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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.
Visitors tour Dataland, the world’s first museum of AI arts, on June 16 in Los Angeles. Photo: Getty Images
Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Don’t let AI take over our human creative expression

The grand promise of AI has been inverted: while we continue doing the grunt work, AI is writing poetry and painting masterpieces.

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Icons and Influencers

Style according to … Cordelia de Castellane of Dior Maison and Baby Dior

Cinema

New book peeks behind the scenes of Sofia Coppola’s 2006 cult classic Marie Antoinette

Korean drama reviews

Review | The Scandal: Son Ye-jin, Nana shine in Netflix’s Dangerous Liaisons adaptation

Netflix’s The Scandal reimagines Dangerous Liaisons in Joseon-era Korea, exploring seduction, power and societal constraints.

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Nana (left) as young widow Ahn Hui-yeon and Son Ye-jin as noblewoman Lady Cho in a still from The Scandal, a re-imagining of the 18th century novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. Photo: Jun Hea-sun/Netflix
Chinese culture

The tragic Qing politician whose legacy lives on in descendant’s new novel

The life of Duanfang inspires E.L. Shen’s novel Foreigners, about identity, queer awakening and the immigrant experience in modern America.

Shanghai

Paul French lifts veil on final months of China’s last emperor in the Forbidden City

It is not the first biography of China’s Puyi, but Paul French’s latest book brings with it a feminine voice of modernity and fully exploits its place in the ‘doomed-monarchy’ sub-genre.

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Chinese culture

Famous Chinese women in folklore, from Mulan to a dynasty-toppling consort

These women have inspired countless poems, books, movies and TV shows over the centuries, but what are their stories and why do they endure?

Fan Bingbing (left) as Daji, one of the most famous women in Chinese folklore, and Tony Leung Ka-fai as King Zhou of Shang in League of Gods, a 2016 film adaptation of the 16th century Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group
Collecting

Investing in rare books is trending – including among celebrities

Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg are among today’s collectors of rare books, as buyers seek meaningful, tangible literary treasures.

Profile

Nancy Kwan’s enduring legacy – interview

The Hong Kong-born actor left her home city to forge a path for Asian performers in Hollywood, navigating the accompanying xenophobia and sexism of the 1960s. PostMag talks to the Flower Drum Song star about life, loss and leading the way.

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Architecture and design

3 eye-catching interior design pieces to elevate your home

From a cactus-legged console to a bookstand for your most treasured coffee-table tome, these statement pieces are instant talking points.

This Marc Newson x Taschen bookstand is just one of the singular interior design ideas that can add character to your home. Photo: Handout
Science fiction

Opinion | Why Asimov’s Foundation series still resonates in the AI era

Social engineering: why Elon Musk, Nobel Prize winners and cult leaders are all obsessed with Asimov’s Foundation.

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Actor Jared Harris (centre) plays mathemetician Hari Seldon, seen here with Leah Harvey and Lou Llobell, in the Foundation TV series. Photo: Apple TV+
American cinema

Stand by Me at 40: the tragic legacy of Rob Reiner’s coming-of-age masterpiece

This landmark of 1980s cinema is a bittersweet experience when watched today, with two of its biggest talents lost to tragic deaths.

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Christopher Nolan

Opinion | What Nolan’s Odysseus tells us about Western elite’s existential angst

The film’s reinterpreted Homeric hero represents a contemporary reckoning with the West’s ruthless pursuit of power and disregard for boundaries.

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Food and Drinks

She’s both a baker and a psychologist, creating recipes to make your life better

Helen Goh talks about combining the two sides of her life in her cookbook ‘Baking and the Meaning of Life’, which won a James Beard award.

Helen Goh in the kitchen. Photo: John Davis
American cinema

How did Snow Flower and the Secret Fan become such an ambitious failure?

Wayne Wang’s 2011 film blends past and present, but despite its ambition and talent, it struggled to resonate with audiences.

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Jun Ji-hyun (left) and Li Bingbing in a still from Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2011), a film that earned director Wayne Wang some of the worst reviews of his career.
Crime

Man who stabbed Salman Rushdie convicted in US terrorism trial

Already serving a 25-year state prison sentence for the attack, Hadi Matar now faces a potential life sentence for the federal conviction.

Crime

Rushdie attacker declines to testify in US terror trial

Already serving 25 years for state attempted murder, Hadi Matar faces life in prison if convicted on federal charges.

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Fame and celebrity

Obituary | Asia mourns Japanese mystery novelist Keigo Higashino, who died at 68

Fans took to social media to mourn the death of Higashino, who published more than 100 books.

Japanese mystery author Keigo Higashino died on July 28 in Tokyo. Fans took to social media to mourn him and celebrate his works. Photo: Kyodo
Pets

As I see it | How the death of Argos, Odysseus’ faithful dog, still haunts us

The quiet, devastating reunion of master and dog, recently given the Hollywood treatment, remains one of the most poignant scenes in Western literature.

American cinema

Planet of the Apes at 25: why Tim Burton’s sci-fi remake was a confusing mess

The 2001 film with Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth and Helena Bonham Carter featured a muddled script and awkward callbacks to the 1968 original.

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Hong Kong culture

Obituary | How scholar Ackbar Abbas changed the way people thought about Hong Kong

Abbas, whose concepts such as ‘déjà disparu’ are still used to explain how Hong Kong feels from the inside, died on July 13 at the age of 84.

Ackbar Abbas (right) and his third wife, Liu Sola (left), at their home in Beijing. Abbas, a scholar who profoundly influenced Hong Kong arts and academia with his work, has died aged 84. Photo: Chang Yung-ho
Food and Drinks

‘Piece of history’: old cookbook exhibition traces Hong Kong’s culinary past

‘Treasured Recipes’ at PMQ Taste Library features food-themed books and magazines spanning decades to show how the city’s food scene evolved.

A copy of Lisa Yam’s World, a Hong Kong cooking magazine popular in the 1980s and 1990s, features in “Treasured Recipes”, an exhibition at PMQ Taste Library that traces Hong Kong’s rich culinary heritage through food-themed literature. Photo: PMQ Taste Library
Food and Drinks

Hong Kong’s PMQ offers fresh perspectives on culinary traditions

The ‘Treasured Recipes’ exhibition by Michael Lui Ka-chun showcases influential cookbooks and other interesting pieces of gastronomic literature.

Hong Kong society

Editorial | Hong Kong Book Fair offers hope for a future full of reading

The city’s annual book fair plays an important role in boosting reading and sales, and its success suggests the appeal of reading will endure.

Crime

Terrorism trial opens in stabbing of author Salman Rushdie

This is the second trial for Hadi Matar, who was earlier found guilty of attempted murder after attacking the writer on a state in New York.

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Hadi Matar walks into Chautauqua County court in Mayville, New York, in May 2025. Photo: AP

As I see it | How an obscure psychologist reshaped the Homeric hero

Scheming Odysseus may have been the first modern man with a self-directing mental life while other archaic heroes blindly obeyed the gods.

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Matt Damon (centre) as Odysseus in the Christopher Nolan epic film, The Odyssey. Photo: Universal Pictures / TNS
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong Book Fair: early birds slam chaotic queues to meet girl band Collar

‘This was my first time at the book fair, and it has been deeply disappointing,’ one fan says on opening day for city’s annual book fair.

Chinese culture

‘I never felt ready’: author on finally writing her Chinese grandmother’s story

Elizabeth Lim reveals why it took her 10 years to write Fishbone Cinderella about her grandmother’s journey from Hong Kong to San Francisco.

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