“I was ashamed of being Asian and different. I grew up very aware that I was not like everyone else,” she said. “I felt like I was a transplant in that community. She was the only Asian American in her class besides a half-Korean girl. Born to immigrant parents, Wen grew up in Ohio, where Asian Americans were a small minority. While attending the camp, she explores the Taiwanese culture, her identity and love.Įver reflects Wen’s own experiences of growing up in a multicultural environment. Despite her passion for dancing, she represses it to meet her immigrant parents’ expectations for her to become a doctor. “ Loveboat, Taipei ” is a young adult novel that follows the story of Ever Wong, an 18-year-old Chinese American girl who is forced to attend a summer program in Taiwan to learn Chinese language and culture. 21 to share her writing journey with the students. Ībigail Hing Wen, the New York Times bestselling author of “Loveboat, Taipei”, visited Taipei American School on Jan.

In media interviews Wen has pitched the sequel as: “Two fan favorites, Sophie Ha and Xavier Yeh team up to take control of their own lives, and find themselves on a wild unexpected reunion in Taipei.Abigail Hing Wen, the New York Times bestselling author of Loveboat, Taipei, visited Taipei American School on Jan. Wen is scheduled to release her second novel “Loveboat Reunion” this month (Jan 25, 2022). Aileen Li (“Detention”) is producer, Jake Pollock (“Soulmate”) is cinematographer.įinanciers on “Mama Boy” include Taiwanese firms A Really Good Film Company, MyVideo, Cinemark and Third Man Entertainment. International sales are handled by Distribution Workshop. It stars leading Taiwan acting stars Kai Ko (“You Are The Apple of My Eye”) and Vivian Hsu (“The Shoe Fairy”) as a shy young man who finds himself attracted to a single mother at a sex hotel. The budget is officially $10 million.Ĭhen last year originated and directed a Taiwan indie film “Mama Boy,” which is now in advanced post-production. The production is headed by Ace Entertainment (“To All The Boys” franchise, “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”), which bought the rights to Wen’s novel shortly after publication in early 2020, and 1 Productions Film. Taiwanese-American director Arvin Chen (“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”) was drafted to direct the picture which stars Ashley Liao (“Fresh Off The Boat,” “Physical”) as Ever and Ross Butler (“Shazam,” “To All The Boys: Always and Forever”) and Nico Hiraga (“Booksmart,” TV’s “Ballers”) as her suitors.

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen