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E-18 - THE CRUSHED CAN by F.E. Beyer (2025, Sandfly Press)
New Zealand writer Frank Beyer (who goes under the name F.E. Beyer) talks to John about novels featuring a much maligned creature: the Western English teacher in East Asia. Frank is something of…
E-17- JENNA CODY’S FAVORITE TAIWAN FICTION
John chats with Jenna Cody about some of her favorite works of Taiwan fiction. Jenna, an American based in Taipei, is the author of the long-running blog Lao Ren Cha (now on Substack). Lao Ren Cha…
E-16 - THE WONDROUS ELIXIR OF THE TWO CHINESE LOVERS by Tim McGirk (Plum Rain Press, 2025)
The first emperor of China dispatched a Taoist priest named Xu Fu to bring back the elixir of immortality. Xu Fu and his fleet vanished. Some legends say he settled in Japan. In Tim McGirk's novel,…
E-15 - THE CUTTLEFISH by Chris Tharp
Busan-based author Chris Tharp chats with John about The Cuttlefish, his hilarious novel set in the fictional East Asian island nation of Sukhan. The protagonist, an American called Zach, finds…
E-14 - CHINA RUNNING DOG by Mark Kitto
China Running Dog by Mark KittoControversial China figure and author Mark Kitto chats with John about his new novel, China Running Dog, set in the days of peak Shanghai Fever. It’s a brilliant novel…
E-13 - TAIWANESE FEET: MY WALK AROUND TAIWAN by John Groot (Almas Books, 2020)
Taiwanese Feet: My walk around Taiwan by John Groot (Almas Books, 2020) Canadian John Groot first came to Taiwan in 2001, fell in love with the island and its friendly people, and decided to stay.…
E-12 - FOR FUKUI’S SAKE: TWO YEARS IN RURAL JAPAN by Sam Baldwin (2011, Baka Books)
Sam Baldwin chats about his life-changing two years as an English teacher on the JET Programme in the Japanese town of Ono, Fukui Prefecture. Snow-loving Sam made the most of his time in this…
E-11 - SHOOT, ASK... AND RUN! by Chris Stowers (2025, Earnshaw Books)
John talks with Taipei-based photographer Chris Stowers about his new book, “Shoot, Ask ... and Run!,” an account of his journalistic travels and life in Asia in the early 1990s. On this episode…
E-10 - 50 USEFUL TIPS ON CHINA: FROM A GUY WHO ALMOST GOT IT by Ralph Jennings (Earnshaw Books, 2023)
Veteran East Asia journalist Ralph Jennings discusses his guide to understanding Chinese people and culture. His “Useful Tips” are better described as “insights,” as these are not your usual “Never…
E9 - THE MAN WHO MADE CHINA A LITERATE NATION – ZHOU YOUGUANG, FATHER OF THE PINYIN WRITING SYSTEM by Mark O’Neill (Joint Publishing H.K., 2023)
Zhou Youguang (周有光) was one of the creators of Hanyu Pinyin, a system of romanization for Chinese characters. Introduced to PRC elementary schools in the late 1950s, it was instrumental in improving…
E8 - THE GOOD LORD WILLING AND THE CREEK DON’T RISE: PENTIMENTO MEMORIES OF MOM AND ME by Robert Norris (Tin Gate, 2023)
Robert Norris has been in Japan since 1983, mostly in Dazaifu (near Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu). He retired from university teaching in 2016, returning once more to his passion of writing. The…
E7 - THE BARTER TRADE: A NOVEL by Chris Ruffle (Earnshaw Books, 2024)
Chris Ruffle returns to Bookish Asia (we covered his memoir A Decent Bottle of Wine in China in Episode 2) to discuss his autobiographical novel, which is set in Beijing in 1983. After decades of…
E6 - WHERE EVERY GHOST HAS A NAME: A MEMOIR OF TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE by Kim Liao (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024)
American Kim Liao describes unraveling her family’s mysterious history. Her grandfather was Taiwanese independence movement leader Thomas Liao (1910–1986); Kim, who grew up with family members and…
E5 - THE LAST TIGERS OF HONG KONG: TRUE STORIES OF BIG CATS THAT STALKED BRITAIN'S CHINESE COLONY by John Saeki (2022, Blacksmith Books)
John Ross talks with John Saeki about tigers in Hong Kong. The big cats once made frequent and sometimes deadly forays into the territory, even reaching islands such as Lamma and Lantau. Listen and…
E4 - HARMONY EXPRESS: TRAVELS BY TRAIN THROUGH CHINA by Thomas Bird (2023, Earnshaw Books)
Thomas Bird was living in Southern China when he decided to explore the country by train and write a book about it. A great idea – and long overdue; the last notable railway-flavored China travelogue…
E3 - BLURRED BOUNDARIES: A MARTIAL ARTS LEGACY AND THE SHAPING OF TAIWAN BY HONG ZE-HAN, translated by Christopher Bates (2023, YMAA Publication Center)
John talks with Chris Bates about one of Taiwan’s greatest ever martial artists, Hong Yixiang 洪懿祥 (1925–1993). He was Taiwan’s foremost master of the Chinese internal martial arts (which consist of…
E2 - A DECENT BOTTLE OF WINE IN CHINA by Chris Ruffle (2016, Earnshaw Books)
Ever dream of owning a vineyard? Yorkshireman Chris Ruffle did, and to make things even more interesting he decided to do it from scratch in the countryside of Shandong Province. And don’t forget the…
E1 - THE ISLAND: A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF TAIWAN’S EXTRAORDINARY TRANSFORMATION by Mark O’Neill (2024, Earnshaw Books)
Veteran Hong Kong-based journalist and prolific author Mark O'Neill tells us what Taiwan was like in the early 1980s, when he first came to study Chinese. Despite a mysterious knife attack and…
Frequently Asked Questions
BOOKISH ASIA with Plum Rain Press has published 18 episodes since June 2024, covering topics in Arts, Books.
BOOKISH ASIA with Plum Rain Press is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 months. Average episode length is 26m.
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