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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.
Making Marie Antoinette by Andrew Durham is a new book covering the 2006 film’s shooting on location at the Palace of Versailles, with Kirsten Dunst playing the film’s lead character. Photo: Handout
Cinema

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

Photographer Andrew Durham documents life on and off the lavish set of Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning cult classic, shot on location at the Palace of Versailles.

Korean drama reviews

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

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Chinese culture

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

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.

Wanrong and Puyi, in Tianjin, circa 1925. Photo: Getty Images
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?

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.

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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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Nancy Kwan in 1969. Photo: SCMP Archives
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.

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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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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(From left) Wil Wheaton, Jerry O’Connell, Corey Feldman and River Phoenix in a still from Stand by Me (1986), directed by Rob Reiner. Photo: Columbia Pictures
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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Matt Damon as Odysseus (centre) in a scene from The Odyssey. Photo: Universal Pictures via AP
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.

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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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.

Hadi Matar is escorted from the courtroom in Mayville, New York, in February 2025. Photo: AP
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.

Novelist Salman Rushdie was left blind in one eye after the 2022 attack. Photo: AP
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.

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.

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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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Mark Wahlberg in a still from Planet of the Apes (2001). The film made a respectable US$362 million worldwide on a US$100 million budget, but is bland and workmanlike compared with some of director Tim Burton’s other features.
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.

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.

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.

Two of the books featured in PMQ Taste Library x Word by Word Collective “Treasured Recipes” summer 2026 exhibition. Photo: Handout
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.

Visitors browse books at the booths during the last day of Hong Kong Book Fair, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, on July 21. Photo: Elson Li
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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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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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.

A big draw on Wednesday was an autograph signing by girl group Collar. Photo: Facebook/Collar
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.

Elizabeth Lim is known widely for her young adult high fantasies such as Six Crimson Cranes (2021) and Spin the Dawn (2022). Now, the New York Times bestselling author is making a deliberate, maturity-driven pivot for her newest novel Fishbone Cinderella (2026). Photo: Adrian Ow.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

6 surprising facts from Jet Li’s new book, including his near-death moment

From his many names to dishwasher woes, Beyond Life and Death shares things about the Chinese martial artist fans may not have been aware of.

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Taylor Swift

Meet the Paisleys, whose non-profit is backed by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Kimberly Williams-Paisley starred on ABC TV series According to Jim, while Brad Paisley was a successful country music singer in the 2000s … who knew Tay-Tay before she was famous.

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