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Jess Esa

Jess is the creator and editor of Books and Bao. They're passionate about the world, its literature, food, culture, and people. She enjoys sharing her travel tips with others and capturing those perfect moments.

Janet Hong is a writer and translator based in Vancouver, Canada. She received the 2018 TA First Translation Prize for her translation of Han Yujoo’s The Impossible Fairy Tale, which was also a finalist for both the 2018 PEN Translation Prize and the 2018 National Translation Award. She has translated Ha Seong-nan’s Flowers of Mold, Ancco’s Bad Friends, and Keum Suk …

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Literary travel is a huge part of our life and what we do here. Visiting the real-life locations of fictional worlds or the homes of the authors whose works we love so much is one of the most exciting parts of travel for us and any other proud literary traveller. Luckily, there are books out …

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As the old proverb goes, ‘sunshine all the time makes a desert.’ When it comes to our feelings and emotions, none of us can feel happy all the time and, actually, periods of sadness, anxiety, and other perceived negative emotions can help us appreciate the good moods when we have them. As humans, we have …

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The Ten Loves of Nishino (or The Ten Loves of Mr Nishino in the UK) is a novel that is, much like Kawakami’s other works, at once frolicking fun and darkly mournful. The out-of-order biography of an enigmatic frustration of a man tortured and strange, told through the intimate first-person perspectives of ten of his …

Read More about The Ten Loves of Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami BOOK REVIEW

Mattho Mandersloot is a translator from Amsterdam. He holds a degree in Classics from King’s College London and one in Translation from the School of Oriental and African Studies. Formerly a competitive taekwondo athlete, he now spends most of his time translating Korean fiction. In 2018, he won the World Literature Today Translation Prize and …

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When planning a city break, Miami is probably not the first destination to spring to mind. Many people simply associate Miami with nightlife and palm trees, but away from the neon lights, Miami offers plenty to explore for culture lovers and is a wonderful long weekend destination. This vibrant city offers a mix of art, …

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Tiffany Tsao is a writer and translator. She is the author of Under Your Wings (forthcoming with Atria Books in the US as The Majesties) and the Oddfits fantasy series. Her translations from Indonesian to English include Norman Erikson Pasaribu’s wonderful poetry collection Sergius Seeks Bacchus, Dee Lestari’s novel Paper Boats, and Laksmi Pamuntjak’s The Birdwoman’s Palate. Her translations of Sergius Seeks …

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Korea’s cafe culture is something to be reckoned with and it’s only when you head elsewhere you realise quite how impressive it is.  From themed cafes to hipster joints, to cosy nooks, you could easily make a top-ten list for every city in South Korea and you still wouldn’t scratch the surface. Nonetheless, if you’re …

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As the capital of Japan, Tokyo is steeped in a deep history of vibrant arts and culture which are still alive and popular today. In the city, visitors can find everything from sumo matches and kabuki shows to see, a samurai museum and a variety of traditional art galleries to explore. Not to mention Disneyland …

Read More about Tokyo Art & Culture Guide (Museums, Galleries, & More)

Getting lost in Shibuya station at some point or other is fairly inevitable, no matter how much time you’ve spent in Tokyo, but this March (5-11th) you can get lost in a different way: in the paintings that are going to be displayed there for visitors to admire. One of the artists involved is Lida …

Read More about Visit Lida Sherafatmand’s Paintings at Shibuya Station