Asia Literary Review

Asia Literary Review was an English-language literary journal founded in Hong Kong in 2000. It began as a small local publication called Dim Sum, established by writer and editor Nuri Vittachi, before developing into an internationally distributed journal focused on literature and creative work connected with Asia. Its editorial scope included fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, interviews, and related cultural writing. The publication’s central purpose was to give Asian writers a platform through which their work could reach readers in English beyond their immediate national or linguistic communities. The journal’s development was supported during its first decade by Ilyas Khan, a British businessman and philanthropist involved in Hong Kong’s arts community. His encouragement and financial support helped the publication move beyond its local beginnings and become an international showcase for writers from the Asian region. The journal did not function primarily as a commercial mass-market magazine; its identity was that of a curated literary and cultural publication, with emphasis on translation, regional diversity, and the circulation of contemporary Asian writing in English. Across its run, Asia Literary Review published or interviewed a broad range of internationally recognized and emerging authors. Interview subjects included Aung San Suu Kyi, David Mitchell, Salman Rushdie, and Kyung-sook Shin. Contributors named in reference material include Margaret Atwood, Justin Hill, Liu Xiaobo, Su Tong, Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Laurie Thompson, Seamus Heaney, Kim Young-ha, Ko Un, Zheng Danyi, Bei Dao, Shehan Karunatilaka, and Xu Xi. The breadth of these contributors reflected the journal’s effort to connect literary communities across East, South, and Southeast Asia with a wider English-reading audience. The publication also participated in literary events outside Hong Kong. In 2012, during the London Cultural Olympiad, an Asia Literary Review Celebration Reading was held at the Southbank Centre as part of Poetry Parnassus. The event featured poets and writers including Marjorie Evasco, Jang Jin-sung, Kim Hyesoon, Alvin Pang, Laksmi Pamuntjak, and Jennifer Wong. This appearance demonstrated the journal’s role not only as a print publication but also as a curator and promoter of Asian literary voices in international cultural settings. Asia Literary Review’s final recorded issue was issue 36, identified as the Spring 2019 issue. Publication then stopped suddenly, without an explanation publicly documented in the cited reference material. The cessation occurred during the Hong Kong protests, adding political and historical context to the end of the journal even though no official reason for closure is supplied. After approximately a year without activity on its Twitter account, the publication posted an uncaptioned image of the Goddess of Democracy on June 4, 2020, the anniversary of the 1989 destruction of the statue in Tiananmen Square. The post was its most notable publicly documented communication after the end of regular publication. No later issue or confirmed relaunch is identified in the supplied sources.

Asia Literary Review originated in Hong Kong in 2000 under the title Dim Sum. Nuri Vittachi founded the small local literary journal, which was initially oriented toward literary activity in Hong Kong. It subsequently evolved into Asia Literary Review, a quarterly English-language publication distributed internationally and devoted to writing and cultural work from the Asian region. A significant stage in the journal’s development came through its association with Ilyas Khan, a British businessman and philanthropist who supported the arts in Hong Kong. Khan encouraged the project and provided financial support during its first decade. This assistance helped the journal establish itself as a more ambitious international publication and supported its role as a showcase for writers whose work might otherwise have had limited access to English-language readers outside their home countries. The journal published several forms of creative and intellectual work, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, interviews, and literary features. Its editorial mission was not limited to a single national tradition. Instead, it brought together writers from across Asia and presented them through English, making translation, international readership, and regional exchange central to its identity. The contributor and interview lists included prominent writers and public figures such as Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, David Mitchell, Aung San Suu Kyi, Seamus Heaney, Liu Xiaobo, Bei Dao, Ko Un, Kim Young-ha, Su Tong, Xu Xi, Shehan Karunatilaka, and Kyung-sook Shin. The publication also extended its activities into public programming. During the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, Poetry Parnassus included an Asia Literary Review Celebration Reading at the Southbank Centre. Participants included Marjorie Evasco, Jang Jin-sung, Kim Hyesoon, Alvin Pang, Laksmi Pamuntjak, and Jennifer Wong. The event placed the journal’s regional literary work within a major international poetry program and demonstrated its function as a promoter of writers as well as a publisher. The editorial team changed over time. Duncan Jepson served as managing editor and co-founder from 2004 to 2011, while Kelly Falconer was literary editor from November 2011 to December 2012. Martin Alexander was identified as editor in chief from 2010 onward in the supplied reference and also served as poetry editor from 2000 to 2015. Phillip Kim was listed as managing editor and business and finance director. Consulting and senior editorial roles were held by Peter Koenig, Robert Hemley, Anurima Roy, Justin Hill, Kavita Jindal, Michael Vatikiotis, and Zheng Danyi; Chris Wood was also identified as an editor, although the dates of his service are unclear. The final recorded publication was issue 36, marked Spring 2019. The journal then stopped publishing abruptly, with no explanation documented in the cited material. The end came amid the Hong Kong protests, but the available references do not establish a cause or make a formal connection between the protests and the cessation. After approximately a year without a Twitter update, the account posted an uncaptioned photograph of the Goddess of Democracy on June 4, 2020, linking the journal’s last known public communication to a politically significant anniversary. No confirmed later issue or relaunch is identified in the supplied sources.

