Three figures from the local literary scene give us their three highlights of the year.
Founder and owner, Peony Literary Agency
1. The Irrawaddy Literary Festival. This was the first time a literary festival had been held in Myanmar. It was a fascinating event and everyone was captivated to hear the speech by Aung San Suu Kyi, patron of the festival.
2. For a Song and a Hundred Songs: A Poet's Journey through a Chinese Prison by Liao Yiwu. This memoir by the exiled Chinese poet who was imprisoned after the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown is a harrowing story, and a side of China everyone should read about.
3. Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden. This memorable book is more about the repressive North Korean regime. It tells the heart-wrenching story of Shin Dong-hyuk, who was born in a labour camp and watched his mother and brother executed.