As a group of avid readers in the LRP team we are very happy to have recently expanded our book offering online and in the showroom. We knew you would be interested in finding out more about some of the wonderful authors and illustrators who have created the ones we've selected. All books have a Hong Kong theme whether it be written or illustrated by someone who lives here or is about the city, the stories and the history of the place so many of us call home.
This week we are meeting Douglas Young, creative director of Hong Kong-based lifestyle store, GOD. and now author of You Too Can Mahjong.
ABOUT
I am Douglas Young. I was born in Hong Kong 1965. I grew up in Hong Kong and at age 15 I was sent to the UK for boarding school and university, and I didn't come back until I turned around 30 years. So, by the time I came back, half my life was spent in Hong Kong and the other half was in the UK.
INSPIRATION
The book is about presenting mahjong in a fun and easy to access way for non-Chinese people. It's like a mini coffee table book that could be a perfect gift for someone intrigued by the game. I'd like more people to play this game because it's great for the brain. My mother is almost 90 years old, yet she's still very alert and sharp because she plays mahjong regularly. It's the perfect brain exercise.
I love meandering the old districts and streets of Hong Kong. I would always look at the architecture and look at what people do to the architecture and the personal customisation to the buildings. I think that's very interesting because in the West, we are used to the architect having the final say, whereas in Hong Kong, it seems like the tenants, the people who use the buildings, have the final say over how the buildings look.
My favourite mahjong memory is producing the mahjong book, because I don't play mahjong much - I don't have the patience for it. The reason why I wrote this book was because I wanted a project to bond with my mother, who is a mahjong expert. So actually, I'm a secret ghostwriter for my mother when it comes to the book, she's the expert.
