Eddy Boudel Tan has been a finalist for the Edmund White Award, the ReLit Best Novel Award, and the Ferro-Grumley Award for his novels After Elias and The Rebellious Tide. The Writers’ Trust of Canada named him a Rising Star in 2021. His short stories can be found in Joyland, Yolk, and various literary journals and anthologies. The Tiger and the Cosmonaut from Penguin Canada is his third novel. Follow Eddy on Instagram (@eddyautomatic) and at eddyboudeltan.com.
The Tiger and the Cosmonaut is your third published novel. What advice do you have for emerging writers and what is the most important lesson you have learned throughout your career?
There are too many lessons to count, but one I think about often is the importance of inhabiting one’s work. For me, reading a good book is a thoroughly immersive experience, so writing a good book should feel the same. My best work has always been created while I felt soaked in the atmosphere and energy of the story, intimately attuned to the characters’ desires and fears. Under conditions like these the story tends to tell itself to me, so long as I loosen my grip on it.
The Tiger and the Cosmonaut explores the complexities of immigrant family dynamics. What do you hope readers will take away from this novel?
This book blurs the line between truth and deceit while affirming how multiple things can be true at once. I hope readers feel compelled to think more deeply about how to discern the truth from the shiny facades that surround us.
Where, when, and how often do you write?
I write from my book-filled apartment in the West End of Vancouver, often from the deck during warmer days with the sounds of birds in the trees. Mornings are prime time for me, usually fueled by good coffee. My writing routine can be erratic, but I try to catch a wave and ride it as far as I can. The more obsessed I am with a story, the greater the wave.
LiterASIAN 2025 