Occupation Writer Subject Crime and espionage Language English Name Jake Needham | Nationality American Role Novelist Genre Fiction Movies Natural Causes | |
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Alma mater Rice University
Georgetown University Education Rice University, Georgetown University Books The Ambassador's Wife, The Big Mango, Laundry Man, A World of Trouble: The Jack, Tea Money: A Novel | ||
Interview with expat thai author jake needham
Jake Needham is an American novelist and screenwriter. He is known as one of the best-selling English-language authors in Asia. He is a frequent speaker at schools and universities throughout Asia and guest on Asian television and radio networks. His English-language crime and espionage novels are set in Asia, which offers realism and authenticity to the narrative. Bangkok Post called Needham "Michael Connelly with steamed rice." Asia Business magazine said that "Needham certainly knows where some bodies are buried," and Matt Crook] said on CNN Travel that "Needham's stories have a 'ripped from the headlines' feel."
Contents
- Interview with expat thai author jake needham
- Jake needham an author in asia and beyond
- Personal background
- Professional background
- Published works
- Filmography
- References
Jake needham an author in asia and beyond
Personal background
Needham was born in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor's degree in History and Economics and then obtained a Master's degree in Law from Georgetown University. He has been admitted to the bar in Washington, D.C., New York, and Texas. In addition to Texas, New York, and Washington, D.C., he has also lived in Los Angeles, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney, Australia.
Since 1981, Needham has lived and worked in Asia. He is married to Pintuporn Sawamiphakdi, a graduate of Oxford University. She is the former editor of the Thai edition of Tatler magazine and a columnist with the Bangkok Post. They have two sons and reside in Thailand and the United States.
Professional background
Needham is a novelist and screenwriter. Much of his work is done at The Writer's Room in Greenwich Village. He has been the owner of a small television production studio, which allowed him to produce and write television programming. He began writing screenplays, in an effort to improve the profitability of the organization. While he lacked direct experience, his film scripts were often purchased and released on cable network television.
In 1994, he served as the screenwriter and producer of the film Natural Causes, starring Linda Purl, Ali MacGraw, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. Prior to his death, actor James Gandolfini expressed interest in purchasing the film rights to Needham's book, The Big Mango. Gandolfini wanted HBO Films to produce the work, desiring to star in the film, alongside Demi Moore. When HBO failed to step forward and act on their assertion that they wanted to purchase the rights to the film, the French production house of Canal+ made an offer, which Needham accepted. While Canal+ verbally agreed to retain Gandolfini as the star of the film, they later reneged on their agreement, stating their desire to bring on Tom Cruise as the lead. When Cruise declined, the licensing deal fell through.
Needham is known as one of the best-selling English-language authors in Asia. Until 2012, the print editions of books have been published by Marshall Cavendish Editions in Singapore. While Marshall Cavendish distributes his novels in Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United Kingdom, they are not available in North America. Needham's publishing contract with Marshall Cavendish ended over a disagreement pertaining to the content of his novel, The Umbrella Man. Needham chose to end the contract when his publisher expressed concern that the Singapore government would be offended by the content. Following the termination of their publishing relationship, Needham's work has been published digitally and in paperback editions by Half Penny Ltd. Hong Kong.