I was going to just delete these, but I thought it might be amusing to keep a record of it, and perhaps it will help other people.
This one came through on 9 October 2026.
Dear Andy Quan,
I hope you’re doing well.
My name is Leigh Drew, and I’m a host and presenter with Casey Radio 97.7 FM in Melbourne, Australia.
I’ve been curious about the story behind Swallowing Clouds not simply what you’ve written, but what led you to write it in the first place. I found myself wondering what was happening, personally or intellectually, that made this particular story worth telling.
I’d love to invite you to join us for a relaxed conversation on Casey Radio about Swallowing Clouds and the ideas behind it.
Rather than treating the conversation as a straightforward discussion of the book, I’d be interested in going a little deeper: what first sparked the idea, which questions stayed with you while writing, whether anything surprised you along the way, and what you find yourself hoping readers notice or think about after finishing the book.
There’s often a story behind the story that readers never get to hear the unexpected experiences, turning points, doubts, discoveries, or small moments that shape a book before it ever reaches the page. That is the part of your journey I’d be particularly curious to explore.
The conversation would be informal and conversational, with plenty of room for you to speak naturally about your work, your experiences, and the ideas that matter to you.
Would you be open to having that conversation with us?
If so, I’d be happy to send through a little more about the format, recording process, timeframe, and arrangements.
Warm regards,
Leigh Drew
Casey Radio 97.7 FM
Melbourne, Australia
hello.showbiz.ad@gmail.com
I did a quick search and Leigh Drew is a breakfast radio presenter, described on the Casey Radio webpage as ‘Our Mr Showbiz! Leigh first broadcast at 3SER Casey Radio 97.7 FM in 1990’. Which means that the email address that they chose from gmail is pretty good. I wonder how they do that with these AI scam programs? Ask them to choose a well-known person and then generate a plausible user name? I guess that would be it.
If I was an Australian author who had just published a book and was looking for publicity, and I was unfamiliar with these scams, I might just fall for it. But for the fake Mr Drew to be asking about a book published in 1999 on Chinese-Canadian poetry is … ludicrous. Sorry AI scammers. Not good enough.