Hong Kong writer Vann Chow is a winner of The Wattys, the
world’s largest online writing competition hosted by Wattpad. Wattpad, the global multiplatform
entertainment company for original stories, transforms how the world discovers, creates, and
engages with stories. Vann’s story, The White Man and the Pachinko Girl, was selected from
among almost 140,000 entries to win the 2016 Wattys under the Hidden Gems category.
The White Man and the Pachinko Girl is a suspenseful, psychological thriller. The story begins
with a chanced encounter between middle-aged American expat Smith and 18-year-old
Japanese pachinko parlor hostess Misa, whose paths crossed because of a murder
investigation.The White Man and the Pachinko Girl is the book one of the Tokyo Faces trilogy,
inspired by actual events of social injustice against women and underprivileged community in
Japan.
Vann Chow will receive premium exposure to Wattpad’s community of 45 million people and
their work will be recognized as one of the most-loved Wattpad stories from the millions posted
every year. It will also be featured alongside other 2016 Watty award winners through a
promoted Wattpad reading list and official Wattys story cover badge. Vann Chow has also
signed on to the Wattpad Star Program which supports successful writers by providing exciting
opportunities to work with leading brands and partners in various media.
This year, almost 140,000 writers entered The Wattys by tagging their original work with
#Wattys2016 on the Wattpad App or website. Millions of people in the community read, voted,
and shared their favourite stories online to help Wattpad select the 2016 list of winners. Overall,
people spent 13 billion minutes engaged with Wattys content this year, including Vann’s story
The White Man and the Pachinko Girl, book one of the Tokyo Faces trilogy.
“The Watty’s is a writing contest like no other. It’s a chance for storytellers of all levels to get
recognition from a global audience,” said Marc. “The Wattpad community is obsessed with the
annual competition and has spent 13 billion minutes reading and engaging with this year’s
submissions.”
The Wattys highlight the love the community has shown for the most popular genres on
Wattpad, and recognizes the effort of writers in the international community. Numerous Wattys
winners have worked with top brands like Mondelez, Paramount Pictures, and Kraft through
Wattpad’s Brand Stories native ad program. Some have even seen their work produced for film,
print, television, and digital platforms through Wattpad Studios.
Vann Chow’s winning story is available on Wattpad here: The White Man and the Pachinko Girl.
You may also purchase a copy of the book on Amazon. For more information on the Wattpad
app and community, visit: www.wattpad.com/press