Category: 2026 Entries
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Cha invites authors, editors, translators, publishers, and readers to propose books, films, or other cultural productions for extended featured coverage in the journal, including single-author features. Extended coverage like this often begins with the editor-in-chief’s own enthusiasm for the work.…
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βCrabs in a Glass Ceiling Barrel: Kelly Yangβs The Takeβ by Raymond Pun Kelly Yang. The Take, Penguin Random House, 2026. 368 pgs. The Take, the first adult fiction by…
![[REVIEW] βCrabs in a Glass Ceiling Barrel: Kelly Yangβs πβπ ππππβ by Raymond Pun](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/https-www.kellyyang.com_.jpg?w=993)
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FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Yi-Ling Liuβs Portrait of Chinaβs Digital Dissidents in The Wall Dancers” by Johanna M. Costigan Yi-Ling Liu. The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet, Knopf, 2026,…
![[ESSAY] “Yi-Ling Liuβs Portrait of Chinaβs Digital Dissidents in πβπ ππππ π·ππππππ ” by Johanna M. Costigan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/wall-dancers.jpg?w=987)
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[ESSAY] “Of Elephants and Peoples” by Aishwarya Narayanan Image Periyar Tiger Reserve is located in the South-Western Ghats of India, administratively falling under the Idukki, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta districts of Kerala. Encompassing 925 kilometres of protected wilderness, the Reserve is…
![[ESSAY] “Of Elephants and Peoples” by Aishwarya Narayanan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/elephants-https-periyartigerreserve.org_.jpg?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Remixing Memory, Forgetting Politics: On Wong Kar-wai and the Limits of Bricolage” by Anna Nguyen Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon Remixing Wong Kar-wai. Giorgio Biancorosso. Remixing Wong Kar-wai: Music, Bricolage, and…
![[ESSAY] “Remixing Memory, Forgetting Politics: On Wong Kar-wai and the Limits of Bricolage” by Anna Nguyen](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/remixing-wong-kar-wai-music-bricolage-and-the-aesthetics-of-oblivion.jpg?w=1000)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βNo Useless Poems: Tsering Woeserβs Greater Tibetβ by Angus Stewart Tsering Woeser (author), edited and translated by Fiona Sze-LorrainΒ with Dechen Pemba. Ocean, as Much as Rain: Stories, Lyrical Prose, and…
![[REVIEW] βNo Useless Poems: Tsering Woeserβs Greater Tibetβ by Angus Stewart](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ocean-as-much-as-rain-stories-lyrical-prose-and-poems-from-tibet.jpg?w=1000)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βFamily, Failure, and Historical Memory in Sagisawa Megumuβs The Running Boy and Other Storiesβ by James Kin Pong Au Sagisawa Megumu (author), Tyran Grillo (translator). The Running Boy and Other…
![[REVIEW] βFamily, Failure, and Historical Memory in Sagisawa Megumuβs πβπ π
π’πππππ π΅ππ¦ πππ ππ‘βππ ππ‘πππππ β by James Au Kin-Pong](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/cornellpress.cornell.edubook9781501749896the-running-boy-and-other-stories.jpg?w=880)
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Editor’s note: In this essay, Chris Song reflects on debates in Hong Kongβs Sinophone literary field since the 2019 Biennial Awards, where tensions between everyday poetics and politically engaged writing surfaced. He shows how prizes, criticism, and institutions shape poetic…
![[ESSAY] “Poetics Debates and the Shadow of Power in Hong Kongβs Sinophone Literary Field” by Chris Song](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/poetics-debates-and-the-shadow-of-power-in-hong-kongs-sinophone-literary-field.png?w=786)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βChungking Dreaminβ: A Review of Giorgio Biancorossoβs Remixing Wong Kar-waiβ by Mario Rustan ClickΒ HERE to readΒ all entries inΒ ChaonΒ Remixing Wong Kar-wai. Giorgio Biancorosso. Remixing Wong Kar-wai: Music, Bricolage, and the Aesthetics…
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] βThrough the Time Tunnel and Written on Water: Eileen Chang Across Exile and Memoryβ by Jeff Tompkins β Eileen Chang (author), Karen S. KingsburyΒ andΒ Jie Zhang (translators). Time Tunnel, New York…
![[ESSAY] βThrough the ππππ ππ’ππππ and ππππ‘π‘ππ ππ πππ‘ππ: Eileen Chang Across Exile and Memoryβ by Jeff Tompkins](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/eileen-chang-cha-an-asian-literary-journal-jeff-tompkins.png?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Kit Fanβs Goodbye Chinatown and the Politics of Taste” by Jonathan Han Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon Goodbye Chinatown. Kit Fan, Goodbye Chinatown, World Editions, 2026. 268…
