Book 26/30 Ghost Cities. Siang Lu. I adored this absolute feast of humour, fable, allegory, satire (#BadChinese), of love, of China, of Australia, of exploratory language. So thrilled it won the MF.
December 13, 2025 at 5:28 AM
Book 26/30 Ghost Cities. Siang Lu. I adored this absolute feast of humour, fable, allegory, satire (#BadChinese), of love, of China, of Australia, of exploratory language. So thrilled it won the MF.
Congratulations to Siang Lu on winning the 2025 Miles Franklin Award for 'Ghost Cities', a book Linda Jaivin described as "a carnival ride of a novel, occasionally dizzying, sometimes moving and often very funny." Read her review here:
Ghost Cities
The protagonist of Siang Lu’s ferally imaginative Ghost Cities, Xiang Lu, knows only a few dozen Chinese words. That doesn’t stop him from working as a translator at the Chinese consulate in Sydney, although we meet him just as he’s busted as an impostor and turned by his former employers into a mocking meme: #badchinese. Although “careen-minded”, according to his typo-plagued CV, he fails to find other employment.
satpa.pe
July 24, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Congratulations to Siang Lu on winning the 2025 Miles Franklin Award for 'Ghost Cities', a book Linda Jaivin described as "a carnival ride of a novel, occasionally dizzying, sometimes moving and often very funny." Read her review here:
Book #3 for 2025:
Ghost Cities by Siang Lu
Mixed feelings. Really like a lot about this, but not sure it all clicked. #BadChinese was a window into a different world I enjoyed though. YMMV
Ghost Cities by Siang Lu
Mixed feelings. Really like a lot about this, but not sure it all clicked. #BadChinese was a window into a different world I enjoyed though. YMMV
January 23, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Book #3 for 2025:
Ghost Cities by Siang Lu
Mixed feelings. Really like a lot about this, but not sure it all clicked. #BadChinese was a window into a different world I enjoyed though. YMMV
Ghost Cities by Siang Lu
Mixed feelings. Really like a lot about this, but not sure it all clicked. #BadChinese was a window into a different world I enjoyed though. YMMV
Novels used to get dinged from the Miles Franklin for not being Australian enough. This one’s about Australia/China, but mainly China viewed from Australia, and being a #BadChinese, so I’m glad it worked out. Also I really dig the Joan’s Book Club design ethos of the post-award reprint cover.
September 17, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Novels used to get dinged from the Miles Franklin for not being Australian enough. This one’s about Australia/China, but mainly China viewed from Australia, and being a #BadChinese, so I’m glad it worked out. Also I really dig the Joan’s Book Club design ethos of the post-award reprint cover.