Books: News & Insights

Tan Twan Eng's third novel is set a century ago in the Malaysian author's native Penang Island when it was under British colonial rule. The work was recently longlisted for the prestigious 2023 Booker Prize. (Nikkei montage/Source photos courtesy of Canongate Books, Tommi Chu)

Books

Books: Penang in the steps of William Somerset Maugham

Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng comes home to present his latest novel

31 August 2023

Members of Myanmar's Border Guard Force conduct a patrol in a Rakhine state village that had recently been attacked by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Ethnic tensions have only grown since the 2021 military takeover. (Photo by Oliver Slow)

Books

Book review: An essential anatomy of what went wrong in Myanmar

Author Oliver Slow deftly explores the unraveling takeover and troubled path ahead

3 August 2023

The subject of Yunte Huang's new book "Daughter of the Dragon," Chinese American film star Anna May Wong was a global icon yet struggled against stereotypes.

Books

Biography brings Hollywood icon Anna May Wong back into focus

'Daughter of the Dragon' revives image of first Chinese American film star

27 July 2023

Indonesian author Pramoedya Ananta Toer, left, and Australian translator Max Lane, who in his recent book, "Indonesia Out of Exile," writes of his collaboration on the novels that inspired a generation. (Courtesy of Max Lane)

Books

'Indonesia Out of Exile' shines light on literary masterpiece

New history recounts writer-activist Pramoedya’s brave fight against persecution

13 July 2023

The memoir "Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS" includes "personal, behind-the-scenes" details of the K-pop group's rise to global prominence, according to the publisher. (File photo by AP)

Books

BTS memoir set for dynamite sales

Army of fans awaits 544-page tome due out on Sunday

9 July 2023

In "The Collaborators," author Ian Buruma explores moral ambiguity through the lens of three deeply intriguing and divisive individuals. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Penguin and Getty Images)

Books

Book review: Untangling the mysteries of wartime allegiances

Ian Buruma's 'Collaborators' shines fresh light on World War II

6 July 2023

The English-language version of South Korean writer Cheon Myeong-kwan's debut novel, "Whale," has received a massive boost since its shortlisting for this year's International Booker Prize. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by the Booker Prize Foundation)

Books

Korean novel earns Western acclaim, decades on

Cheon Myeong-kwan's 'Whale' resurfaces in top literary competition

29 June 2023

Books

The exhilarating visual spectacle of 1970s Tokyo

Photographing the drama of a wilder, more sensual era

17 June 2023

"Xi seeks a China separate from the world and yet connected with it," write Andrew Cainey and Christiane Prange in "Xiconomics."

Books

Book review: China's de-risking strategy

Xi Jinping's economic policy approach has implications for multinationals

5 June 2023

In "The Long Reckoning: A Story of War, Peace, and Redemption in Vietnam," author George Black has produced a groundbreaking work with a message of hope and reconciliation. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by George Black, Getty Images)

Books

Books: War and redemption in Vietnam, 60 years after Agent Orange

George Black's 'The Long Reckoning' charts the lasting impact of chemical use

18 May 2023

A photo from Thweep Rittinaphakorn's book, "Unseen Burma: Early Photography 1862-1962." The caption in the book reads "Shan Boys at Novitiation Ceremony." (Courtesy of Thweep Rittinaphakorn)

Books

Connecting 'Unseen Burma' with picture postcards

Through painstaking sleuth work, Thai author recaptures a lost society

11 May 2023

Migrant workers replace a billboard without any safety equipment in Kuala Lumpur in 2017. "The Visible Invisibles: Stories of Migrant Workers in Asia" shines a light on the harsh working and living conditions that such laborers often have to endure.

