by Yeng Pway Ngon Singapore, late 1980s. As women gain power and independence, what's an insecure guy to do? Lonely Face is the story of a man on the cusp of middle age, left behind by changing times. Fleeing his crumbling marriage on an overnight bus to Genting Highlands, he tries his luck at slot machines rather than the vagaries…
by Roger Pulvers Published originally in Australia by ABC Books and HarperCollins, and in Japanese translation by the major publishing house Shueisha, THE HONEY AND THE FIRES is a retelling of some of the most powerful stories from the Bible for our day and age. This new paperback edition contains a story that did not appear in the original publication: “The Story…
by Steven Sy As a second invasion by the Empire threatens the nomads of the Great Steppe, a new generation of leaders must mend the broken alliances of their fathers or face certain destruction. Vacant Steppes is a Mongolia-inspired epic fantasy novel about inheritance, family, and leadership in times of division and war. “A gripping tale of war, legacy and…
by Shih Chiung-Yu Haunted by memories of the Chinese Civil War in the late 1940s, nationalist soldiers from all over mainland China are doomed to live out their days in exile in Taitung County, along the southeastern shore of the island of Taiwan. The three novellas in this collection tell stories of Chinese men who were forced to leave their…
by Cécile Leguy Se dépayser dans une autre culture bien loin de la sienne, découvrir de façon vivante de nouveaux modes de communication et de sociabilité, tout cela sans voyager ? C’est le pari proposé au lecteur par la collection « Entendre la voix des autres », dirigée par la célèbre anthropologue britannique, Ruth Finnegan. La cible privilégiée en est…
by Roger Pulvers "LIV is a gripping mystery, of a present haunted by the past, but also a profoundly moral book, asking of the reader: what would you do? In this, LIV deserves comparison with novels as great as An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Reader by Bernhard Schlink." — David Peace, author of Tokyo Year Zero.…
illustrations by Liang Peilong A long, long time ago, in a beautiful litter river lived Water Girl. She loved the river where she spent her days playing by the water. One day, she met Ink Boy. Ink Boy took a bath in the river---and instantly turned the river to a pitch black. Water Girl burst into tears, and Brush…
2015 English Pen Translates Award; 2016 Financial Times / OppenheimerFunds Emerging Voices Awards (Longlisted). by Xu Xiaobin Yang Tianyi is a “leftover woman” and under pressure to find a husband. She is attractive and intelligent but knows little of the world, and finally makes a disastrous marriage to a man, Wang Lian. At the end of the 1980s, in Tiananmen…
Story and Illustrations by Meng Yanan Mother Bunny prepares a special family dinner for Mid-Autumn Festival. She sets out early in the morning and meets lots of friends along the way: Mother Hedgehog, Mother Squirrel, Little Bee, Uncle Beaver, Mother Duck and her ducklings. Little does she know that Mr Wild Wolf is sneaking after her… Translated by Jasmine Alexander…
by Roger Pulvers This fascinating fictional account of the life and times of Lafcadio Hearn probes the question: "What was the nature of this man, born wanderer, informant of the fiendish details of Japanese lore ... a man who chose to live his life 'in defiance of the season'?" Still considered by the Japanese to be the foreigner with the…
by Jean Pasley The year is 1890. Western influences are flooding into Japan. A nomadic Irishman arrives to record this unique culture before it vanishes. In this richly imagined novel, late nineteenth century Japan is brought vividly to life. Based on the remarkable experiences of the Irish writer, Lafcadio Hearn, and drawing on his letters, essays and books, Jean Pasley…
by Roger Pulvers Originally published in Japanese under the title If There Were No Japan: A Cultural Memoir, this book was acclaimed for its insights into Japanese life, bringing together aspects of history, culture and everyday life to paint an original and revealing portrait of the Japanese people and the pressing issues facing them today. During his decades of passionate…
