By Michelle Ye, Nadia Shah and Yumna Iqbal
Not only does September herald the beginning of autumn, but it also brings us into East and South East Asian Heritage Month. To celebrate the customs and traditions of these nations as well as the abundance of literary voices that this heritage has cultivated, we have compiled a short list of works that illustrate unique cultures and histories while also speaking to universal themes of the human experience.
Delicious Hunger by Hai Fan
Delicious Hunger is a collection of short stories by Hai Fan, rooted in the author’s real-life experiences as a guerrilla fighter for the Malayan Communist Party from 1976 to 1989. The stories cover a portrayal of life in the rainforest, focusing on the daily realities of survival while highlighting the emotional complexities of comradeship, desire and human connection in the face of constant danger.
The narrative stands out for its exploration of the moments in between combat, where the characters grapple with both physical hunger and emotional longing. Hai Fan depicts scenes where the comrades endure the harshness of the jungle, yet find peace in fleeting moments of love, ingenuity and shared experience. The stories are intimate and understated, with strong descriptions of a hostile natural environment that shapes both the physical and psychological landscape of the characters.
Translator Jeremy Tiang handles the text with precision, maintaining the tone and rhythm of the original. His translation captures the subtle emotions and sense of place in the stories, allowing readers to engage with the cultural and historical context without losing the immediacy of the narrative.
Delicious Hunger offers a profound look at the resilience of individuals during times of conflict, and the ways in which the natural world becomes intertwined with human existence. It provides a nuanced reflection on life during wartime, highlighting the fragile balance between survival and the search for meaning in an unforgiving environment. The collection is a significant addition to South East Asian literature in translation, particularly for readers interested in the intersection of history, nature and human endurance.
This book is recommended for those seeking a thoughtful and honest exploration of the human condition during times of political upheaval and conflict.
The Night Ends with Fire by K. X. Song
A resident of San Francisco with roots in Hong Kong and Shanghai, K. X. Song conveys themes shared amongst diasporic communities throughout her work. Having lived in the liminal spaces between different languages and cultural practices, Song uses her stories to explore translation, collective memory and the fluidity of history. Her debut novel, An Echo in the City, was one of the Kirkus Reviews’ Best Young Adult Books of 2023 and received the Freeman Book Award. Song’s reflections on the writing process have also been featured in The Guardian.
Song’s second novel, The Night Ends with Fire, marks the beginning of an epic fantasy adventure that brings together elements of Chinese history and legend alongside enduring questions of self. Meilin’s father is consumed by an opium addiction, so much so that he will not answer an imperial draft and plans to sell Meilin for her dowry. Knowing that her future husband will treat her no better than her father, Meilin escapes the looming torment by disguising herself as a boy and enlisting in his place. Despite the harsh conditions of the army, Meilin’s perseverance earns her respect and even a place as a training partner to a prince. However, the war raging between the Three Kingdoms only grows fiercer, and Meilin’s own loyalties become tested when a sea dragon spirit appears, offering power at a price, and an enemy prince fractures her belief in her own kingdom.
The Mountains Sing by Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
The first novel published by the celebrated author and poet hailing from Vietnam, The Mountains Sing humanises and brings to light the effects of different conflicts through a multigenerational family in the 1900s.
Dr Mai tells the story of the Trần family, beginning with the mother, Trần Diệu Lan, who, in the 1920s, was forced to flee with her six children from their family farm as a result of an uprising of the Communist government in the north of Vietnam. Decades later, the story flips to Lan’s granddaughter, Hà Nội, a young woman whose parents leave to fight in the war that destroyed her family and her home.
Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai has authored a total of twelve books in a range of literary genres in English and Vietnamese. In addition to already being the recipient of many prestigious literary awards in Vietnam, such as the Poetry of the Year 2010 Award, The Mountains Sing has garnered numerous awards, including the winner of the 2021 International Book Award. She has obtained a PhD in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, and as a result of her literary success over the years, was hailed by Forbes Vietnam as one of their top twenty inspirational women in 2021.
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