A heady tale of triads, crime and consequence in KL's Chinatown

'The research (for the novel) was largely informed by the broader project of what we generally refer to as memory, in the sense that it draws upon urban legends, archival images and pervasive mythologies to create what is, in many ways, an imaginary Kuala Lumpur,' says Tham. Photo: Clarity Publishing/William Tham

It must be said that author William Tham Wai Liang is far from as old as he sounds.

With a classic first name and two novels under his belt significantly set in the decades following Malaya’s independence, one may be forgiven to assume that Tham has lived through these times firsthand.