Mr Polly's Bonfire Party
Apr 2025 · Austin Macauley Publishers
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156
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About this ebook
Augustus John Polly is a restless academic, uncomfortable in the colonial environment of 1950s Hong Kong. Prompted by sexual fantasies, he is drawn into a conspiracy that unfolds disastrously. “Amidst the decline of empire, a restless colonialist in Hong Kong debates the meaning of history. By turns funny and philosophical, this story of one man’s whimsy – but also courage – in taking a side challenges our own complacencies with political notions of right and wrong, as well as the inequalities of our own time.” – Cyril Wong, poet and fictionalist. “Mr. Polly’s world is a rich tapestry. The reader is transported to a world already gone, but not forgotten. It’s a cornucopia of themes, impressions, and moods. Like preparing a magical potion in a sorcerer’s cauldron, Malcolm Jack’s prose effectively uses a number of fascinating ingredients: The blend is sensuous, lascivious, delicious, funny, witty, ironic, intellectual, philosophical, political, historical, and human – a true cornucopia of life.” – João Mendonça, translator and author. “Malcolm Jack’s latest is a page-turner, a taut political thriller that never loses its momentum. The text has a cinematic quality, the protagonist a quiet Briton who contemplates the end of history and the fragility of empire. Hong Kong is lovingly and nostalgically depicted in glorious Technicolour as a city on the brink of change, at once beguiling and inscrutable.” – Kennie Ting, historian and curator.
About the author
Malcolm Jack was brought up and schooled in Hong Kong before returning to university in the UK. As a child, he learnt Cantonese at the same time as English. He has had a career both as a public servant and a writer. His writing includes articles, reviews on history, literature, philosophy, politics and a number of books. Among his travel histories are Lisbon: City of the Sea (2007) and To the Fairest Cape: European Encounters in the Cape of Good Hope (2019). His last book, My Hong Kong (2022), deals with writers’ mainly fictional impressions of the city from the 1950s onwards. He is a frequent visitor to Hong Kong.
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