Climbing Kinabalu Comfortably

Born in Singapore in 1964, Chan Joon Yee was a very prolific self-taught writer in the 1990s. He has written 2 novels and translated one Chinese travelogue by one of Singapore’s backpacking pioneers, Ng Wai Choy. His shorter pieces which included poems, short stories, book reviews, celebrity interviews, travel articles, advice columns and advertorials, were featured in newspapers, magazines and some trade publications. He has also done ghostwriting for business people who needed to make light-hearted speeches or engaging presentations.

After accumulating a further 20 years of life experiences since his last novel was published in 1993, Chan made a comeback in 2013 with a collection of short stories entitled Spellbound in Chiangmai. Chan Joon Yee first visited Thailand as an army boy in 1984. The Land of Smiles fascinated him for many years, but like many foreigners who have tried to settle here, his feelings have matured from infatuation to healthy cynicism. Set in the charming northern Thai city of Chiangmai, Spellbound in Chiangmai is a work of fiction inspired by his many puzzling encounters in the Land of Smiles.

Spellbound is followed by Dental Phobia which takes a humourous look at the other side of the terrifying dental chair. Dental Phobia is followed by another non-fiction book titled Leaving The Pain Behind. This book explores some of the painful stories behind people who tattoo themselves. He has also published (on Google Play) an English version of the ancient Chinese epic, Three Kingdoms. Unlike the direct translations of Three Kingdoms readily available online and offline, Chan’s version of Three Kingdoms contains many of his own interpretations of what actually happened, not just on the battlefield but in the minds of the schemers and warriors.