![[REVIEW] “Kit Fanβs πΊπππππ¦π πΆβππππ‘ππ€π and the Politics of Taste” by Jonathan Han](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/goodbye-chinatown-kit-fan-cha.jpg?w=938)
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[ESSAY] βAssemblage of/as Faith: Max Balatbat Reimagines the Sacred in ‘Sampalataya’” by Jose P. Mojica When one imagines the church, certain images come to mind. Mannerist-style paintings of the Stations of the Cross hang on tiled walls. Sunrays brim with…
![[ESSAY] βAssemblage of/as Faith: Max Balatbat Reimagines the Sacred in ‘Sampalataya'” by Jose P. Mojica](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/sampalataya-max-balatbat.png?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] βThe Forgotten Chapter of Indian History: A Study of Abbas Panakkalβs Hindu Amir of Muslimsβ by Kabir Deb Abbas Panakkal, Hindu Amir of Muslims: Indigenized Islam from the Indian Ocean…
![[ESSAY] βThe Forgotten Chapter of Indian History: A Study of Abbas Panakkalβs π»ππππ’ π΄πππ ππ ππ’π ππππ β by Kabir Deb](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/hindu-amir-of-muslims-indigenized-islam-from-the-indian-ocean-littoral-of-malabar-bloomsbury-academic.jpg?w=929)
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Editor’s note: We are delighted to present an essay by the distinguished translator Howard Goldblatt, whose work has been instrumental in introducing modern Chinese fiction to English-speaking readers. In his essay, Goldblatt reflects on his translation of Liang Xiaoshengβs My…
![[MY DESTINY] “Me and ππ¦ π·ππ π‘ππ𦔠by Howard Goldblatt](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/howard-goldblatt-my-destiny-and-me-for-cha.png?w=1024)
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Editorβs note: We are pleased to present the first chapter of Liang Xiaosheng’s My Destiny, translated by the renowned Howard Goldblatt, whose work has played a defining role in bringing modern Chinese fiction to an English-speaking readership. Readers interested in…
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[ESSAY] βMeeting the Moment: The Intimacy of LingJiun Wangβs Photographyβ by Julia Merican In Passing (2019 – present)Β I am looking at a photograph by LingJiun Wang. In it, a woman lies on a dark rug, which in turn rests…
![[ESSAY] βMeeting the Moment: The Intimacy of LingJiun Wangβs Photographyβ by Julia Merican](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/in-passing-2019-present.png?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “On Breathing Space: Sound, Memory, and the Quiet Weight of Francis Catedralβs My Third Home” by Nur Hasanah Francis Catedral (director), Rumah Ketigaku (My Third Home), 2025. 21 min.…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “On Breathing Space: Sound, Memory, and the Quiet Weight of Francis Catedralβs ππ¦ πβπππ π»πππ” by Nur Hasanah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/rumahketigakuposterupdatedtitlev4.webp?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “History and Anachronism in Christopher Smithβs Samurai with Telephones” by Raymond K. Nakamura Christopher Smith, Samurai with Telephones: Anachronism in Japanese Literature, University of Michigan Press, 2024. 242 pgs.…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “History and Anachronism in Christopher Smithβs ππππ’πππ π€ππ‘β πππππβππππ ” by Raymond K. Nakamura](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/christopher-smiths-samurai-with-telephones.jpg?w=1000)
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[CONVERSATION] βFlights of Memory and Meaning: On Paper Planeβ by Sadie Kaye and Nifraz Rifaz Nifraz Rifaz, Paper Plane, The Jam Fruit Tree Publications, 2026. 368 pgs. In my review of Paper Plane, first published in The Hooghly Review, on…
![[CONVERSATION] “Flights of Memory and Meaning: On πππππ πππππ” by Sadie Kaye and Nifraz Rifaz](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/nifraz-rifaz-paper-plane-cha.jpg?w=972)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Influence, Fandom, and Platform Power: On Asian Celebrity Cultures in the Digital Age” by Jennifer Junwa Lau Jian Xu, Glen Donnar, and Divya Garg (editors). Asian Celebrity Cultures in the…
![[REVIEW] “Influence, Fandom, and Platform Power: On π΄π πππ πΆπππππππ‘π¦ πΆπ’ππ‘π’πππ ππ π‘βπ π·ππππ‘ππ π΄ππ” by Jennifer Junwa Lau](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/jennifer-lau-influence-fandom-and-platform-power-asian-celebrity-cultures.png?w=1024)
