China brought to book

While the nobel prize win crowned a great year for Chinese literature, it also placed more focus on the country as a whole

The year 2012 started uneventfully for the literature scene in China but ended with a bang.

Just when the country's leading booksellers were complaining of a lack of bestsellers, writer Mo Yan's Nobel Prize win in October created sparks among readers, writers and publishers.

Sales of his works multiplied, both in print and e-publications.

"People suddenly realized our literature is not dying," says Lei Da, a veteran literary critic.

"Excellent creations are there waiting to be rediscovered, just like we rediscovered Mo Yan's bold and endless imagination."

Lei says fictional works in China today also reflect the age of new media and changes in human relationships. They contain more cultural awareness, shedding light on regional customs, traditions and history.

Lei also notes that Chinese nonfiction writing covered a broader spectrum last year.

China Daily's reading team presents the top five nonfiction books of 2012 based on sales, critical acclaim and Chinese media ranking. They are listed in alphabetic order.

Coming into Focus

By Justin Yifu Lin, Citic Press

Justin Yifu Lin says China's advantages in cheap human and environmental resources have died out. The next few years will either see crucial institutional and governance development, or the country's decline.

Lin, whose term with the World Bank ended in 2012, has written Coming into Focus, which touches on the economic crisis with China's growth in mind. Its English version will be published by the Cambridge Press this year.

Ba Shusong, deputy director of the finance department of the State Council's Development Research Center, says the new analytical framework goes beyond the Keynesian school and harks back to Adam Smith.

Eight Schools of Thought in Modern China

By Ma Licheng, Social Sciences Academic Press

China doesn't have an ideology. It doesn't even have a polarized state of mind. Ma Licheng, a news commentator and author of Eight Schools of Thought in Modern China, says there are at least eight contending schools of thought that contribute to China's ongoing shift.

Besides providing introductions to the eight, Ma combed the past 30 years to examine how and why the leftists parted ways, and the re-emergence of China's liberalism. Ma is alarmed by a surging wave of nationalism that may veer into populism.

Family Heirloom: The Living Wisdom of Chinese People

By Ren Xiang, New Star Press

Family Heirloom: The Living Wisdom of Chinese People is the result of Taiwan writer Ren Xiang's years of trying to vividly explain the essence of Chinese culture to her daughter, who is now studying in the United States.

The whole set of exquisitely designed books, which many say is a visual artwork in itself, delves into the lives of Chinese people, with texts and illustrations portraying how they live over four seasons.

The book has both excited and depressed Chinese readers as they find some of these beautiful traditions slowly diminishing.

Get Away, Mr Tumor

By Xiong Dun, Beijing Institute of Technology Press

This picture book was originally an online hit of a series of postings by young illustrator Xiong Dun, who established her name through several illustrated works based on her personal life experiences.

Xiong was diagnosed with lymphoma in August 2011. During chemotherapy, she created stories to record her fight against the illness. Her stories have enlightened millions of people.

Xiong died in November at the age of 30.

Governing China: How the CPC works

By Xie Chuntao, New World Press

The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held in November, was an event with profound influence. It stirred global interest in the Party and its achievements.

The book, unveiling the formation and development of the CPC's governing systems, is a follow-up to the bestselling book, Why and How the CPC Works in China, and is published in English and Chinese.

Both books revolve around frequently asked questions about the Party, offering an approachable route to its ideas and theories, and an innovative introducing to Party history, especially for readers outside China.

The English version will be released soon.

Contact the writers through meijia@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/18/2013 page20)