Thai or Chinese? Male or female? Fiction or fact? Will the real Judy Chan please stand up?
To answer the easiest question first, J. Chan - who writes under four different names depending on the genre - is definitely a woman, and recently broke into English-language publishing following the translation of her award-winning novel A Walk Through Spring.
The story follows the lives of four grandmothers, formerly Cantonese maids to rich families in Thailand, who reminisce in front of a thirtysomething relative, inspiring her to make the most of her life.
'Nowadays, some authors choose to write about the worst side or even make up disgusting stories about their own countries to stun readers and grab easy money,' says Chan, whose family originated in Guangdong. Chan was born in Bangkok, where she lives with her surgeon husband, in 1955. 'Rape in the family, torture and killing - do we have to write that to earn our living?' she asks.
Much is revealed as A Walk Through Spring's principal characters chatter, including the secrets of female immigrants who are far more distinguished than their menfolk; the aromatic details of artistic Cantonese cooking; and treasured beliefs and traditions to be passed on to the next generation.
The award of the 2008 Chommanard Book Prize - which is open to women writers only - came as a surprise to Chan.