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[REVIEW] “A City in Panorama: Hong Kong Through Keith Macgregorβs Lens” by Simon Patton Keith Macgregor. An Eye on Hong Kong, Odyssey Publications, 1999. 196 pgs. It was Martin Booth who once observed that the view of Victoria Harbour regularly…
![[REVIEW] “A City in Panorama: Hong Kong Through Keith Macgregorβs Lens” by Simon Patton](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/an-eye-on-hong-kong-keith-macgregor.jpeg?w=582)
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[Incidental] “The Foodie Poo Review: Under the Table with Mojo Kaye”, translated by his human Sadie Kaye As soon as you approach the restaurant premises, your senses will explode at the welcoming sweet-and-sour aroma of charred meat and sweaty feet.…
![[INCIDENTAL] “The Foodie Poo Review: Under the Table with Mojo Kaye” by Sadie Kaye](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mojo.jpeg?w=1024)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Pains, Survival, and Self-Publishing: Gurpreet Kaur Khosaβs Pain & Other Inheritances” by Michael Tsang Gurpreet Kaur Khosa. Pain & Other Inheritances, BookLeaf Publishing, 2025. 50 pgs. This collection stands…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Pains, Survival, and Self-Publishing: Gurpreet Kaur Khosaβs ππππ & ππ‘βππ πΌπβππππ‘πππππ ” by Michael Tsang](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/pain-other-inheritances.jpg?w=850)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βFood as Violence, Food as Salvation: Ramya Chamalie Jirasingheβs Father Cabraalβs Recipe for Love Cakeβ by Rituparna Mukherjee Ramya Chamalie Jirasinghe. Father Cabraalβs Recipe for Love Cake, Penguin Random House…
![[REVIEW] βFood as Violence, Food as Salvation: Ramya Chamalie Jirasingheβs πΉππ‘βππ πΆππππππβπ π
πππππ πππ πΏππ£π πΆπππβ by Rituparna Mukherjee](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ramya-chamalie-jarasinghe.-father-cabraals-recipe-for-love-cake.jpg?w=940)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Terao Tetsuya’s Spent Bullets: Alienation and Intimacy in Silicon Valleyβs Taiwanese Diaspora” by Jennifer Eagleton Terao Tetsuya (author), Kevin Wang (translator). Spent Bullets, HarperCollins, 2025. 208 pgs. Set in…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Terao Tetsuya’s πππππ‘ π΅π’ππππ‘π : Alienation and Intimacy in Silicon Valleyβs Taiwanese Diaspora” by Jennifer Eagleton](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/spent-bullets-hardcover-e28093-october-14-2025-by-terao-tetsuya-author-kevin-wang.jpg?w=987)
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Editor’s note: In this feature, we present an interview with Jennifer Wong on her new collection Light Year, conducted by Chaβs staff reviewer Michael Tsang. Wongβs work is widely recognised for its attentiveness to memory, language, and the complexities of…
![[CONVERSATION] “Writing Through Loss, Language, and Home: On πΏππβπ‘ ππππ” by Michael Tsang and Jennifer Wong](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/light-year-paperback-e28093-19-feb.-2026-english-edition-by-jennifer-wong-author.jpg?w=322)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βFor Novice and Expert: Jeffrey Wasserstromβs Everything You Wanted to Know About China (But Were Afraid to Ask)β by Susan Blumberg-Kason Click HERE to read ALL entries in Chaon…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βFor Novice and Expert: Jeffrey Wasserstromβs πΈπ£πππ¦π‘βπππ πππ’ ππππ‘ππ π‘π πΎπππ€ π΄πππ’π‘ πΆβπππ (π΅π’π‘ ππππ π΄πππππ π‘π π΄π π)β by Susan Blumberg-Kason](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-china-.jpg?w=936)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Understanding China Beyond the Headlines: Jeffrey Wasserstrom’s Everything You Wanted to Know About China” by Jennifer Eagleton Click HERE to read ALL entries in Chaon Everything You Wanted to…
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “A Librarianβs Take on Zheng Liuβs Cultural Mavericks: The Business and Politics of Independent Bookselling in China” by Raymond Pun Click HERE to read all entries in Cha on Cultural Mavericks. Zheng Liu, Cultural…
![[REVIEW] “A Librarianβs Take on Zheng Liuβs πΆπ’ππ‘π’πππ πππ£ππππππ : πβπ π΅π’π ππππ π πππ πππππ‘πππ ππ πΌππππππππππ‘ π΅ππππ ππππππ ππ πΆβπππ” by Raymond Pun](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cultural-mavericks-the-business-and-politics-of-independent-bookselling-in-china.jpg?w=971)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Jack Ngβs Night King: Elegy for a Vanishing East Tsim Sha Tsui” by Jonathan Han Jack Ng (director). Night King, 2026. 132 min. Growing up, East Tsim Sha Tsui…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Jack Ngβs πππβπ‘ πΎπππ: Elegy for a Vanishing East Tsim Sha Tsui” by Jonathan Han](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3333.webp?w=1024)
Cha 