Cha: An Asian Literary Journal

08/04/2025

Zachary Elliott:

/ Here's another great example as to how facts are sensationalized and misrepresented.

The media are claiming we have resurrected the extinct Dire wolf. We have not. We have simply genetically engineered two gray wolves to resemble Dire wolf traits. /

08/04/2025

Chen Qiufan: "Most of the important things in the life of Chinese people happen over dinner conversations. The same goes for 𝑊𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒 and I."

Read Loritta Chan's review of Chen Qiufan’s 𝑊𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒 (Tor Books, 2019), translated from the Chinese by Ken Liu:
/ According to an account by Chen, these vivid descriptions were inspired by his own experience visiting Guiyu. Chen grew up in Shantou County, home to Guiyu—one of the world’s largest centres for e-waste processing. Reflecting on his visit, he remarked how “his eyes, skin, respiratory system and lungs were all protesting against the heavily polluted air”. It was one of the formative experiences that compelled him to write this debut novel, rooted in his hometown. In Chinese, Silicon Isle is rendered as 硅屿 (gui yu), which shares the same pronunciation as 贵屿 (Guiyu). [...]

In 𝑊𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒, Chen also explores the politics of the global waste trade in a strikingly realistic manner—stripping away the glossy veneer of development aid schemes. Aside from Mimi, another significant character is the Caucasian American, Scott Brandle, a purported representative of the firm TerraGreen Recycling, who arrives to propose a recycling industrial project to the local government and political powers on Silicon Isle. /

⧉ https://chajournal.blog/2025/04/08/waste-tide/
。。。。。

08/04/2025

Witness, if you will, a city suspended between the past and the possible: Hong Kong, 2025. A place of neon light and ancient shadows. Into this crossroads steps Xu Bing—artist, architect of words, and now, newly appointed Ambassador for Cultural Promotion. His first act? An exhibition not merely of ink and paper, but of perception itself. 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘—a puzzle of language where East greets West in a mirror of invention. This is not just an art initiative. It is a portal, and those who pass through may find themselves somewhere altogether unexpected… in the special administrative zone between meaning and mystery.

⧉ https://www.apo.hk/en/web/apo/hk_xb.html
。。。。

08/04/2025

[𝗡𝗘𝗪 Cha: An Asian Literary Journal 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪] Loritta Chan reviews Chen Qiufan’s 𝑊𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒 (Tor Books, 2019), translated from the Chinese by Ken Liu:

/ According to an account by Chen, these vivid descriptions were inspired by his own experience visiting Guiyu. Chen grew up in Shantou County, home to Guiyu—one of the world’s largest centres for e-waste processing. Reflecting on his visit, he remarked how “his eyes, skin, respiratory system and lungs were all protesting against the heavily polluted air”. It was one of the formative experiences that compelled him to write this debut novel, rooted in his hometown. In Chinese, Silicon Isle is rendered as 硅屿 (gui yu), which shares the same pronunciation as 贵屿 (Guiyu). [...]

In 𝑊𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒, Chen also explores the politics of the global waste trade in a strikingly realistic manner—stripping away the glossy veneer of development aid schemes. Aside from Mimi, another significant character is the Caucasian American, Scott Brandle, a purported representative of the firm TerraGreen Recycling, who arrives to propose a recycling industrial project to the local government and political powers on Silicon Isle. /

⧉ https://chajournal.blog/2025/04/08/waste-tide/
。。。。。

08/04/2025

Kristen Cantor:

⧉ The theme 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡-𝗨𝗣 𝗕𝗔𝗕𝗬 bears a certain weight, drawing personal experience into the texture of these pieces. “Stairways Fields in February” emerged from reflections on years spent overwintering in rural villages, where the luxuriant interweaving of birth, growth, and death takes on an overt and visceral significance. These reflections resonate with broader conceptual frameworks, including Aristotelian poiesis and kinesis, Serres’ notion of homeorrhesis, Bachelard’s instant, and Canguilhem’s vital normativity.

The “grown baby” examined here is neither an unmoored entity nor an autonomous process. The theme assumes a more distinctly human contour in “On the Contrary, We Have Met Several Times Before”, which grapples with the experience of encountering the ageing of youth in another; the subjective dimensions of “grown-up” and “baby”; and the singular human form that contains within itself both birth and death. It is a body recognised as much for what it once was as for what it may yet become—so often a presence obscured beneath strata of memory and expectation. ⧉

In an upcoming issue of 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine, we will publish an English-language section on 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡-𝗨𝗣 𝗕𝗔𝗕𝗬.

