Chinese

Focus on China

A select list of books by Chinese authors and stories set in China and Hong Kong

Introduction

The Chinese have a long tradition of writing – after all it was they who invented paper! The Chinese New Year occurs in February, and is celebrated in London every year. Each year is named after a different animal in a twelve-year cycle.

To celebrate Chinese New Year we have compiled a select list of books with a Chinese theme. There are stories by ethnic Chinese writers, both based in China and living elsewhere in the world. There are also stories by American and Western European authors that are set in China and Hong Kong. There is a selection of biographical and autobiographical works by Chinese authors, and a small selection of books about Chinese history and society.

Chinese food is probably the most popular ethnic cuisine in Britain, where we have a long-established tradition of Chinese restaurants and take-aways throughout the country. Chinese style home cooking has been popularised by TV chefs such as Ken Hom. Why not celebrate the New Year with some Chinese cooking? A few of the many cookbooks available are listed here.

List compiled by Malcolm Batten and Haiyan Kang
January 2006