Born in an Unknown Hour: A Selection of Fan Xiaoqing’s Short Stories

Fan Xiaoqing’s writing evokes the Chinese countryside, not simply playing on a saccharine sense of nostalgia, but juxtaposing contemporary urban life with contemporary rural life in ways that offer insight into the transitions– and even dislocations–central to Chinese life today. Fan’s keen sense of observation gives depth of insight into each story, but also leaves space for the reader to interact with the scenes and situations presented. These stories resonate with the people of China, depicting places, people, and feelings that are both familiar and honest. This collection gathers some of Fan’s most enduring stories, translated into English by some of the most renown literary translators working today, in hopes that these stories can open a window onto Chinese life for foreign readers.