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What China Read in 2024

Five books published in China last year, from fiction to memoir, reveal a nation still reeling from the pandemic, and finding a new literary voice...

Story and History

Five recent Chinese books in translation apply different prisms — pictures, poetry, fiction, memoir — to draw narratives out of complicated personal and political histories.

Travelers’ Dispatches

Five recent travel books published in China explore the world beyond, from Peru to Japan. We consider how Chinese travelogues show unique perspectives.

Summer China Reads

Five new China books for your summer reading list, from an intergenerational family memoir to a children's picture book of the Cultural Revolution.

Short Stories from China

Chinese literature has a long-standing, often fantastical tradition of the short story form. Five modern collections, from both the mainland and Taiwan, show that legacy...

Trauma Fiction

Chinese writers have long used fiction to process trauma, both historical and personal. In these five newly translated titles, the trend continues in modern settings,...

How Past Reflects Present

Chinese literature has a long tradition of using history to discuss contemporary affairs. Our columnist picks five recent titles that do just that, from Shang...

Winter Warmers

Our columnist picks another five recently translated titles — from Hong Kong tea house poetry to a self-help seal — and reviews the state of...

What to Read in 2024

A few China titles we're excited to read in the year ahead — and deeper pickings to draw from in our comprehensive book listings project.
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Jun 2, 6:30-8pm; Asia Society NYC

Frank Dikötter: How Communism Won China

How did the Communist Party take control of China? What does the Party’s path to victory tell about its rule today? Join us to hear renowned historian Frank Dikötter discuss all this and more, on occasion of his new book “Red Dawn Over China,” in conversation with Orville Schell. Use code CBR15 for $10 off!
Register now