publishers Weekly Library Journal Named a “MustRead” by TODAY, Us Weekly, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, ...