Books

Review | How to politely eat a banana in public: etiquette made easy

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.

19 Mar 2020 - 5:38PM
Review | City on Fire asks ‘what next for Hong Kong after 2019 protests’?

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’.

17 Mar 2020 - 3:29PM
Review | The Mirror & the Light: a fitting end to Hilary Mantel’s epic trilogy

Having won the Man Booker prize for both of the first two books in the trilogy, can Mantel pull off a hat trick?

19 Mar 2020 - 12:20AM
Review | A woman’s memoir of abuse, a journey to self-forgiveness

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.

11 Mar 2020 - 7:32PM
Review | Yan Lianke and the struggle to survive in mid-20th century China

Three Brothers is a memoir of the author’s father and uncles, with a portrait of the young Yan woven in between.

8 Mar 2020 - 1:04PM
Manila’s first bookshop for women to be ‘a safe space’

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.

8 Mar 2020 - 4:29PM
Minor Feelings: are Asian-Americans ‘stooges’ to white ideology?

Poet and author Cathy Park Hong explores ‘racialised’ emotions of shame, doubt and gloominess in her latest book.

28 Feb 2020 - 5:04AM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Review | Triad murders, wild boar barbecues: life on the Hong Kong beat

Former police officer Simon Roberts’ memoir has plenty of period detail but tends to fizzle out just as things get interesting.

23 Feb 2020 - 4:16PM
Review | Meng Jin’s debut novel not your typical Chinese immigrant story

The Shanghai-born, San Francisco-based author’s audacious book feels deeply personal, taking its readers back in time to the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

15 Feb 2020 - 8:00PM
Review | The Scientist and the Spy: a story of industrial espionage

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.

8 Feb 2020 - 8:00PM
It’s not her: agents for Trump-bashing book author speak out

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.

4 Feb 2020 - 11:30PM
Review | Joshua Wong’s Unfree Speech: ‘our struggle is your struggle’

The 23-year-old activist’s much-anticipated first book deftly weaves his own story with that of post-handover Hong Kong.

29 Jan 2020 - 1:32PM
Review | In William Gibson’s Agency, the future is frightening

The book’s protagonists communicate across different realities, technologies and time periods to prevent a world-ending catastrophe.

28 Jan 2020 - 8:30PM
The uncredited Chinese artist who drew Disney’s Bambi

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.

16 Jan 2020 - 6:21PM
Review | He found 1,000 Vietnamese refugees on a beach on his day off

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.

12 Jan 2020 - 8:30AM
The Briton who helped bring Asian literature to the world

His Make-Do Publishing translated works by Chinese authors Murong Xuecun, Chen Xiwo and Anni Baobei.

6 Jan 2020 - 3:06PM
Pakistani fighter pilot turned author on mining his homeland for humour

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.

4 Jan 2020 - 7:38PM
From Elena Ferrante to Yan Lianke, the hottest books of 2020

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.

4 Jan 2020 - 4:02AM
A decade in review: the best books of the 2010s

Paper books won the battle with e-books and the international limelight shone on Asian authors.

24 Dec 2019 - 9:54AM