Kristen Cantor's “Stairway Fields in February” and “On the Contrary, We Have Met Several Times Before” will be included in this section. [ Contributors to the 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡-𝗨𝗣 𝗕𝗔𝗕𝗬 feature: https://tinyurl.com/Grown-UpPOETS ]

{{{ Please note that we are no longer accepting new submissions; the deadline was Saturday 5 April 2025: https://tinyurl.com/Grown-upBaby }}
𝐾𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑒𝑚𝑠:

⧉ The theme 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡-𝗨𝗣 𝗕𝗔𝗕𝗬 bears a certain weight, drawing personal experience into the texture of these pieces. “Stairways Fields in February” emerged from reflections on years spent overwintering in rural villages, where the luxuriant interweaving of birth, growth, and death takes on an overt and visceral significance. These reflections resonate with broader conceptual frameworks, including Aristotelian poiesis and kinesis, Serres’ notion of homeorrhesis, Bachelard’s instant, and Canguilhem’s vital normativity.

The “grown baby” examined here is neither an unmoored entity nor an autonomous process. The theme assumes a more distinctly human contour in “On the Contrary, We Have Met Several Times Before”, which grapples with the experience of encountering the ageing of youth in another; the subjective dimensions of “grown-up” and “baby”; and the singular human form that contains within itself both birth and death. It is a body recognised as much for what it once was as for what it may yet become—so often a presence obscured beneath strata of memory and expectation.
✑ Kristen Cantor is a writer and translator working in English, Chinese, and at the intersection of the two. Based in Pennsylvania, she divides her time between south-western mainland China and New York. She is currently furthering her studies at Columbia University. Kristen considers herself both a grown-up baby and a baby grown-up.
◯◯◯◯◯◯◯◯◯◯
SUBSCRIBE to 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 & 𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑒 or
BUY individual issues: https://vvpoetry.com/subscription/

VISIT 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 & 𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑒 website:
https://vvpoetry.com/
◯◯◯◯◯◯◯◯◯◯

08/04/2025

Now showing online at the Griffin Museum of Photography, 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬: 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 (16 March—30 April 2025) is an ambitious international exhibition bringing together work from over 60 artists across the globe, each exploring innovative approaches to the historic cyanotype process. From experimental techniques to conceptual reinventions, the show offers a compelling glimpse into the evolving landscape of contemporary cyanotype art.

🔗 https://griffinmuseum.org/show/expanded-cyanotypes/ -show-text

08/04/2025

[𝗡𝗘𝗪 Cha: An Asian Literary Journal 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪] Loritta Chan reviews Chen Qiufan’s 𝑊𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒 (Tor Books, 2019), translated from the Chinese by Ken Liu:

/ The living conditions of Silicon Isle’s waste workers may appear as an extreme extrapolation of the hardships faced by present-day waste pickers—but the story reads as a cautionary tale of what could come to pass, or perhaps as a grim acknowledgement that certain inequalities are, regrettably, enduring. Even within the dystopian landscape of Waste Tide, the waste people continue to endure injustices uncannily similar to those documented in works such as Katherine Boo’s 𝐵𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠. As a researcher focusing on waste and livelihoods in urban contexts, I saw many parallels with the experiences of waste pickers I encountered in India. Chen deftly captures the class dynamics of a waste settlement, as well as the stigma and psychological burden that waste pickers frequently confront. /

⧉ https://chajournal.blog/2025/04/08/waste-tide/
。。。。。

08/04/2025

[𝗡𝗘𝗪 Cha: An Asian Literary Journal 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪] In his second contribution to CHA, Abhinav Tulachan reviews Samrat Upadhyay’s 𝑀𝑎𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑦 (Soho Press, 2017):

/ There is a remarkable degree of thought and sophistication imbued in 𝑀𝑎𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑦; each tale vividly encapsulates the essence of the book’s title—the chaotic character of the Nepali landscape, a reality widely acknowledged yet rarely explored or thoughtfully reflected upon. What the collection does so powerfully is to show how this very landscape reshapes the identities of its people, whether through personal turmoil or social conflict encountered by the cast. Samrat Upadhyay presents eight stories from a world that feels at once deeply familiar and strikingly alien. /

⧉ https://chajournal.blog/2025/04/08/mad-country/
。。。。。

07/04/2025

[𝐍𝐄𝐖 Cha: An Asian Literary Journal 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒] Jiahe Chen writes about Donald Keene's 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝐽𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑒: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐼𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑤𝑎 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑢𝑏𝑜𝑘𝑢 (Columbia University Press, 2016):

