I was recently interviewed by Sarah Passmore for her Naked Lunch series at RTHK in Hong Kong. We talked about The Slaughter Pavilion, about writing crime fiction, and about China. You can hear the full interview here: http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/radio3/naked_lunch/20081107.html
Meanwhile, I&apo… more »
The Slaughter Pavilion has had some great press reviews - another one from Joan Smith in the Sunday Times last week.
But if anyone has read and enjoyed The Slaughter Pavilion I'd be deeply grateful if you might consider writing a brief reader review for www.Amazon.co.uk .
I've done most o… more »
Charter 08 was published on the internet this week to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the International Charter of Human Rights. It's an extraordinary document - it calls for an end to one party rule, free elections, an end to Communist Party influence in the military and in the courts. S… more »
Earlier this year, Yang Jia murdered six police officers in Shanghai. Last week he was executed by lethal injection. Strangely, before he died, many people in China expressed support for him. I wrote about the case for The Guardian's online Comment is Free section, and you can find my blo… more »
I’ve decided I’m going to blog more about crime in China. When I talk about my crime novels to groups of people in Beijing or back in England, I often get asked, ‘Do you feel safe if you’re out on your own at night in Beijing?’ and of course the answer, by and la… more »
I love this poster in the lobby of the block where I have an office. In the lift last week was a notice in English advising residents to call the management 'if you have a cockroach in the family.'
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Some time ago, I blogged about our wealthy Chinese neighbours, whose stretch Mercedes and phalanx of bodyguards fasincated everyone else in the compound where we live. Recently I saw the baby of the house going trick or treating accompanied both by his nanny and by a bodyguard. But there's been… more »
We've spent the past week in Hainan, an island off the south coast of China, at Yalong Bay in Sanya. It's advertised as China's Hawaii. And as you can see, it's very pretty, with golden beach and blue sea and surf (and even a Chinese tourist in a Hawaiian suit.)
I first we… more »
From my outpost in Hong Kong I’m watching history unfold.
I spent two years living in the States. Today a majority of Americans have voted to reclaim the best of what I saw there – passion, energy, generosity, vision. They’ve voted to do more than correct the vi… more »
The internet has already played a role in what may later today - bated breath - be a transformation of US politics. Here's what the internet is doing in China:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5077899.ece… more »