Short Stories by Soon Ai Ling, Adapted and Transcreated from the Chinese by Yeo Wei Wei The past gets in the way of present and future possibilities, yet without it, what hope is there for self-knowing and wisdom? These questions are explored in Yeo Wei Wei’s transcreation and adaptation of Soon Ai Ling’s stories. Characters are caught up in private…
Story by Shen Yang, illustrated by Chen Huifang, translated by Nicky Harman Travel back in time to the countryside of northern China and meet little Yang Yang. To her, every day is a new adventure, and the farmland is an endless playground full of joy, where animals are always invited, and the water runs and laughs. Together with her friends,…
by Cynthia Delaney Suwito Some may like plastic bags for their convenience, while others may dislike them for polluting the environment. Regardless of anyone’s stance, the plastic bag as an object is just something that passes through our lives. Kresek is the rustling of plastic bags in Bahasa Indonesia. It is also the title of this light-hearted wordless comic, revolving…
by James Lawless Unable to find emotional rapport with his wife, Lil, with whom he shares a childless marriage, middle-aged and ailing librarian Leo Lambkin begins a correspondence with an old flame, Bernarda, who writes to him after she hears of the tragic death of his mother. Bernarda, whom Leo disguises as Jude, informs him that he is the father…
Story and Illustrations by Zhou Jianxin Translated by Hongyu Jasmine Zhu In the city, there was a temple, and in front of the temple, an old banyan tree. Old Banyan has watched all walks of life unfold beneath its canopy, and one day, a little squirrel climbs up its branches, demanding to hear a story. Little Squirrel is full of…
Story by Crystal Z. Lee Illustrations by Allie Su The mission of the Mermaids International Rescue Alliance (MIRA) is to guard the ocean and protect the sea creatures. There are many mermaid members in MIRA from all over Asia, such as Princess Hwangok (Korea), Roro (Indonesia), Jiao (China), Ningyo (Japan), Songkhla (Thailand), Duyung (Malaysia), Sovann Macha (Cambodia), Sirena (the…
— Memoirs of an illegal daughter by Shen Yang, translated by Nicky Harman 'I broke a law simply by being born.' In the late 1980s, Shen Yang was born during the fiercest years of China’s One-Child Policy. As the second daughter of the family, she was a massive liability – an excess child, a product of illegal birth. From being…
Story by Crystal Z. Lee Illustrations by Allie Su While visiting her grandmother in central Taiwan, Pei finds herself in the middle of a mystery. The pineapple cakes from her grandmother's bakery have disappeared! Soon Pei is collecting clues as she embarks on a quest to find the missing pineapple cakes. From the traditional Taiwanese artisans' craftsmanship to the picturesque…
Translation from Russian, Polish and Japanese, Notes and Commentary by Roger Pulvers. THE YEAR 2020 was the year the world turned inward. We may have stayed at home, but this was a time to look deeply inside ourselves to find connections that we carry in us with all people all around the world. ACCLAIMED AUTHOR and translator Roger Pulvers recorded…
by Chuden Kabimo Translated from the Nepali by Ajit Baral Shortlisted for The JCB Prize for Literature 2022 On a day of earthquake and rain, a young man gets bad news. Ripden, his childhood friend, has been swept away by a landslide. He makes his way back to Malbung, the village of his birth, and the memories come rushing back:…
with other stories and poems by Miyazawa Kenji and works by Mori Ogai, Ishikawa Takuboku, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Dazai Osamu, and Inoue Hisashi. Translation from Japanese and Commentary by Roger Pulvers. MIYAZAWA KENJI remains not only Japan’s most popular and beloved writer of stories for children and adults but a prescient voice for this century on how we can survive and…
by Roger Pulvers Roger Pulvers has been writing fiction set in Japan for over fifty years. Now, for the first time, a collection of his very best short stories has been brought together in a single volume. Some of these stories, like the one that gives the collection its title, The Charter tells the story of a man who has…