Books

Book review: Exploring the lives of Asia's 'visible invisibles'

Authors pay tribute to migrant workers who keep regional economies running

4 May 2023

Japanese sociologist Chizuko Ueno's book "Genkai kara Hajimaru" has become a sensation in China. (Photo by Shunsuke Tabeta)

Society

Message of Japanese feminist Chizuko Ueno resonates in China

Books fly off shelves as fame grew after University of Tokyo speech

30 April 2023

"Welcome Me to the Kingdom," Thai American author Mai Nardone's debut story collection, portrays the lives of a handful of recurring characters. (Nikkei montage/Photos courtesy of Mai Nardone)

Books

Book review: Fiction debut exposes dark side of Thailand

Mai Nardone's short story collection gives a nuanced view of the country

28 April 2023

Japanese author Haruki Murakami felt the time had come to transform his original short story into a full-length novel.

Interview

Murakami on new book: 'Time came for rewrite' of 1980 story

'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' is Japanese author's first novel in six years

13 April 2023

Lata Mangeshkar, pictured here in Mumbai in 2008, sang in 36 languages, including Dutch, Russian, Fijian, Swahili and English as well as many others spoken in India.

Books

Book review: Lata Mangeshkar -- the immortal voice of India

Biography offers a comprehensive analysis of the famous singer's life and work

7 April 2023

Rohingya women and children rest on the beach after their boat landed in Aceh province, Indonesia, in February 2023. Many women and girls from this ethnic minority group flee Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat only to find new perils await.

Books

Book review: How the world is failing Rohingya refugees

Kaamil Ahmed's 'I Feel No Peace' exposes prejudice and lack of interest

5 April 2023

In "The Price of Time: The Real Story of Interest," author Edward Chancellor brings the potentially dry subject of interest rates to life with a wealth of anecdotes and walk-on characters both famous and obscure. (Nikkei montage/Photos by Grove Atlantic and Edward Chancellor)

Books

Book review: The funny business of central banks and money supply

'The Price of Time' comes as incoming BOJ Gov. Kazuo Ueda in celebrity spotlight

20 March 2023

Hanaseru Share Honya Tomarigi in Chigasaki, Kanagawa prefecture, has a cozy Japanese-style room where people can mingle after shopping. (Photo by Shuntaro Nimura)

Retail

Shared bookstores let bibliophiles meet owners with a passion

Low initial costs help renters of shelves sell their favorite books easily

19 March 2023

In "Winning by Process," the authors argue that the proliferation of ethnic claims in Myanmar, far from reducing the hegemony of the ethnic Burman majority, helped to strengthen it. (Source photos from authors, Reuters)

Books

Book review: Lessons from Myanmar's failed peace process

'Winning By Process' shows how the state manipulated dialogue to its advantage

3 March 2023

Bangkok-born and British-educated writer Tew Bunnag works with hospices and hospitals dealing with patients facing end-of-life issues, so perhaps it is natural that redemption and healing are two themes of "Slow Steps to Love," his latest novel.  (All photos courtesy of Tew Bunnag)

Books

Books: 'Slow steps' to healing Thailand

Portraying an unequal society, Tew Bunnag spiritually unites rich and poor

1 March 2023

An assortment of dishes from Archana Pidathala's cookbook "Why Cook," which she describes as "a 315-page ode with raw candid images, heartwarmingly personal stories and rare recipes." (All photos courtesy of Archana Pidathala)

Books

South Asian author explores why and how women cook

Archana Pidathala's latest book uncovers deeply personal stories and rare recipes

22 February 2023

Shinzo Abe

Abe memoir is instant bestseller; publisher triples print run

Former Japanese leader shares observations on Trump, Xi and Modi

11 February 2023

A screen advertising China's state-run Xinhua News Agency is seen in New York's Times Square in March 2020.

Arts

Books: How Beijing targets media in global influence operations

Australia and U.S. serve among many examples of growing Chinese media control

5 February 2023

International students from China prepare to take photos in their graduation gowns at the University of Sydney in July 2020. Chinese studying abroad have increasingly been used as tools of sharp power, which is wielded more clandestinely, than soft power.

Arts

Books: How China has expanded influence overseas

In new book, author delves into Beijing's focus on universities and the diaspora, as well as global media

4 February 2023