Fill your summer reading list with these books from Asia's thought leaders

Fill your summer reading list with these substantial reads offering a breadth of genres, themes and perspectives

Many of the industry leaders of Asia’s Most Influential are also authors who tapped into larger audiences through the power of the written word. These six books offer but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the wealth of ideas offered by the region’s foremost thought leaders, but they make a substantial summer reading list that offer a breadth of genres, themes and perspectives.

In the mood for practical advice on turning your closet greener? Sustainable fashion advocate Christina Dean offers up Dress [with] Sense: The Practical Guide to a Conscious Closet. Similarly light but substantial, Rizal Without the Overcoat by popular Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo is possibly one of the easiest deep reads you will encounter into the life of a historical figure. For a larger view, global strategist Parag Khanna’s Move: The Forces Uprooting Us offer an interesting view on current migration patterns.

There is no dearth of choices when it comes to fiction, especially with the sheer range of talent in Asia. In full-length novels and short-story collections, Asian fictionists tackle themes large and small, writing about human relationships, historical events, cultural identities—or all of the above, in Tash Aw's The Harmony Silk Factory, Taipei People by Hsien Yung Pai, or The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth by Veeraporn Nitiprapha.

Whether you choose to race through this list in the next few weeks or choose to take your time, these books will be there waiting for readers to reflect on new ideas or revisit favourite passages over and over again.

Also read: Explore the dynamic world of Asian studio art through the work of these four influential artists

The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw

Above The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw

Malaysian writer Tash Aw’s award-winning novel The Harmony Silk Factory explores human nature through the life of protagonist Johnny Lim, a man of humble beginnings who becomes a successful textile merchant in Malaysia. But as secrets about his past unravel, his identity comes into question: is he hero or villain? Set before and after World War II, Aw’s novel, which won the 2005 Whitbread First Novel Award and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, chronicles complex upheavals in a time of crisis.

Read Tash Aw’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Move: The Forces Uprooting Us by Parag Khanna

Above Move: The Forces Uprooting Us by Parag Khanna

Global strategist Parag Khanna examines the forces of migration that are driving unprecedented change in the 21st century. In his seventh book, Move: The Forces Uprooting Us, he reveals where people will go next to survive the impacts of climate change, economic crises and political unrest. Khanna posits how young people are leading the way as they vote with their feet, choosing to migrate to welcoming and livable societies such as Canada, Germany and Japan. The globalisation scholar also prescribes a novel way of living to overcome the devastation of the elements: sustainable settlements with movable 3D-printed houses.

Read Parag Khanna’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Taipei People by Pai Hsien-Yung

Above Taipei People by Pai Hsien-Yung

Taipei People by Asian literary giant Pai Hsien-Yung presents a collection of 14 short stories that navigate the themes of human relationships and urban existence. Akin to James Joyce’s Dubliners, the book depicts the individual struggles of its protagonists who have fled China for Taiwan in the 1950s. Caught in the tumult of history, each character, from the eternal Snow Beauty of Shanghai’s Paramount Ballroom to club escorts and servants, must reconcile the past they’ve left behind and their new lives in the bustling streets of Taipei.

Read Hsien Yung Pai’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Rizal Without the Overcoat by Ambeth R Ocampo

Above Rizal Without the Overcoat by Ambeth R Ocampo

Ambeth Ocampo’s Rizal Without the Overcoat is perhaps the popular Phililppine historian’s most famous work. A collection of essays from his newspaper columns in the Philippine Daily Globe and the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the tome offers a deeper understanding of national hero Jose Rizal. Combining meticulous research on Rizal’s diaries and correspondences with engaging storytelling, Ocampo presents the historical figure as a human being. Rizal Without the Overcoat has been presented in several editions since its launch in 1990, while the author continues to write about history, penning over 50 books and contributing to even more works with other writers.

Read Ambeth R Ocampo’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth by Veeraporn Nitiprapha

Above The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth by Veeraporn Nitiprapha

The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth by Thai author Veeraporn Nitiprapha follows the intertwined lives of sisters Chareeya and Chalika and their orphan friend Pran. As the years pass, the three embark on a journey of self-discovery, only to realise that they can never escape each other’s orbits. With dreamlike storytelling that illuminates every moment, Blind Earthworms earned Veeraporn her first Southeast Asian Writers Award, making her the first woman to receive the prestigious honour. She would later receive her second SEA Write Award with Memories of the Memories of the Memories of the Black Rose Cat.

Read Veeraporn Nitiprapha’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Dress [with] Sense: The Practical Guide to a Conscious Closet by Christina Dean, Hannah Lane, and Sofia Tärneberg

Above Dress [with] Sense: The Practical Guide to a Conscious Closet by Christina Dean, Hannah Lane, and Sofia Tärneberg

Dress [with] Sense: The Practical Guide to a Conscious Closet by Asia’s Most Influential honouree Christina Dean and co-authors Hannah Lane and Sofia Tärneberg expands on the work Dean does in her environmental NGO Redress. The easy-to-follow guide enjoins everyone to make fashion more sustainable, presenting practical points such as buying more responsibly, caring for clothes in environmentally friendly ways and considering donating, gifting or recycling clothes instead of throwing them away. By encouraging a mindful approach to fashion consumption, Dress [with] Sense empowers readers to make choices that align with their values.

Read Christina Dean’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Tatler Asia’s Most Influential is the definitive list of people shaping our world today. Asia’s Most Influential brings together the region's most innovative changemakers, industry titans and thought leaders who are driving positive impact in Asia and beyond. View the full list here.

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Asia’s Most Influential Asia’s Most Influential 2023 Tash Aw Parag Khanna Christina Dean Hsien Yung Pai Veeraporn Nitiprapha Ambeth R Ocampo Books

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