2016 works worth reading
The Paper Republic website, which promotes contemporary Chinese writing to the Englishlanguage world, has just put out its latest list. Now in its fifth year, the list offers readers a wide range of choices. “This year’s list is longer than ever, and several books have won international prizes,” says Nicky Harman, a UK-based prize-winning literary translator, who prepared the list. At a glance, there are names of writers of fiction, sci-fi writers, online works, poetry and children’s literature, all translated and published in English in 2016.
Ruined City
By Jia Pingwa, translated by Howard Goldblatt
The book, which was banned before, is seen as one of the most influential novels of the past century.
The Seventh Day
By Yu Hua, translated by Allan Barr
The novel, which was shortlisted for the 2016 Financial Times / OppenheimerFunds Emerging Voices Awards, is about a man’s experiences after his death.
A Flock of Brown Birds
By Ge Fei, translated by Poppy Toland
An experimental work which blends fiction and reality.
The Invisibility Cloak
By Ge Fei, translated by Canaan Morse
An elegy to a loser in city life.
Death’s End
By Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
The third book of the Threebody Trilogy, which comprises The Three-Body Problem and The Dark Forest.
Good Children of the Flower
By Hong Ying, translated by Gary Xu
It explores trauma and forgiveness in an effort to reconcile painful memories.
Crystal Wedding
By Xu Xiaobin, translated by Nicky Harman
A look at the fate and life of women in contemporary China.
Pathological
By Wang Jinkang, translated by Jeremy Tiang
A story about war and science by the veteran sci-fi author.
Hummingbirds Fly Backwards
By Amy Cheung, translated by Bonnie Huie
A story about love and friendship of three girls in Hong Kong.
To the Sky Kingdom
By Tang Qi, translated by Poppy Toland
A fantasy about loyalty and revenge.
Abyss
By Ya Hsien, translated by John Balcom
The 85-year-old poet based in Taiwan brings modernity into his poetry.
Aroma’s Little Garden
By Qin Wenjun, translated by Tony Blishen
Qin looks at growing up in big cities like Shanghai.