As we usher in the Year of the Snake, this vibrant and meaningful occasion is the perfect time to celebrate the richness of Chinese culture—and what better way than through the lens of its literature? 

This issue brings you a feast of publications and media showcasing the brilliance of Chinese writing in translation. From fresh releases to interviews with translators and other news, we’re thrilled to spotlight stories and voices that resonate with the spirit of this festive season. Whether you’re an avid reader or simply curious about Chinese literature, there’s plenty to explore. So, grab a cup of tea, settle in, and let’s dive into the world of Chinese storytelling together!

Read online for free:

• Read Yan An’s poems “Territory” and “Empty Train” (translated by Chen Du and Xisheng Chen), published online in Flyway: Journal of Writing & Environment (Iowa State University).

Events:

• Our 9th book club on modern Chinese literature with the Open University Book Club was on 17th January. Helen Wang joined us to discuss her translation of the short story "Ying Yang Alley" (鹰扬巷) by Fan Xiaoqing (范小青). If you missed it, you can check out the recording and transcript of the event here. And keep an eye on the website as we will be doing another book club in the next few months.
• Don't miss this masterclass and workshop by Nicky Harman and Yan Ge on 8 March 2025 at the Leeds Centre for New Chinese Writing. Writing Lives: from China in the 1930s to Britain in the 2020s. Part 1: Presentation with Nicky Harman on Ling Shuhua and Life-Writing; Part 2: Creative Writing Workshop on Characterisation, with Yan Ge. Registration link now available here

Reviews and releases:

• Read “Stories From Toon Street: Su Tong’s Latest Short Story Collection Reviewed”, a review of one of Su Tong’s new short story collection Midnight Stories, translated by Honey Watson.
• Read the review of The Travels of Chang Ching Chong: An Autobiography, the earliest Chinese science fiction ever published in 1898.
• Check out the review of Derek Chung’s poetry collection A Cha Chaan Teng That Does Not Exist, translated by May Huang.
• Check out the review of Aftershock: A Novel written by Zhang Ling, translated by Shelly Bryant.
• Chengru He (何琤茹) has published a memoir originally written in English, entitled I Would Vanish Into Its Stronger Existence (Wet Cement Press), and a collection of poems, also originally written in English, entitled M O 月 N (Parlor Press).

Interviews:

• Check out this interview with Yilin Wang, writer and translator of The Lantern and the Night Moths, which is forthcoming with Invisible Publishing.
• In this interview, Mike Fu talks about how his translator work shaped his novel writing.
• "Translating makes me feel like an actor carrying out research for the different roles I inhabit"—from this interview with Jeremy Tiang.

Media:

• On the Sinica podcast, Thomas Meaney, editor of Granta, talks about what’s happening in the literary scene in China today and how Granta’s special Chinese Literature issue came together. Thanks for the shout-out to Paper Republic, Thomas!
• Translator Emily Xueni Jin shares her insights with Sixth Tone about Laozi’s Dao De Jing: A New Interpretation for a Transformative Time, a book that combines non-fiction and translation of Daoism by Ken Liu.
• Check out the overview of the books and life of Chiung Yao, most famous Chinese romance writer who recently passed away.

And that’s a wrap. 蛇年大吉! See you next time.