Discovered today that the Baifang Schell Book Prize recently announced its 2025 winners. The prize was established in 2024 by China Books Review, a digital magazine published by The Wire China (@thewirechina) and Asia Society’s Centre on U.S.-China Relations (@asiasociety).
According to the official website, the prize “celebrates exceptional books on or from China and the Sinophone world, published in English”. It is certainly a good way to discover some great books on and/or from the Chinese World, either written in English or translated from Chinese to English.
The prize has two categories: Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Book on China or the Sinophone World, and Award for Outstanding Translated Literature from Chinese Language. I am pleased to discover that the 2024 and 2025 winners, honourable mentions and shortlisted titles include some of my favourites, especially Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise by Taiwanese author Yi-Han Lin (translated by Jenna Tang).
Currently on my TBR list are Taiwan Travelogue: A Novel by Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-Zi (translated by Lin King, see above), Chop Fry Watch Learn: Fu Pei-Mei and the Making of Modern Chinese Food by Michelle T King, and the Simplified Chinese edition of Soft Burial: A Novel by Chinese author Fang Fang.
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Voices under the Sun 陽光下的聲音 