Books
Manners coach Myka Meier, who trained under a former member of the British royal household, instructs readers how to navigate a number of social, business and networking environments.
City on Fire, by Hong Kong lawyer Antony Dapiran, is an essential guide to last year’s ‘fight for the very soul of the city’.
Having won the Man Booker prize for both of the first two books in the trilogy, can Mantel pull off a hat trick?
The Lotus Eaters by Emily Clements tells the story of a young woman travelling in Southeast Asia who is confused about her future, her sexuality and her relationships, but comes to a better understanding of herself.
Three Brothers is a memoir of the author’s father and uncles, with a portrait of the young Yan woven in between.
A publisher in Manila that is staffed and run by women is opening a bookshop only for women. It will stock works by female authors and feminist writers, giving a voice to the marginalised and offering a safe space.
Poet and author Cathy Park Hong explores ‘racialised’ emotions of shame, doubt and gloominess in her latest book.
Former police officer Simon Roberts’ memoir has plenty of period detail but tends to fizzle out just as things get interesting.
The Shanghai-born, San Francisco-based author’s audacious book feels deeply personal, taking its readers back in time to the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
By charting the story of one Chinese scientist who came under the suspicion of the FBI, Pulitzer Prize-shortlisted author Mara Hvistendahl puts a human face to the issue of industrial espionage.
Agents for the author of ‘A Warning’, an anonymous official who claimed to be part of a ‘resistance’ inside Trump’s administration, have been forced to deny rumours that the author is a top National Security Council worker.
The 23-year-old activist’s much-anticipated first book deftly weaves his own story with that of post-handover Hong Kong.
The book’s protagonists communicate across different realities, technologies and time periods to prevent a world-ending catastrophe.
You might not know his name, but you will know his work. Chinese immigrant Tyrus Wong was the lead production illustrator for the Disney classic film Bambi – but he never received proper recognition for his dreamy artwork.
Les Bird’s memoir about his time in an elite unit of Hong Kong’s Marine Police, A Small Band of Men, is a humorous romp that also foreshadows darker issues the city faces today.
His Make-Do Publishing translated works by Chinese authors Murong Xuecun, Chen Xiwo and Anni Baobei.
Mohammed Hanif, whose books include A Case of Exploding Mangoes and Red Birds, reveals how he’d happily bargain away his career for a life of normality.
Among the most eagerly awaited books of 2020 are titles from China’s Meng Jin, Yan Lianke and Marie Lu, as well as from names including Hilary Mantel and Elena Ferrante.
Paper books won the battle with e-books and the international limelight shone on Asian authors.