Dai Wei, a PhD student and protestor in Tiananmen Square in June 1989, was caught by a soldier's bullet and fell into a deep coma. But as the millennium draws near, he begins to emerge from unconsciousness, and to sense the massive changes in his country. At once a powerful allegory of a rising China, … Continue reading International Banned Book Pick: Beijing Coma by Ma Jian
Shi Yu changed into a pink slip then lay down on the massage table. She hadn’t seen Zhu Xiyan this time. When she closed her eyes, the beauty treatment finally began. Just as the beautician was preparing the massage oil, Shi Yu heard felt a vibration on her right, followed by a song wafting out. … Continue reading Paper Republic Story: Metro Line Five by Wu Jun
I didn’t get on with my landlady. Why? Because she was too nice. Perhaps I should explain. August 27, 2015 The morning light was pouring through the window into my bedroom and the lamps in the flat were blazing brightly, but my heart was a solid black, like an abruptly extinguished cigarette. Out late the … Continue reading Paper Republic Story: “Saint Marie” by Da Si
There were three of us in the lab, and our goal was to extend the life of white mice. To be more precise, we were researching the flaws in the DNA of each mouse, and finding ways to repair them. Ultimately, we hoped to find the secret to giving mus musculus a longer lifespan. … Continue reading Paper Republic Story: “Convince Me” by Jiang Yitan
She sat in a taxi, stuck on the main road in the Old Town district. White lines of paint clearly marked six lanes of traffic, but none of them were going anywhere. The road signs reflected the harsh rays of the sun, glowing in every color of the spectrum. The trees on either side … Continue reading Paper Republic Story: “49 Degrees” by Song Aman
In mid-2002, a group of language professionals living in Japan began to discuss the need for a new kind of publisher—one that could serve readers in English and Japanese, with titles meant for both general and specialist markets. Reflecting the skills and interests of its founding directors, Kurodahan Press first offered books relating to Japan, … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Kurodahan Press
Candied Plums is an independent publisher founded in 2016. We are dedicated to sharing inspiring and creative contemporary Chinese picture books with not only Mandarin learners but also picture book lovers. With a deep commitment to the best quality, we select, translate and publish English picture books, as well as bilingual (Simplified Chinese-English) ones. This … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Candied Plums
This is the last day in February, and our last post in the Paper Republic series on Chinese literature. Thank you for following us! We're very grateful to all our contributors - we couldn't have managed a post a day without you! So far, all our contributors have a strong Chinese connection. But Chinese literature is … Continue reading On a cold December evening I headed to the Free Word Centre in London, to do something I had never tried before – by Marinella Mezzanotte
Our penultimate post is about popular Chinese fiction of the ghostly, grave-robbing kind. We are thrilled to post this piece by writer and translator Xueting Christine Ni, who is currently working with the fantasy and science fiction author Tang Fei, and writing a book on Chinese deities. Having studied English literature in London, and Chinese … Continue reading Raiding China’s Tomb Adventures – by Xueting Christine Ni
Chun Zhang is the translator of a beautiful children’s book The Story of Ink and Water by Liang Peilong and Li Qingye. We are always on the look-out for great children’s books created by Chinese writers and illustrators, and this one is due for publication in March 2017. We asked Chun to tell us more about it... … Continue reading The Story of Ink and Water – by Chun Zhang
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 