Osaka is known for being the artsy, fun-loving little brother of the country’s capital. It’s a city of stand-up comedy, great bars and restaurants, and so it only makes sense for there to be some fantastic Osaka tattoo artists and studios to visit when you find yourself in Japan’s coolest city. This selection of Osaka …

Hekla’s father named her after a volcano. Four years after she was born, the volcano after which she was named erupted, and her volcano-obsessed father took Hekla in his Jeep to see the eruption. The sight forever stoked a burning fire in her, turning Hekla into a young woman who wanted nothing in the world …

In his book China in Ten Words, author Yu Hua discusses in detail the multiple plights of the writers and artists of China. Censorship, legal battles, ownership; so many of a writer’s rights and freedoms can be put at risk, and they are on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter if these are the best …

Award-winning Korean author Hye-young Pyun, a writer who excels at creating and controlling her tragic heroes like a puppet master does a marionette, is my favourite Korean author in translation. Her works The Hole and City of Ash and Red are masterpieces of genre fiction which both carved out new niches within the psychological horror …

For the past several years, there have emerged many successful films and books – both fiction and not – that have endeavoured to sing for the unsung voices of women throughout history. Women of science, mathematics, literature, politics, music, and more who, until now, were nameless and faceless – unmentioned in the male-dominated history books. …

With the Normal People TV series out now and Sally Rooney’s phenomenally grounded, honest, and cutting novel almost two years old, it’s time to look at the best books like Normal People for readers who have recently rediscovered the novel or viewers who have been entranced by the Normal People TV series. Normal People is …

Seoul is an exciting and electric metropolis of incredible food, a vibrant music scene, and some of the best bars in East Asia. But it’s also surrounded on every side by mountains, islands, traditional villages, and beautiful historic sites. All of which are easy day trips from Seoul. Take a look at this list of …

Any and all poems can seem daunting to those wishing to dip their toe into the vast and deep waters of poetry. There is so much nervousness and intimidation to feel, and the same questions are asked over and again: Where do I begin? Will I understand it? What am I supposed to feel? Is …

Comma Press has, for several years now, been collecting short stories from authors based in cities around the world. Stories that speak to the cities they’re about. Stories that bring the city to life in surreal, explorative, and revelatory ways. The Book of Shanghai is easily my favourite in this series since The Book of …

For more than a decade now, mythology has had a colossal resurgence in popular culture. From the God of War video games to Thor: Ragnarok, kids and adults around the world are devouring every movie, TV show, and video game based in mythology. But, for those of us wanting to dig a little deeper, there …