Mr Polly's Bonfire Party

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.