The twentieth century saw the publication of many of the greatest works of literature ever written. All around the world, writers were inventing entire genres, pushing boundaries, blending fiction and philosophy, and so much more. Many of the great novels that we call modern classic books today were written in the 20th century. And beyond …
Chinese Literature
American author Stephen King is considered the undisputed master of horror, with as many published works as he has years on this Earth. But King is far from the only great horror author writing today, so here are some of the best horror books by writers far and wide. Essential Modern Horror Books Beyond the …
During the 21st Century, we’ve seen the genre of science fiction expand and evolve in exciting new ways. Authors are pushing boundaries, blending genres, revisiting classic themes with fresh eyes and perspectives. There’s so much to be excited about when it comes to modern sci-fi novels. Essential Modern Sci-fi Novels Whether you’re an aficionado of …
Reading international literature has its obvious benefits. The biggest and boldest of them being a lesson in empathy: learning how other cultures approach life, make their art, and tell their stories. We often think about international literature in terms of literary fiction; books that are grounded within the culture they come from. But what about …
We all know that China is the nation on everyone’s lips this century. Whether you’re into politics, trade, economics, cinema, travel, history, fashion, whatever your passion, China is a colossal talking point. China is also flourishing in the realm of literature in translation. Chinese novels in translation are some of the most ground-breaking and exciting …
Taylor Bradley from publisher Honford Star shares insight into their process of choosing local cover designers for their East Asian books and why they wouldn’t consider doing it any other way. For the first book that we published at Honford Star, we made a small but hugely influential decision – we’d hire a Korean artist …
I’ve written and spoken before about how exciting Chinese literature in the 21st Century is. If you aren’t paying attention to the wealth of imaginative, surreal, political, and evocative Chinese novels in translation right now, you really should be. Chinese literature, however, has a very particular legacy. So much so, in fact, that this legacy …
Xiaolu Guo needs no introduction. Born in a Zhejiang fishing village, studied in Beijing, moved to London in 2002. Guo has directed several movies and documentaries since moving to the UK, and is perhaps best known for her novel A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers and her memoir Once Upon a Time in the East, …
Those of us who read a broad spectrum of world literature in translation often do so in order to broaden our perspectives, understand other cultures’ ways of writing, processing the world, and expressing themselves through art. With Taiwan being one of my favourite countries and cultures, I’ve read every Taiwanese book in translation I can …
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 …