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 January, and is much celebrated in London. Each year is named after a different animal in a twelve-year cycle. Thisyear is the year of the ox following the previous year of the rat.

To celebrate Chinese New Year in 2009 we 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 cuisine is one of the most popular 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, January 2009