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Books and literature

Books and literature
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Books and literature. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
The cover of Asako Yuzuki’s novel.
Women and gender

Japanese novel about a serial killer hailed as feminist overseas

Asako Yuzuki’s Butter, thought of as a crime novel in Japan, is celebrated in UK and elsewhere for exploring misogyny and body shaming.

Singapore

Language Matters | Poetry ‘a luxury we cannot afford’? Singapore and world have moved on

Japan

Review | From Hiroshima to Fukushima in rambling, riveting Wildcat Dome

American cinema

Hunger Games prequel novel Sunrise On The Reaping called ‘heart-wrenching’

District 12 victor Haymitch Abernathy’s past is explored in ‘propulsive’ fifth book by Suzanne Collins set in fictional dystopia she created.

(From left) Lenny Kravitz, Woody Harrelson and Josh Hutcherson in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Harrison plays Haymitch Abernathy in the movies adapted from Suzanne Collins’ novels. Her latest explores Abernathy’s youth. Photo: Lionsgate
Facebook

Who is Meta whistle-blower Sarah Wynn-Williams, whose new book is causing a stir?

Meta has successfully barred a former Facebook employee from promoting or further distributing copies of her tell-all memoir, Careless People – so who is the author, Sarah Wynn-Williams?

Dating

Tired of superficial dating apps? Bookmark is an app for book lovers

The Bengaluru-based founders are connecting people based on shared literary interests, with features like a virtual bookshelf and witty prompts.

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Investing

He made US$2.6 million and was only happy for 3 days. He explains why

Han Jung-soo achieved financial independence and retired in his 20s. But money ‘does not automatically lead to a happy ending’, he says.

Han Jung-soo (pictured) achieved financial independence and retired in his twenties. But money “does not automatically lead to a happy ending”, he says. He is back in work, doing something he loves at his own business. Photo: Instagram/junxoo
Fame and celebrity

Meet Nicolle Wallace, who just slammed Trump’s ‘honouring’ of a 13-year-old

Wallace worked with George W. Bush and the John McCain-Sarah Palin presidential campaign, had a cameo in Robert De Niro’s Zero Day, and is married to Pulitzer-winning journalist Michael Schmidt.

American cinema

At 16, she writes, she made a pass at Keanu Reeves. He turned her down

‘Even the way he’d rejected me was charming,’ writes Ione Skye in her memoir Say Everything about an encounter with the actor in his shower.

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Fame and celebrity

To Kill a Mockingbird author’s recently found short stories out soon

‘We can never know too much’ about ‘great American author’ Harper Lee, nephew says of coming book of essays, newly unearthed short fiction.

American author Harper Lee, writer of To Kill a Mockingbird, in 2007. A compilation of 45 years of her essays and short stories written before her 1960 novel will be published in October 2025. Photo: AP
American cinema

‘My life is a mystery,’ says Anthony Hopkins as he spills all in memoir

In We Did OK, Kid, actor, 87, delves into his Welsh childhood, his battle with drinking and how he became sober, and ‘fear of getting hurt’.

=== PHOTO CAPTURED ONLINE=== Sir Anthony Hopkins’s career as an actor is full of iconic characters, such as Hannibal Lecter. Photo: Twitter/Yumarkys
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | US conservatives ban books. In ancient China such acts didn’t end well

When Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang banned, then burned books it caused a loss of knowledge for all of humanity. Now book bans are back.

Fame and celebrity

Meet Anthony Bourdain’s former right-hand woman, Laurie Woolever

In Care and Feeding, released on March 13, Woolever describes working in New York’s restaurants in the 90s, being groped by Batali and dealing with Bourdain’s death as her marriage imploded.

Meta Platforms

Ex-Facebook director’s ‘explosive’ memoir about Meta trio’s ‘excesses’

How Mark Zuckerberg tried to get Facebook into China and Meta’s ‘profoundly flawed’ leading trio described by ex-global public policy chief.

Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He, Meta executive Joel Kaplan and former chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg are painted as “careless human beings” in an “explosive” book by a former Meta executive out this month. Photo: AFP
Fame and celebrity

Meet the ‘Blurred Lines’ video star EmRata and her high-achieving parents

A supermodel and New York Times bestselling author, Emily Ratajkowski played opposite Ben Affleck in 2014’s Gone Girl and is set to appear in Lena Dunham’s forthcoming Netflix series Too Much

Emily Ratajkowski’s parents, John Ratajkowski and Kathleen Balgley, with their grandson Sly. Photo: @johnratajkowski/Instagram
Wellness

Which foods help you sleep? Recipes for a good night’s rest in cookbook

Eat better to sleep better is the mantra of a researcher who studied which foods promote and hinder rest. Her findings led to a cookbook.

Sex and relationships

How an American experienced a ‘gay awakening’ before the Beijing Olympics

In the new memoir Beijing Bound: A Foreigner Discovers China, Glen Loveland recalls learning the nuances of the local LGBTQ scene.

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Japan

‘I love eating’: novelist Asako Yuzuki on how she cooked up Butter

The author of acclaimed novel Butter, which skewers misogyny and fatphobia in Japanese culture, discusses her love of food, and the serial killer who inspired her book.

Portrait of Japanese writer Asako Yuzuki. Photo: courtesy of Asako Yuzuki
DeepSeek

The secret sauce of DeepSeek’s AI success: liberal arts graduates

DeepSeek’s AI magic lies in its unique blend of literary expertise and advanced algorithms, former employees and industry experts say.

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Chinese culture

Explainer | What Journey to the West reveals about early China-India exchanges

16th century novel tells the tale of Xuanzang, a monk who contributed to Chinese religion and medicine after his travels to Buddhist India.

Hong Kong

Your perfect week: what to do in Hong Kong, March 2-8

Enjoy International Women’s Day drinks, celebrate all things French, indulge in an enchanting gastronomic adventure and be greenside at the LIV Golf.

Half the proceeds from the International Women’s Day event at Alibi in Hong Kong will be donated to the YWCA. Photo: Alibi
Fame and celebrity

Who was Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa, who just died alongside him?

Despite the reclusive Hollywood actor and his wife living away from the spotlight in New Mexico, the pair have sweetly supported each other for years – here’s what you need to know about Betsy Arakawa.

Retired Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead, alongside one of their three dogs, in their New Mexico home on February 26. Photo: AP
Old Hong Kong

Then & Now | Has Hong Kong ever truly been home to any famous writers?

In his 1959 book The Road, Austin Coates’ protagonist is a successful writer in Hong Kong who gives an explosively well-received lecture – but the reality was different, and still is.

Profile

‘We’re on the world’s longest vacation’: author tells mum’s immigrant story

Connie Wang, author of the memoir Oh My Mother!, on growing up in America’s Midwest, telling her mum’s story, and working at Refinery29.

United States

‘Da King of da Monsters’ Godzilla blows into Chicago in new comic series

The popular Japanese monster is attacking American cities in a new comic-book series, and the Windy City is the rampaging kaiju’s first stop.

Art for Godzilla vs Chicago. The comic book is the first in a series called Godzilla vs America, with Los Angeles and Boston next in line for some kaiju chaos. Photo: Instagram/timseeley
History

Unveiling the stories of early Japanese residents in Hong Kong Cemetery

Meiji-era prostitutes, whose names are etched in stone, find a voice in a new book by Georgina Challen and Yoshiko Nakano.

Cherry blossom trees in the Hong Kong Cemetery’s Japanese Section, Happy Valley, Hong Kong. 10FEB25 SCMP / Alexander Mak
Tourism

Want to write like an award-winning author? This Moroccan masterclass might help

A writing masterclass in Morocco provides insights into both Marrakech’s ancient medina and the secrets behind good storytelling.

Chinese culture

Opinion | Why Ne Zha 2 is part of a broader Chinese cultural renaissance

The film’s strong box office performance marks a shift in how Chinese culture is perceived by young people in China and around the world.

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