/ And yet, in another sense, biography is also an art of disenchantment. For those familiar with Takuboku’s verses—so often tender in their expressions of love for his mother, wife, child, and friends—it may be difficult to reconcile such warmth with the poet’s lived reality: a man marked by volatility, sexual excess, a bent toward self-destruction, and, perhaps most unsettling of all, a chilling indifference. /

⧉ https://chajournal.blog/2025/04/07/first-modern-japanese/

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 is a section of Cha: An Asian Literary Journal devoted to compact reviews of books and films (300-800 words; negotiable) that may also offer personal reflections. We welcome first impressions on any books and films, old or newly released, with an Asian angle. Information: https://chajournal.blog/2024/08/06/impressions/
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

06/04/2025

[𝐍𝐄𝐖 Cha: An Asian Literary Journal 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖] Hongwei Bao reviews the play 𝑀𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑣𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑙 (𝑀𝑦 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑈𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑒 我失蹤的舅舅), produced by Nydanskeren Jun Fengs Kulturforening and premiered at Teater FÅR302, Copenhagen, on 2-12 April 2025. [Image credit: Jacob Linholdt.]

/ There are not many stage productions that centre on the Chinese q***r experience—due in part to the censorship of LGBTQIA+ culture in contemporary China. In this context, 𝑀𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑣𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑙 (𝑀𝑦 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑈𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑒 我失蹤的舅舅), a Danish play about a missing Chinese gay man in the 1980s, offers a rare and poignant theatrical encounter. Written by Danish playwright Gritt Uldall-Jessen and directed by Norwegian theatre maker Tormod Carlsen, this one-hour production premiered in April 2025 at Teater FÅR302—Copenhagen’s smallest theatre, with just 47 seats. It is among the first plays staged outside China to explore Chinese q***r history. /

⧉ https://chajournal.blog/2025/04/06/missing-uncle/
。。。。。

06/04/2025

⧉ 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝐛𝐲 𝐘𝐚𝐮 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠
.. explores gender, aesthetics, colonialism, and relationships

https://www.zephyrpress.org/product-page/for-now-i-am-sitting-here-growing-transparent
。。。。。

06/04/2025

🪡 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀. | We are eager to feature reviews of these books in Cha: An Asian Literary Journal in 2025. If you are interested in reading and reviewing any of these titles, please send an email to [email protected] to discuss further.

⧉ 𝑀𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐮
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐠
"... exploration of body autonomy, relationships, and late capitalism defies and then reassembles dark realities." https://catranslation.org/shop/book/mending-bodies/

⧉ 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒
𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐢𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐨
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢
Arrested for her father’s murder, Kanna offers no motive. Psychologist Yuki Makabe unravels dark secrets.
https://honfordstar.com/products/first-love-pre-order

⧉ 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐵𝑜𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑂𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐮 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐰𝐚
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨 .. captures Japan’s bubble-era malaise
https://cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501749896/the-running-boy-and-other-stories/ =1

⧉ 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝐛𝐲 𝐘𝐚𝐮 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠.. explores gender, aesthetics, colonialism, and relationships
https://www.zephyrpress.org/product-page/for-now-i-am-sitting-here-growing-transparent

⧉ 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑏𝑎𝑙𝑠
𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐚
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐮 𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲
During the sweltering summer of 1988, seventeen-year-old Toma battles his feared fate amidst family trauma.
https://honfordstar.com/products/cannibals

⧉ 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑝𝑖𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑁𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐢 𝐐𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐳𝐡𝐚𝐨
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐧.. what it means to create art as a woman in the shadow of exile, war, & an unwelcoming literary establishment.
https://penguin.co.uk/books/472111/the-magpie-at-night-by-qingzhao-li/9781837310005
。。。。。

06/04/2025

🪡 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀. | We are eager to feature reviews of these books in Cha: An Asian Literary Journal in 2025. If you are interested in reading and reviewing any of these titles, please send an email to [email protected] to discuss further.

