When ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ came out in 2018, it was the first major Hollywood film to feature a majority Asian-American cast since ‘Joy Luck Club’ in 1993. The film was a major success, grossing more than $238 million. However, did you know the book that inspired the film was written by Houston author Kevin Kwan?
Who is Kevin Kwan?
Kevin Kwan spent the first eleven years of his life in Singapore, living in a glitzy and glamorous environment similar to the one found in the movie “Crazy Rich Asians.” His great-grandfather was the founder of one of Singapore’s biggest banks. The young Kwan said he was so pampered that he had his shoelaces tied for him. However, all of that changed when his family moved to Clear Lake, a master-planned community within the Greater Houston area. His parents began making Kwan and his brothers do chores around the house. His Dad chose to move to the Houston-area because of its growing economy. He ended up owning three Marble Slab Creamery franchises, and one of them Kwan worked at as a scooper.
‘Crazy Rich Asians’
Kwan studied creative writing at University of Houston. However, it would be years until he established a career as an author. After graduation, he attended New York’s Parsons School of Design. In New York, he opened his own design studio and made a name for himself with famous clients such as Oprah Winfrey. After his Dad died in 2010, he decided to start writing again, creating a world that was familiar to him in his book, “Crazy Rich Asians.” The book follows middle-class American Rachel Chu, who falls in love with the affluent Nick Young, originally from Singapore.
What’s Next?
Kwan’s debut novel “Crazy Rich Asians” became an international bestselling novel and has been translated into 40 languages. At one point, his debut novel and sequel books, “China Rich Girlfriend” and “Rich People Problems” were in the top three positions on the New York Times Bestseller list in 2018. His latest novel, “Lies and Weddings” comes out later this month detailing a forbidden affair amid an extravagant tropical wedding. Kwan will discuss his latest book during an upcoming appearance at Asia Society Texas Center on Friday, May 31.
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