Timothy Mo author page

Timothy Mo biography

Timothy Mo is a British novelist known for his works exploring themes of identity, culture, and postcolonialism. He was born in Hong Kong and educated in the United Kingdom, attending St. John’s College, Oxford, where he studied history. Mo’s writing often reflects his bicultural background and interest in East-West relations.

Mo’s debut novel, The Monkey King, was published in 1978 by André Deutsch. The book draws on his experiences and observations of Hong Kong society. His second novel, Sour Sweet (1982), examines the lives of a Chinese family in London and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Sour Sweet was later adapted into a film directed by Mike Newell.

In 1986, Mo published An Insular Possession, a historical novel set in nineteenth-century China, which was also shortlisted for the Booker Prize. His subsequent works include The Redundancy of Courage (1991), which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and Brownout on Breadfruit Boulevard (1995). Mo has also published Renegade or Halo2 (2000) and Pure (2012).

Timothy Mo is recognised for his detailed characterisation and exploration of complex social and political issues. His novel Sour Sweet was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1982.