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Jeffrey Lau's international  award-winning work proves the  appeal of local graphic storytelling
Name: Jeffrey Lau Wan-kit
Occupation: Graphic novelist
Star sign: Cancer
On my play list: Always changing
Hobbies: Reading, drawing and playing sports, especially tennis
The man: I wanted to be independent and work from an early age. That's why I entered a design school right after I finished secondary school.
I remember a teacher there told us on day one that design was not a business in which you could make big money. Half of the students in the hall left and I don't know why  I stayed . . . maybe because I really love drawing.
My first job was in a toy design firm. I worked there until my girlfriend sent my drawings to a graphic novels company and I was offered a job as an assistant. The job was really dull - I drew the frames and word bubbles for three years.
But I did not give up and kept drawing. Finally, I had my first work, Anti-ROCK, published in Comics for City People.
Three years later, I published a short love story called Collection Interlude. The feedback was good so I started Feel 100%. I didn't think it would take me 15 years to complete the 16-volume series.
Influences:  I have been inspired by two books in particular, Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I found the relationships in Norwegian Wood intriguing, and Marquez's book was the first piece of western literature I had read.
I believe comics are a form of entertainment.
I won the Japanese government's International Manga Award this year. It's a great recognition for me but I also hope it can show the Hong Kong government that local comics can be successful overseas. It should follow Japan and South Korea's lead and put more resources into nurturing local creative talent.
I actively participate in projects that help to promote creativity.  The most recent example is the RTHK website for artists.
Some people might think it is easy being a graphic novelist but it isn't. I read a lot of literature to get the inspiration for my stories - it's vital to learn the art of telling a good story. It's also important to observe people and the things that are happening in the world around you. Comics are for entertainment and they have to suit the reader's tastes.
Vision for the future: I work only on love stories because they have the greatest market share in  Hong Kong.
My new short story is Happy Tennis. Compared to Feel 100%, this is a more encouraging and positive piece of work. I want to see whether the market will accept this kind of story.
The world is changing really quickly so I don't have a long- term plan. All I can tell you is I will continue to be a graphic novelist.



The art  of success