⧉ 𝑀𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐮
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐠
"... exploration of body autonomy, relationships, and late capitalism defies and then reassembles dark realities." https://catranslation.org/shop/book/mending-bodies/

⧉ 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒
𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐢𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐨
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢
Arrested for her father’s murder, Kanna offers no motive. Psychologist Yuki Makabe unravels dark secrets.
https://honfordstar.com/products/first-love-pre-order

⧉ 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐵𝑜𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑂𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐮 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐰𝐚
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨 .. captures Japan’s bubble-era malaise
https://cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501749896/the-running-boy-and-other-stories/ =1

⧉ 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝐛𝐲 𝐘𝐚𝐮 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠.. explores gender, aesthetics, colonialism, and relationships
https://www.zephyrpress.org/product-page/for-now-i-am-sitting-here-growing-transparent

⧉ 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑏𝑎𝑙𝑠
𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐚
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐮 𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲
During the sweltering summer of 1988, seventeen-year-old Toma battles his feared fate amidst family trauma.
https://honfordstar.com/products/cannibals

⧉ 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑝𝑖𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑁𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐢 𝐐𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐳𝐡𝐚𝐨
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐧.. what it means to create art as a woman in the shadow of exile, war, & an unwelcoming literary establishment.
https://penguin.co.uk/books/472111/the-magpie-at-night-by-qingzhao-li/9781837310005
。。。。。

06/04/2025

The Remains of the Day is a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, published in 1989. The story is narrated by Stevens, an English butler who has dedicated his life to serving at Darlington Hall, a fictional stately home. The novel is set in 1956, a time when Stevens reflects on his past while embarking on a road trip to visit a former colleague, Miss Kenton.

As Stevens travels, he reminisces about his years of service, particularly under Lord Darlington, whose controversial political decisions during the interwar period weigh heavily on Stevens's conscience. The narrative delves into themes of duty, dignity, and the complexities of personal sacrifice. Stevens's unwavering commitment to professionalism often leads him to suppress his emotions and desires, raising questions about the nature of loyalty and the cost of a life devoted to service.

The novel is notable for its exploration of memory and regret, as Stevens grapples with missed opportunities and the realization that his dedication to duty may have come at the expense of personal happiness. Ishiguro's writing is characterized by its subtlety and depth, allowing readers to engage with Stevens's internal struggles and the broader social changes occurring in post-World War II England.

The Remains of the Day has received critical acclaim and won the Booker Prize, solidifying Ishiguro's reputation as a masterful storyteller. The novel's poignant examination of the human condition continues to resonate with readers, making it a significant work in contemporary literature.

GET THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/4drE3mj

You can get the FREE AUDIOBOOK OFFER by using the same link to register on the Audible platform. Use the same link to register and start enjoying it for FREE.

06/04/2025

[𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖] Kammy Lee reviews Kim Hyesoon's 𝑃ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑃𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 (New Directions, 2023), translated from the Korean by Don Mee Choi: "Reading Kim Hyesoon’s 𝑃ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑃𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠is an uncanny experience of growing wings and evolving into a bird."

/ Internationally known as one of the most prominent and ground-breaking contemporary female poets from South Korea, Kim Hyesoon might have received her poetic call to the liminal space as early as the 1980s. Following President Park Chung-hee’s assassination in 1979, General Chun Doo-hwan began his iron-fisted military rule and tightened the censorship of publications in South Korea over the next eight years. Having just graduated and started working as an editor at that time, Kim brought the manuscript of Lee Kang-baek’s play 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑜𝑔ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑛 to the military censors for review. The manuscript, however, was returned to her all blacked out in ink except for the play’s title and the playwright’s name. Kim’s long-time translator Don Mee Choinoted this incident in the writer’s earlier book 𝐼’𝑚 𝑂𝐾, 𝐼’𝑚 𝑃𝑖𝑔!, suggesting that “it is from such blackened space that … Kim Hyesoon’s poetry emerges” (Choi 158). As such, the blackened space isn’t only a site where unexpressed taboos hide, it is also a lacuna that seeks to be exposed and amplified by Kim—a ventriloquist uniquely drawn to the expelled and erased, and is more than ready to exhume it and bring it into view.

𝑃ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑃𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠is to me one of Kim’s most wildly grotesque yet enthralling poetry collections to date. In it, Kim does more than conjure up the people and things that have slipped into the crevices of oppression, oblivion, and death, both in her personal life and broadly in Korea’s contemporary history. Using poetry as a medium, Kim registers the process of “I-do-bird”, or 𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 bird, to illustrate the drastic somatic changes induced by traumatic loss and structural vio

05/04/2025

⧉ 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦: 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦
𝒃𝒚 𝑬𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒉

This book explores the lived experiences of Asian migrant women through a feminist lens.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/fire-dragon-feminism-9781350447820/
。。。。。

05/04/2025

🪡 All about Asian migration. We'd like to publish reviews of these books,which explore migration through gender, race, empire, and resistance—showing how bodies, rights and identities are shaped by colonial legacies and global displacement. Please email [email protected] if you're interested.

