Michael Arnold

Writer · Editor · Publisher

I am a biography author with unique skills in capturing and writing full life stories, with a sharp instinct for connecting the dots to reveal rich narratives and hidden motivations. I have extensive experience in writing long-form profile pieces as the founder of Metro Writers and co-founder of Saigon’s Ơi Vietnam lifestyle magazine. My work has taught me how to craft biographical books that preserve my clients’ legacies for their descendants, establish credibility in their field, and present compelling lessons to attract readers and followers.

I believe that the best biographies are based on extensive interviews, and should aim to capture as much detail of a person’s life as possible so that nothing is lost to time. Through Metro Writers, I have developed an interview-based system that allows me to manage teams of collaborators to ensure a client’s biography is written with the greatest possible attention to detail, resulting in manuscripts of exceptional quality.

I work to promote the power of books to preserve and celebrate human stories, convinced of their importance in building legacies for future readers. I have published several books in Vietnam and China, written hundreds of articles about people, culture and business, and have worked as a professional copywriter for many top enterprises.

My work in Asia has taught me the value of personal stature as a form of currency that empowers leadership, establishes authority and drives company value. My team can help clients from any part of the world manifest their own reputation and legacy in a physical format, helping them to publish their biographies as a permanent record of their credibility.

Contact:
• Email:  michael@metrowriters.com 
• Website: metrowriters.com
• LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/mikewriter/

Biography

Michael Arnold is a New Zealand-born writer, editor and publisher based in Ho Chi Minh City. He is the founder of Metro Writers and a co-founder of Ơi Vietnam, the city’s original English-language lifestyle magazine. He has lived and worked in Asia since the early 2000s, spending formative years in China before settling in Vietnam, where he has built one of the country’s most active biography and book production operations.

Michael brings to his work a deep familiarity with the cultural traditions, business environments and social registers of the region. This informs both his editorial judgement and his ability to work across language and cultural boundaries on projects of genuine complexity.

He has authored and edited more than thirty books across biography, memoir, life writing, travel and literary fiction. His authored biographies include works on Sir Greig Craft (Impact), Le Hoang Diep Thao (The Queen of King Coffee), Vo Viet Chung (Mac Nua), and the memorial tribute to Phi Nhung (An Emissary from Heaven / Tịnh Bình). As an editor, his credits span a wide range of genres and markets, including titles by authors based in Vietnam, China and beyond.

Earlier in his career, Michael edited brief, a New Zealand postmodern literary journal, and published two works of English-language travel and cultural history in China. He has written for Tatler, the Singapore Business Times, Inside Retail, Ơi Vietnam and other publications across Asia. He was also a script editor for multiple China Central Television (CCTV9) documentaries.

Publications and credentials

Author/Contributing Writer

Editor/Contributor/Proofing/EBook

Profile articles (selected)

  • Hong Nhung – Vietnamese Diva – Tatler – 2025
  • Humberto Campana – Brazilian Designer – Tatler – 2025
  • Ricky Wong  –  Top 50 Innovative Retail Leaders in Hong Kong  –  KPMG  ·  2017
  • Karen Mok –  Inside Retail Asia –  KPMG  ·  2018
  • Gary Daniels  –  Actor  –  Oi Vietnam  ·  2017
  • Christine Ha  –  MasterChef Winner & Author  –  Oi Vietnam  ·  2016
  • Kyo York  –  Singer  –  Oi Vietnam  ·  2017
  • Ngo Thanh Van  –  Actress –  Oi Vietnam  ·  2016

Media and publication credits

Writing sample

Perhaps it’s characteristic of a woman of Hong Nhung’s character that during those moments of vulnerability, overwhelmed and in tears, her instinct wasn’t so much to summon up the courage to fight the disease. It was rather to gather the energy to sing. Cancer is a dark moment in the life of a woman who brings light to music, and there is perhaps no more fitting way for her to resist the disease than by projecting her voice on the stage.

“At that time, I was scheduled to perform at the Ho Guom Theater in November, and the tickets were already sold out,” she says. “So I faced the question of whether or not I would be able to do it. So yes, I made the decision to go ahead, with my doctor’s permission, even though I would be learning every day—not only singing, but practicing with the orchestra and also dancing.”

On November 30, Hong Nhung stood before her audience and performed with a mote of darkness in her chest that no one could see.

Media

Interested in working with Michael Arnold?

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You are welcome to get in touch directly, or to enquire through Metro Writers if your project requires a full production team.

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