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China Books Podcast

by China Books Review

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Latest episodes

Ep. 37: What China’s Writing with Na Zhong

October 6, 2026 · 35 min

Sally Rooney’s Chinese translator and our own “What China’s Reading” columnist talks to us about Chinese tastes in literature and her own debut novella. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia…
Food Writing with Clarissa Wei

September 1, 2026 · 37 min

The author of a new book of postpartum recovery recipes tells us what to eat while “sitting the month,” and how Taiwanese food is distinct from Chinese cuisine. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of…
34: Spies in Shanghai with Heather Salter

August 4, 2026 · 29 min

The author and historian discusses a dramatic Soviet espionage case in interwar Shanghai that rocked the international community and presaged the Cold War. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia…
China’s Disappearing Countryside, with Colin Flahive

July 7, 2026 · 32 min

Over the last quarter century, the countryside of southwest China has been transformed. The author of two memoirs reflects on what is lost, and what is gained. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia…
Murder in Hong Kong with Simon Elegant

June 2, 2026 · 33 min

The Hong Kong-born novelist and journalist talks us through his new novel "City on Fire," a whodunnit thriller set against the 2019 protests. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society’s Center…

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Ancient Chinese Politics with Daniel Bell

May 5, 2026 · 38 min

The Legalists and Confucians still run the show in today’s China, argues a scholar of classical Chinese thought — but the Mohists and Daoists still have a voice in the debate. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a…
Confucius and Women, with Erin Cline

April 7, 2026 · 38 min

Misogyny and patriarchy are a later misreading of The Analects, argues the author of a new translation of the Confucian classic. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China…
Chinese Comedy with Jesse Appell

March 3, 2026 · 46 min

The bilingual comedian talks us through the traditional “xiangsheng” form of Chinese comic repartee, and explains whether Beijing can take a joke. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society’s…
Islamic China with Rian Thum

February 3, 2026 · 38 min

Islam has been part of China’s religious and cultural fabric for over a millennium, yet often it is seen as a foreign element. The author of a new study explains just how wrong that is. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books…
Chinese Horror with Xueting C. Ni

January 6, 2026 · 30 min

Horror writing has an unsavory reputation in China, but comes with a long history and is full of biting social commentary. The translator of a recent collection explains what lurks beneath. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China…
Ep. 27: Sex, Scams and Sorcery with Bruce Rusk and Christopher Rea

December 2, 2025 · 39 min

Tales of trickery were popular in the late Ming dynasty. The translators of a new collection explain how they still resonate today. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society’s Center on…
Ep. 26: Chris Horton on Taiwan’s History and Present

November 4, 2025 · 44 min

Colonized by the Dutch, Qing China and Japan, the island of Taiwan has a complicated past and a tense present. We invited the author of a new primer to lay it out for us. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a…

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About the show

The China Books Podcast is a monthly interview series on all things China and bookish, from ChinaBooksReview.com. Hosted by Alec Ash or Alexander Boyd, we talk to authors about their recent works on or from China and the Sinophone world, from politics and history to fiction and culture. Subscribe to stay in the loop, and drop us a rating if you enjoyed it! China Books Review is a project of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and The Wire China.