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Asia Society Literature

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Eric Gamalinda (L), author of "The Descartes Highlands" (Akashic Books, 2014).

Book Excerpt: 'The Descartes Highlands' by Eric Gamalinda

A complex and compelling story of two young men who share a biological father and a family secret, but grow up continents apart, each unaware of the other.
"Tehran Noir" (Akashic Books, 2014), edited by Salar Abdoh (L). (Abdoh photo: Fereshteh Shoulani)

Book Excerpt: 'Tehran Noir' Comes to Gotham City

Darkly gripping "noir" fiction from Iranian writers plumbs the depths of the nightmare city of Tehran and the limits of human corruptibility and loyalty.
Texas

Author Introduces Newest Novel

Xiaolu Guo discusses 'I Am China' on the tails of its American release.
Bachi Karkaria (L) and Cyrus Mistry (R) in Mumbai on August 8, 2014. (Asia Society India Centre)
report
 /  India

Meet the Author: DSC Prize Winner Cyrus Mistry

In conversation with Bachi Karkaria, Cyrus Mistry spoke about his new book.
"I Am China" (Doubleday, 2014) by Xiaolu Guo (R). (Author photo: http://www.guoxiaolu.com)

Book Excerpt: Xiaolu Guo's New Novel

China as seen from exile — author talk Sept. 10.
Louisa Lim. (Asia Society Texas Center)
Texas

Tiananmen, Twenty-Five Years Later

NPR's Louisa Lim offers insiders' accounts of this seminal tragedy.
Chinese novelist Mo Ya, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Video: Nobel Laureate Mo Yan Explains How 'Good Writers' Language Has Personality'

In an Asia Society exclusive video, the eminent Chinese novelist shares his considered views on what makes for successful literary translation.
Writer Hideo Furukawa, one of the contributors to the fourth edition (2014) of the literary journal "Monkey Business." (Furukawa photo courtesy Monkey Business)

Interview: Genre-Bending Japanese Novelist on 'Political' Writing, Post-Fukushima

One of Japan's most lauded authors explains why genre distinctions don't concern him and how he responded to the Fukushima disaster.
Texas

From Bombay to Canton

Award-winning writer Amitav Ghosh documents how British paved way for opium route.
"The Valley of Amazement" (Ecco/HarperCollins, 2013) by Amy Tan (R). (Rick Smolan/Against All Odds Productions)
New York

Book Excerpt: 'The Valley of Amazement ' by Amy Tan

Amy Tan's latest novel draws on her own family stories to explore the world of early-1900s Shanghai.
(CEFutcher/iStockPhoto)
China Learning Initiatives

To Grow Good Writers, Feed Them Great Literature

Mentor texts help develop children's natural storytelling abilities. Even in Chinese!
Texas

Amy Tan Unveils Family Discoveries

'Valley of Amazement' stems from a new and surprising family revelation.
Anita Amirrezvani (L) and Persis Karim (R), co-editors of "Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian American Writers." (Anita Amirrezvani: Rex Bonomelli.)

Iranian Americans Set Off Literary 'Tremors'

Diaspora writing ready to claim a space, say co-editors.
"Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian American Writers" (University of Arkansas Press, 2013) includes a short story by Salar Abdoh (L). (Courtesy the author)

Excerpt: New Fiction by Iranian American Authors

C & W crosses cultural borders in Salar Abdoh's tale.
Texas

Empress Impact on China Significant

Jung Chang's new biography re-examines path forged by Empress Dowager Cixi.
Manil Suri. (Anna Foret/Asia Society Texas Center)
Texas

Suri Weaves Love Triangle Tale

Pair’s search for man turns lurid as nuclear war threatens city of Mumbai.
Goli Taraghi, author of "The Pomegranate Lady and Her Sons." (Farhad Daryoush)
New York

Excerpt: Goli Taraghi's 'Pomegranate Lady and Her Sons'

Oct. 28: 'Meet the Author' event at Asia Society New York.
Texas

East Meets, Looks Like West

Journalist Daniel Brook traces architectural evolution of Shanghai and Mumbai.

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The Art of Bringing Chinese Literature to the World
Education
 /  New York

The Art of Bringing Chinese Literature to the World

Panelists at Asia Society's 2014 National Chinese Language Conference discuss the challenges of recreating an unfamiliar culture in English.
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'Who Are You, When You're a Chinese American?'
Arts
 /  New York

'Who Are You, When You're a Chinese American?'

Novelist Amy Tan and Orville Schell unravel some of the complex issues surrounding Chinese American identity.
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'It's Almost Impossible to Avoid Politics'
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 /  New York

Panel: Iranian American Fiction

New voices dispel stereotypes, offer 'counter-narrative.'
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