Our Friend is Here! An Interview with Alexander Te Pohe, Writer and Editor at Entangled Publishing; On Writing Anger and Joy, Poetry Inspirations, and His Writing Journey

Our Friend is Here! is a guest feature at The Quiet Pond, where authors, creatives, and fellow readers, are invited to ‘visit’ the Pond! In Our Friend is Here! guest posts, our visitors (as their very own unique character!) have a friendly conversation about anything related to books or being a reader — and become friends with Xiaolong and friends.

Our Friend is Here: Asian and Pasifika Heritage Month Edition is a month-long event at The Quiet Pond during the month of May, where Asian and Pasifika authors are invited to celebrate being Asian and Pasifika work and literature! Find the introduction post for Asian and Pasifika Heritage Month here.

Across my time as a book blogger and a member of the book community, I have had the opportunity to bear witness the writing journeys of many people, especially writers. Following such journeys has always felt like a privilege; it is seeing writers develop and grow, and work on projects, stories, or poetry that feel meaningful and that help them understand themselves. Of the many people I have followed throughout the years, a particular person stands out to me – and that person is today’s guest for Asian Pasifika Heritage Month at the Pond: Alexander Te Pohe.

Our Friend is Here! An Interview with Tanaz Bhathena, Author of Hunted by the Sky – On Historical Indian Influences, Prophecies, and Challenging Society’s Expectations of Girls

Our Friend is Here! is a guest feature at The Quiet Pond, where authors, creatives, and fellow readers, are invited to ‘visit’ the Pond! In Our Friend is Here! guest posts, our visitors (as their very own unique character!) have a friendly conversation about anything related to books or being a reader — and become friends with Xiaolong and friends.

Our Friend is Here: Asian and Pasifika Heritage Month Edition is a month-long event at The Quiet Pond during the month of May, where Asian and Pasifika authors are invited to celebrate being Asian and Pasifika work and literature! Find the introduction post for Asian and Pasifika Heritage Month here.

A few months ago, I was in the mood for a sweeping fantasy that was rich with detail and magic, beautifully plotted, and about complex women warriors. Though that was quite a specific mood, I found my mood very much satisfied after I read Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena. Though Tanaz may be known for her excellent young adult contemporary stories, namely the searing portrayal of rape culture and and female sexuality in A Girl Like That and the new girl/bad boy romance in The Beauty of the Moment, I was swept away by her fantasy debut; I was enchanted by the magic and influence of goddesses, and mesmerised by the intriguing yet dangerous world within.

Let’s Go on a Pond-cation: The Lady or the Lion-Inspired Virtual Vacation through Pakistan with Aamna Qureshi and Xiaolong!

Our Friend is Here! is a guest feature at The Quiet Pond, where authors, creatives, and fellow readers, are invited to ‘visit’ the Pond! In Our Friend is Here! guest posts, our visitors (as their very own unique character!) have a friendly conversation about anything related to books or being a reader — and become friends with Xiaolong and friends.

Our Friend is Here: Asian and Pasifika Heritage Month Edition is a month-long event at The Quiet Pond during the month of May, where Asian and Pasifika authors are invited to celebrate being Asian and Pasifika work and literature! Find the introduction post for Asian and Pasifika Heritage Month here.

Let’s Go On a Pond-cation posts are some of my absolute favourite posts here at The Quiet Pond, and I am so happy and excited that we get to do one for Asian Pasifika Heritage Month this year! With most of us cooped at home or having not traveled anywhere, I love the idea that we can take you away on a virtual vacation – a vacation that is very much book-related!

Our Friend is Here! An Interview with Manuia Heinrich; On #APIpit, Pacific Islanders in Publishing, and a French Polynesian Book Recommendation

Our Friend is Here! is a guest feature at The Quiet Pond, where authors, creatives, and fellow readers, are invited to ‘visit’ the Pond! In Our Friend is Here! guest posts, our visitors (as their very own unique character!) have a friendly conversation about anything related to books or being a reader — and become friends with Xiaolong and friends.

Our Friend is Here: Asian and Pasifika Heritage Month Edition is a month-long event at The Quiet Pond during the month of May, where Asian and Pasifika authors are invited to celebrate being Asian and Pasifika work and literature! Find the introduction post for Asian and Pasifika Heritage Month here.

Today is a special and exciting day, for two awesome reasons. First, today is the day before #APIpit! #APIpit is a writing pitch event for Asian and Pacific Islander creators that takes place on the 4th of May (EST), and I am incredibly excited to see all the Asian and Pasifika writers pitching their work. All the best – we are cheering you on! Our other reason is that we have one of the co-founders for today’s #APIpit event, Manuia Heinrich, visiting us at the Pond today for Asian Pasifika Heritage Month!

Our Friend is Here! An Interview with Shelley Parker-Chan, Author of She Who Became the Sun – On the Intersections of Gender and Culture, Craft Challenges, and Writing Complex Characters

Our Friend is Here! is a guest feature at The Quiet Pond, where authors, creatives, and fellow readers, are invited to ‘visit’ the Pond! In Our Friend is Here! guest posts, our visitors (as their very own unique character!) have a friendly conversation about anything related to books or being a reader — and become friends with Xiaolong and friends.

Our Friend is Here: Asian and Pasifika Heritage Month Edition is a month-long event at The Quiet Pond during the month of May, where Asian and Pasifika authors are invited to celebrate being Asian and Pasifika work and literature! Find the introduction post for Asian and Pasifika Heritage Month here.

To kick off the first day of Asian Pasifika Heritage Month at the Pond, we have a very exciting guest! A little over two months ago, I read a phenomenal book called She Who Became the Sun, a queer historical retelling of the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty. Within the book was a stunning yet absolutely brutal story about a girl who takes her brother’s fate and name, becomes a monk, and ascends through the ranks, fulfilling his destiny of greatness. She Who Became the Sun is a story about war, ambition, desire, and fighting fate – and I think about this story often.