In this Issue

Non-fiction
Jang Jin-sung
Systemic flaws and inherent corruption have prevented North Korea from fulfilling the promise of its juche ideology of self-reliance. Following the collapse of its strongest ally, the Soviet Union, these flaws became more apparent. Without Soviet support, corruption – once the fiefdom of the elite – began to filter down to all levels of society. 
Non-fiction
Audra Ang

 

I once offered to cut off my arm in exchange for a tour of an illegal noodle-making operation.

I reached this peak of desperation in 2007 while on assignment in the southern port of Xiamen, where I was trying to capture the clandestine nature of China’s countless unregulated manufacturers...

Poetry
Jeet Thayil

 

1. Let us govern those who undertake the telling of stories.

2. Censorship is good governance. Self-censorship is an attribute of the highest civilization.

3. If an actor speaks of God, he will be chastised. He will be refused an encore. If he repeats the speech, he will have his licence revoked.

4. Let us govern those who undertake praise of the next world, since what they say is neither true nor useful to us.

5. Our best recourse is to be warlike.

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Non-fiction

He Jiahong
Translated by
James McMath
Shashi Warrier
Audra Ang
Jang Jin-sung
Translated by
Shirley Lee
Luis H. Francia
Carla Camille Mendoza

Fiction

Krishan Partap Singh
Tew Bunnag
Prosper Anyalechi
Translated by
Dreux Richard
Chi Wei-Jan
Translated by
Anna Holmwood
Mai Jia
Translated by
Brian Holton

Poetry

Jeet Thayil
Reid Mitchell
John Wall Barger
Jeet Thayil
Sivakami Velliangiri
Sivakami Velliangiri
Sivakami Velliangiri
Ma Yan
Jéanpaul Ferro
Jéanpaul Ferro

Book Reviews

Alisha Haridasani
Kelly Falconer

Art

Zhang Bingjiang

Interviews

Martin Alexander
Shu-Ching Jean Chen