Sinoist Books is a publisher of diverse narratives from Sinophone communities around the world, from mainland China to diaspora writers. We publish modern classics from some of the best known authors within China, as well as up-and-coming novelists emerging onto the global literary scene for the first time. We publish literary fiction, genre-bending historical and crime fiction, as well as a small range of children’s literature.
Our books confront the omissions of historical narratives, precarity in a rapidly changing world, and contradictions within questions of culture and identity. In doing so, we believe they provide a window onto global issues through the perspective of the other while revealing the vibrancy of contemporary Sinophone literature. They can be shocking, hilarious or tragic, but they always defy expectations.
History
Sinoist Books is an imprint of Alain Charles Asia, which was the first Western publisher to establish an office in Mainland China. Originally a division of the Alain Charles publishing conglomerate, it split off as an independent entity in 2007.
The imprint was founded in 2016 with the aim of making Sinophone literature available to an English-speaking audience, contributing to breaking down cultural barriers. Since then, several of our books have won an English PEN Translates grant, and we received National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) status from Arts Council England in 2022. Our books have been featured in The Irish Times and in The Observer.
Our work could not be possible without the Chinese-to-English translation community, which has proven incredibly welcoming with both their knowledge and time. We are very grateful for the expertise and support of our translators, without whom we would not have anything to publish.
