ReviewHongkongers’ creative revenge on arrogant expat adman, a penis gaffe in Saudi Arabia, and more funny stories from a globetrotting copywriter

‘Good Morning, Mr S***tybottom: 35 Years in the Life of an Expat Adman’ is an entertaining and engaging memoir written in a lively, flippant style

Curious about and respectful of other cultures when often his colleagues were not, John Fuery’s observations are often spot on

4-MIN READ4-MIN

This fun, lively read follows the life of John Fuery, an English advertising copywriter as he works in countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Vietnam, Kenya and Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 6:00pm, 27 Jan 2020Updated: 6:00pm, 27 Jan 2020

Good Morning, Mr S***tybottom: 35 Years in the Life of an Expat Adman, by John Fuery. Published by Independent Publishing Network. 3/5 stars

As the second part of his memoir’s title suggests, John Fuery spent most of his working life as an advertising copywriter outside his native Britain, in countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Vietnam, and Kenya, and in Hong Kong, where he lived for three periods between the 1980s and 2000s.

Good Morning, Mr S***tybottom – that part of the title comes from the English translation of the Chinese name given to an unwitting Hong Kong advertising agency CEO, newly arrived in the city, by local staff he alienated with his arrogance, and duly printed on hundreds of business cards – is an episodic, somewhat picaresque account.

Don’t expect to be particularly inspired or enlightened by the book – but do expect to giggle in recognition, especially at the Hong Kong sections.

John Fuery spent most of his working life as an advertising copywriter outside his native Britain.

Fuery is engaging company and has a lively, enjoyably flippant writing style. At times this can stray into overwriting – he never says something directly when he can find a livelier synonym, which can sometimes get a little tiresome, and is a fan of bad puns – but it’s an entertaining, page-turning read. He is enjoyably self-deprecating, regularly commenting with amusement on his own tendency to make bad decisions, and often displays a gift for comedy.