Blog
Candid Conversations at Waterstones Piccadilly
Tonight’s Candid Book Club event at Waterstones Piccadilly proved why debut novels deserve serious literary attention. Ela Lee’s “Jaded” sparked one of the most intense discussions I’ve witnessed about race, power, and identity in contemporary fiction. Lee, a British-Korean-Turkish writer who left City law during the pandemic to write her
Love in the Digital Age
I’m writing this from a terrace café in Dubai, where Valentine’s Day unfolds itself in fascinating patterns of human behavior that feel like research for my next novel. The afternoon crowd provides a perfect laboratory for observing how love expresses itself in our hyperconnected age. At the table next to
Research Memo: Diasporic Spaces
Completed first research memo for Lydia’s documentary concept. She wants to map Eastern European diaspora in London physically. Where we live, work, gather, feel home. Brick Lane Russian shops selling familiar groceries. Gloucester Road Ukrainian cafés. South Kensington Polish bookstores. These spaces function as cultural anchors. You hear your language,
Cute Overload at Somerset House
Somerset House’s “Cute” exhibition challenged everything I thought I knew about aesthetic appreciation and emotional manipulation. From Hello Kitty’s global domination to the psychology behind our obsession with baby animals, the show revealed cuteness as a serious cultural force. The most unsettling section explored how cute aesthetics influence consumer behavior
Release: Eastern Empire
Eastern Empire is officially in the world as of this morning, and I’m still processing the magnitude of what this year has brought. Two published novels in twelve months — Luxury Labyrinth in May and now this — feels like an achievement that belongs to someone else’s life, not mine.
Between Memory and Archive
Today’s mentorship session wasn’t about my writing. Lydia showed British Library archival materials from Between Two Worlds. Photographs, letters, interview transcripts documenting Ukrainian displacement. The materials were raw. Not polished for public consumption. Handwritten letters with grammar mistakes. Blurry photographs. Interview transcripts capturing hesitations and contradictions. Messiness of actual human
Coming Soon: Eastern Empire
The third novel is finally ready for the world. Eastern Empire publishes in December, and I’m experiencing that familiar mix of anticipation and terror that comes with releasing something you’ve poured years of your life into. This story began during my semester at Beijing Language and Culture University back in
Three Languages, One Conversation
Autumn in Almaty arrived with that particular Central Asian light that makes everything feel simultaneously ancient and immediate. The Almaty Writing Residency organized by OLSHA and IWP turned out to be less about writing in isolation and more about collision. The trilingual format worked in English, Russian, and Kazakh, creating
London Comic Con: Pop Culture Deep Dive
Autumn London Comic Con at Olympia revealed the sophisticated artistry behind contemporary pop culture. From intricate cosplay craftsmanship to independent comic book innovation, the event showcased creativity that rivals traditional fine arts. The level of detail in handmade costumes amazed me — participants spent months researching character designs, learning new
