Memories of the Memories of the Black Rose Cat is the second novel by Veeraporn Nitiprapha, a Thai writer and journalist. And, just as her debut novel, it has brought her the Southeast Asian Writers Award - the most important literary prize in the region - making her the first woman to have been awarded twice in a row.

The novel spans the period from 1910 to the 1970s and follows several generations of a Chinese immigrant family in Thailand looking for its identity against the backdrop of revolutions, coups, and wars. The novel tries to understand how the historical events - and, especially, the period after World War II - have shaped Thailand into the country it is today. It also explores the role of memory, its inevitable fading and continuous recreation that offers us a fragile sense of identity and home.

When Great-Grandpa Tong emigrated from China to Siam as a young man in the early decades of the 20 th century,he unwittingly brought with him a family curse…Spanning three generations of a Chinese-Thai family in Thailand, Memories of the Memories of the Black Rose Cat is an epic saga of immigrant life. In her characteristic magical realist style, Veeraporn Nitiprapha chronicles the family’s adventures and tragedies against the backdrop of a tumultuous century to create a unique, vivid and poignant portrayal of Chinese diaspora life. A best-seller in Thailand, the original Thai-language edition of Memories of the Memories of the Black Rose Cat won the national SEA-Write Award in 2018.

Southeast Asian Writers Award winner

“Riveting! A fascinating melange of Marquezian magical realism and a 21st century version of Dream of the Red Chamber. Tragically sweet with a twisted ending that makes readers wonder – like the forgotten history of the Chinese Diaspora in Thailand – if we really exist.” ~ Wassana Wongsurawat, Assistant Professor of Modern Chinese History, Chulalongkorn University

“Engrossing and addictive.” ~ Asian Review of Books, Hong Kong

“Feverish and dreamy – a tour de force.” ~ The Straits Times, Singapore
“[A] rare glimpse into the torrid heart of modern Thai life.” ~ Washington Independent Review of Books, USA
“An immersive experience,” ~ The New York Times, USA

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