Meet writer and comedian Jennifer Wong, who discussed her new book Chopsticks or Fork, a nostalgic exploration of Chinese-Australian restaurants, based on her TV series. Jennifer shares insights into her writing journey and balancing her work across different media.
00:00 Introduction and welcome 00:20 Catching up after a trip 00:52 Listener shoutouts and publishing advice 03:20 Writing tip from Nat Newman 03:45 Exploring Disney Studios 07:21 Writing tip: Take a research trip 12:31 Competition announcement 14:21 Word of the week 15:07 Travel writing special edition course 18:12 Interview with Jennifer Wong 23:43 Finding the right talent for a show 23:59 Comedy and personal growth 25:06 Writing with personal experience 27:15 Exploring favorite writing topics 29:06 The journey of Chopsticks or Fork 32:58 Creating a nostalgic and joyous book 42:58 Balancing book promotion and new projects 44:20 Upcoming shows and future plans 48:34 Final thoughts and fun facts
Wordplay-loving food enthusiast Jennifer Wong is a writer, comedian, and presenter of Chopsticks or Fork? (ABC), a series about Chinese restaurants in regional Australia.
She’s the co-author of Chopsticks or Fork? (Hardie (Grant) with Lin Jie Kong.
Jennifer’s humorous essays and reporting about food, culture, and mental health have been published by ABC Everyday, ABC News, The Guardian (Jennifer Wong’s Class Act), Monocle, SBS Food (The Mostest), SBS News, and The Big Issue.
Her comedy in English and Cantonese has been seen by millions online, and her stand-up shows have sold out around Australia.
Jennifer is also the curator and host of FEAST, a storytelling event about how we eat and how we live.
With on-the-spot puns for every occasion and a karaoke horror story or two, Jennifer has appeared on The Cook Up (SBS), Celebrity Letters and Numbers (SBS), Thank God It’s Friday! (ABC Radio Sydney), and Chat 10 Looks 3.
As a broadcaster, Jennifer’s a regular guest on ABC Local Radio programs, and her work has aired on ABC Radio National shows such as Books and Arts. In 2016, she hosted 40 episodes of ABC iview’s Bookish, where she interviewed local and international writers about reading and writing.