⧉ 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦: 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦
𝒃𝒚 𝑬𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒉
This book explores the lived experiences of Asian migrant women through a feminist lens.
https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/fire-dragon-feminism-9781350447820/

⧉ 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐒𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲, 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝟏𝟖𝟖𝟖–𝟏𝟗𝟎𝟕
𝒃𝒚 𝑱𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝑪. 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔
This historical study traces the racialized immigration policies and protests against Asian migration in British settler colonies like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
https://uwap.uwa.edu.au/products/empire-and-asian-migration-sovereignty-immigration-restriction-and-protest-in-the-british-settler-colonies-1888-1907

⧉ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚
𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒋𝒊 𝑫𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒀𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂 𝒀𝒖
Through personal narratives and ethnographic accounts, this book brings to light the paradox of visibility and invisibility faced by migrant workers in Asia.
https://www.penguin.sg/book/the-visible-invisibles/

⧉ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲: 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲
𝑬𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒍 𝑩𝒂𝒂𝒔
This book delves into how Asian migrants' bodies become sites of negotiation and struggle, shaped by cultural expectations, gender norms, emotional labor, and sexual politics.
https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789462988668/the-asian-migrant-s-body

⧉ 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠: 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟗 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚
𝑬𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒀𝒖𝒌 𝑾𝒂𝒉 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏, 𝒀𝒗𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆 𝑻𝒐
Focusing on the aftermath of the 2019 protests, this book analyses the migration wave from Hong Kong and the formation of a new, global diaspora.
https://www.routledge.com/Global-Hong-Kong-Post-2019-Migration-and-the-New-Hong-Kong-Diaspora/Chan-To/p/book/9781032896892

⧉ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚
𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏
This work investigates how structural violence—embedded in state policies, labor markets, and international agreements—shapes the lives of female domestic workers migrating from the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
https://www.routledge.com/Protecting-the-Rights-of-Women-Migrant-Domestic-Workers-Structural-Violence-and-Competing-Interests-in-the-Philippines-and-Sri-Lanka/Henderson/p/book/9781032015606
。。。。。

05/04/2025

🪡 All about Asian migration. We'd like to publish reviews of these books,which explore migration through gender, race, empire, and resistance—showing how bodies, rights and identities are shaped by colonial legacies and global displacement. Please email [email protected] if you're interested.

⧉ 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦: 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦
𝒃𝒚 𝑬𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒉
This book explores the lived experiences of Asian migrant women through a feminist lens.
https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/fire-dragon-feminism-9781350447820/

⧉ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚
𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏
This work investigates how structural violence—embedded in state policies, labor markets, and international agreements—shapes the lives of female domestic workers migrating from the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
https://www.routledge.com/Protecting-the-Rights-of-Women-Migrant-Domestic-Workers-Structural-Violence-and-Competing-Interests-in-the-Philippines-and-Sri-Lanka/Henderson/p/book/9781032015606

⧉ 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠: 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟗 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚
𝑬𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒀𝒖𝒌 𝑾𝒂𝒉 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏, 𝒀𝒗𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆 𝑻𝒐
Focusing on the aftermath of the 2019 protests, this book analyses the migration wave from Hong Kong and the formation of a new, global diaspora.
https://www.routledge.com/Global-Hong-Kong-Post-2019-Migration-and-the-New-Hong-Kong-Diaspora/Chan-To/p/book/9781032896892

⧉ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲: 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲
𝑬𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒍 𝑩𝒂𝒂𝒔
This book delves into how Asian migrants' bodies become sites of negotiation and struggle, shaped by cultural expectations, gender norms, emotional labor, and sexual politics.
https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789462988668/the-asian-migrant-s-body

⧉ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚
𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒋𝒊 𝑫𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒀𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂 𝒀𝒖
Through personal narratives and ethnographic accounts, this book brings to light the paradox of visibility and invisibility faced by migrant workers in Asia.
https://www.penguin.sg/book/the-visible-invisibles/

⧉ 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐒𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲, 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝟏𝟖𝟖𝟖–𝟏𝟗𝟎𝟕
𝒃𝒚 𝑱𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝑪. 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔
This historical study traces the racialized immigration policies and protests against Asian migration in British settler colonies like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
https://uwap.uwa.edu.au/products/empire-and-asian-migration-sovereignty-immigration-restriction-and-protest-in-the-british-settler-colonies-1888-1907
。。。。。