The Subplot

What China Is Reading and Why It Matters

The Subplot
Megan Walsh
RRP:
NZ$ 32.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 26.39
Paperback
h190 x 127mm - 136pg
24 Feb 2022 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9781735913667
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
What does contemporary China' s diverse and exciting fiction tell us about its culture, and the relationship between art and politics? The Subplot takes us on a lively journey through a literary landscape like you' ve never seen before: a vast migrant-worker poetry movement, homoerotic romances by "rotten girls," swaggering literary popstars, millionaire e-writers churning out the longest-ever novels, underground comics, the surreal works of Yu Hua, Yan Lianke, and Nobel laureate Mo Yan, and what is widely hailed as a golden age of Chinese science fiction. Chinese online fiction is now the largest publishing platform in the world. Fueled by her passionate engagement with Chinese literature and culture, Megan Walsh, a brilliant young critic, shows us why it' s important to finally pay attention to Chinese fiction-an exuberant drama that illustrates the complex relationship between art and politics, one that is increasingly shaping the West as well. Turns out, writers write neither what their government nor foreign readers want or expect, and they work on a different wavelength to keep alive ideas and events that are either overlooked or off limits. The Subplot vividly captures the ways in which literature offers an alternative-perhaps truer-understanding of the contradictions that make up China itself.
"A sharp, revealing portrait of contemporary China. . . . Elegantly written and fascinating. " -Adam Foulds, author of The Quickening Maze "An eye-opening glimpse into China' s ' intentionally hazy' authoritarian political climate of censorship and propaganda. . . . A succinct, fascinating overview of literary ambivalence in China. " -Kirkus Reviews "Drawing on a rich field of research, The Subplot not only crosses the language barrier, opening a window for the world to see contemporary Chinese literature, but it could also be an invaluable record for young Chinese people, both in China and overseas, to think about how society is affected by China' s fast-pace of change. " -Xinran, author of The Good Women of China "In The Subplot, Megan Walsh showcases the diversity and vitality of contemporary Chinese literature. With economy and wit, she shows us why it' s so necessary to read literature to understand the story of China today. " -Angie Baecker, University of Hong Kong "A jaw-dropping look at what mainland Chinese are reading right now. Megan Walsh tells us why, in this time of China' s economic ascension, its literature is both liberating-and soul-crushing. " -Jan Wong, author of Red China Blues "We are what we read. As China is rising, people are naturally interested in what the Chinese are reading. This overview of the literature in China offers an interesting perspective of a country that is reshaping the world. " -Lijia Zhang, author of the novel Lotus and of Socialism Is Great!: A Worker' s Memoir of China
Megan Walsh is a journalist and writer from London, who specializes in Chinese literature and film. She worked at Conde Nast and The Daily Telegraph, before moving to the books desk at The Times of London until 2013. While at The Times she reported on contemporary art and literature in China, Russia and Northern Iraq, was on the judging panel for The Forward Poetry Prize and chaired a discussion about Chinese fiction at The London Book Fair. Megan then moved to Beijing, followed by Taipei, before completing a masters in Chinese Literature and Film at SOAS. In recent years as a freelance journalist she has written about Chinese film, art and books for The New Statesman, The Times of London, Lithub and The Wall Street Journal.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9781735913667
Published: 24 Feb 2022
Published In: United States
Imprint: Columbia Global Reports
Publisher: Columbia Global Reports
Format: Paperback
Height: 190mm
Width: 127mm
Pages: 136

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information

Details of the product above will be automatically included with your enquiry.