After 30 years in the industry, more than 250 Cannes Lions, and a run leading Ogilvy Asia Pacific to seven consecutive Creative Network of the Year titles, Eugene Cheong, has published a 13,000-word HANDWRITTEN book, ‘Cowards Don’t Go To Heaven’. 

“99.99% of advertising is pollution. Forgettable. Invisible. It contaminates culture and wastes the brief lives of the people who make it. This book is about the 0.01% – and the courage it takes to get there,” says Eugene.

‘Cowards Don’t Go to Heaven’ sees Eugene share eight creative habits (including courage, curiosity, intuition and persistence) that he prescribes as the anti-pollution remedy – a direct rejection of the mediocrity he believes is suffocating the industry. Taking a big swing in the face of AI and in the name of craft, Eugene wrote the entire book with charcoal and ink (Gen Z, please Google). The book is illustrated with 71 original drawings by the very sharp and funny Simon Spilsbury.

Illustrations by Simon Spilsbury, Britain’s high-speed engine of humour and creativity, are original works, produced to complement, and occasionally argue with, Eugene’s text. Simon calls Eugene’s book ‘The Creative Bible.’

“A raw, unfiltered manifesto for creative rebellion. A smack in the face of mediocrity. A survival guide for anyone who gives a damn about creativity.” David Droga, Vice Chair, Accenture.

There’s a personal layer to the book as well. Eugene wrote this for his daughter, an up-and-coming tattoo artist, and his son, a filmmaker swimming upstream, and it reads like it’s meant for anyone who’s tired of being told creative work should be easy and fun.

‘Cowards Don’t Go To Heaven’ launches at D&AD HQ in Shoreditch on 9 June, with a short talk, and live illustration.
Find out more here or more importantly, preorder.