Celebrating East and South East Asian Heritage Month

The Library Liberating the Collections Group have compiled a list of books from recommendations across the UCL community to celebrate East and South East Asian Heritage Month.

East and South East Asian Heritage Month is an chance to celebrate, acknowledge and learn about how the East and South East Asian communities have helped shape the UK and its culture, history and everything in between in positive and powerful ways.

The concept of the month was instigated in 2020 following a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. The first event followed in 2021 and since then has become an important event in the cultural calendar. 

This year's theme is ‘Roots/Routes’. The national organisers invited people “to delve into the narratives of family journeys and stories, celebrating the rich tapestry of experiences that contribute to our diverse and vibrant heritages”.

How many of these books have you read?

Your recommendations

Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by Rebecca F. Kuang

“Written by Chinese-American author Rebecca F. Kuang, this book is a nuanced and powerful discussion of colonialism, and most importantly sheds light on the role academic institutions play in colonialism. Through a unique and intricate portrayal of the study and practice of translation, the story highlights how foreign scholars and cultures have been exploited to further the empire's colonial agenda. Despite covering many complex and difficult topics, the story is gripping and never loses its momentum. Though fictional, the experiences of the characters feel grounded in history and reality, and they effectively showcase how these complex concepts manifest at an individual level. This is one of the best books I have ever read and I highly recommend it to everyone.”

Charis

Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper by Fuchsia Dunlop

“I believe food constitutes a significant aspect of East and Southeast Asian heritage and history. Every recipe embodies a memorable tale, and each ingredient has journeyed to contribute to the dish. Fuchsia portrays Chinese cuisine with a cultural perspective, and her research for each dish is comprehensive and detailed. Additionally, the book exudes humor, making it an engaging and accessible read.”

Tingyan Wang

Whale by Cheon Myeong-Kwan

Translated from Korean into English by Kim Chi-Young

“I have finished reading this novel some months ago, and since then, it hasn’t let go of me. This is a very gripping story, and it is home to some of the most powerful characters you will ever meet. Additionally, I was completely spellbound by the linguistic and stylistic freshness and uniqueness of Cheon’s writing, and strongly encourage any fan of modernist and postmodernist literature to read this novel.”

Maja Biehle

The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida by Clarissa Goenawan

“Touching the delicate topic of mental health, this novel lays a new perspective towards death by suicide. It is not a plain fact-based novel. Yet, with a subtle twist of fiction, the values learnt from the novel are beautiful and impactful.”

Alia Irdina

Human Acts by Han Kang

Translated from Korean into English by Deborah Smith.

“It has so much to say on the subject of pain and suffering, war and survival. Reflects the strength and resilience of South Koreans at the face of oppression. Read with caution as it is heavy and raw.”

Maymun

Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin

“A beautiful debut novel on Vietnamese refugees with the perfect blend of fact and fiction”

Poonam Palan

Takeaway by Angela Hui    

“It's an eye-opening memoir revealing the stories behind living in and running a Chinese takeaway - a story not too dissimilar to my own upbringing where we owned a Chinese takeaway for over 30 years. The book celebrates Chinese culture and traditions but gives an honest account of some of the harsh realities we faced being different in the community but also loved. Added bonus: Angela shared recipes from the family home, overall a compelling read.”

Emma Cheung

City at the End of the Time by Leung Ping-kwan    

Bilingual edition. Co-translated into English by Leung Ping-kwan and Gordon T. Osing

“It delicately captures the essence of Hong Kong - a city in eternal and perpetual transitions, a city constantly trying to find its identity. Leung's unpretentious and honest poems about everyday objects and ordinary people in Hong Kong are a rebuttal against the cliche and inaccurate small-fishing-village-turned-Metropolitan-city-where-East-meet-West story that has been told in the mainstream.”

Caigentan by Hong Zicheng

"This compilation of aphorisms eclectically combines elements from the Three teachings, and is comparable with Marcus Aurelius' Meditations or La Rochefoucauld's Maximes."

Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

“Beautiful poetry by a Vietnamese American author”        

Red Writing : A collection of British East and South East Asian Horror Stories    

“Red Writing is a book of short horror stories and novellas led by British East and South East Asian characters from varied backgrounds (Vietnamese, Filipina, Malay, Korean, Japanese and Chinese) . It explores marginalised identities including LGBTQIA, mixed raced, economic hardship and religion. There’s a story for everyone in this collection.”

The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla

“Collection of essays that we read for our book group. Broader than East and SE Asia but some very good contributions. There is also a US version that interrogates the "good immigrant" in the American context.”  

Strangers from a Different Shore by Ronald Takaki

“Collection of essays about Asian-Americans, was an important textbook in the US when I was an undergraduate”

Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang

“Have seen the sitcom on which the memoir was based but would be interested in the original source material.”    

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

“This book was quite influential for me growing up as an Asian-American in California.”    

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

“Recommended by a family member. The book starts with a link between cultural memories through food during the grieving process - reminds me of one part of Brown Baby by Nikesh Shukla.”    

Yellowface by RF Kuang

“On my to-read list. It explored "meta" questions about what is published about Asian-Americans, and who can tell their stories. Am part of a book group that also discusses this question.”    

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in UCL Library, Culture, Collections and Open Science

This activity was organised through the Library Liberating the Collections Group. The purpose of this group is to identify and oversee progress with a strategic set of actions intended to enrich the collections, increasing visibility of, and access to, works by authors who have been marginalised (and thus less heard) because of factors such as race, sexuality, gender and disability. Any titles that we don’t already own we will buy and add to our collections and will be available shortly.

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