• 2020

  Last documented public communication

  [1]Asia Literary Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  On June 4, the journal’s Twitter account posted an uncaptioned image of the Goddess of Democracy after roughly a year of inactivity.

• 2019

  Final recorded issue

  [1]Asia Literary Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  Issue 36, Spring 2019, became the journal’s final recorded issue.

• 2012

  Celebration Reading at Poetry Parnassus

  [1]Asia Literary Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  Asia Literary Review presented a reading at London’s Southbank Centre as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

• 2010

  Martin Alexander becomes editor in chief

  [1]Asia Literary Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  Martin Alexander was listed as editor in chief from 2010 onward in the reference material.

• 2004

  Duncan Jepson joins as managing editor and co-founder

  [1]Asia Literary Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  Duncan Jepson served in the combined managing editor and co-founder role from 2004 to 2011.

• 2000

  Launch as Dim Sum

  [1]Asia Literary Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  Nuri Vittachi founded a small Hong Kong literary journal called Dim Sum, the predecessor of Asia Literary Review.

• 2000

  Martin Alexander begins as poetry editor

  [1]Asia Literary Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  Martin Alexander was identified as the publication’s poetry editor from 2000 through 2015.

An internationally oriented literary platform presenting Asian writers and cultural perspectives to English-language readers, with a strong emphasis on cross-border literary discovery and regional representation.

• Quarterly literary journal · 2000

  Asia Literary Review

  The core publication was an English-language quarterly journal distributed internationally. Its contents combined fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, interviews, and literary or cultural features, with an editorial focus on writers and perspectives from Asia. The journal’s principal value proposition was to make regionally grounded writing available to a broad English-reading audience.

• Literary event · 2012

  Asia Literary Review Celebration Reading

  A public reading presented during Poetry Parnassus at the Southbank Centre in London as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. The event featured poets and writers associated with Asian literary traditions and extended the journal’s platform from print publishing into international cultural programming.

• 2012Asia Literary Review Celebration Reading at Poetry Parnassus

  United Kingdom · International literary community

  Asia Literary Review organized or presented a celebration reading at the Southbank Centre during Poetry Parnassus, part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. The program included Marjorie Evasco, Jang Jin-sung, Kim Hyesoon, Alvin Pang, Laksmi Pamuntjak, and Jennifer Wong.

  Outcome. The event gave the journal and its participating writers visibility within a major international poetry program.

  Source

• 2019

  Cessation of publication after issue 36Other

  Background

  The journal’s Spring 2019 issue was its final recorded issue, and publication stopped during a period of political protest in Hong Kong.

  Action taken

  Regular publication ended without a publicly documented explanation in the cited sources.

  Aftermath

  No confirmed subsequent issue or relaunch is identified in the supplied reference material.

  Source

1. 1Asia Literary Reviewen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Asia Literary Review official websiteasialiteraryreview.com