The second issue of Pathlight: New Chinese Writing, themed “The London Book Fair,” is now downloadable as Epub (most devices including Apple) and Mobi (Kindle devices) by following this link!

The kind of writing that is coming out of China right now include chick-lit, family-orientated dramas, tales of escape from the rural to the urban, of grievous policies in the countryside, science fiction, and historical epics. It’s possible that we cover all of those topics in the new issue.

There was, of course, a ruckus surrounding writers who went to the Book Fair. But in the new issue of Pathlight we cover some of the writers who went to the fair, who I think deserves attention.

Jin Renshun’s chick-lit tale “Skylark” is a story of a young woman who enjoys the attentions of a married man. The story reminds me of “Birdsong” by Chmamanda Ngozi Adichie in the New Yorker’s 20 under 40 collection. Meanwhile, China’s highest ranked science fiction author, Liu Cixin talks about the physics of the speed of light, as well as the imaginative idea that God can live with humans in “Taking Care of God.” Sheng Keyi (published by Penguin China this year) wrote a satirical piece relating adultery with food in “Fishbone.”

I think there is a real sign that Chinese literature can still surprise people, and can join in a cacophony of world literature that has style and universal themes at centre of it.