Ning Ken becomes first Chinese mainland author at Cheltenham Literary Festival

Chinese author Ning Ken made his second visit to the UK in October to attend a promotional tour engaging with his English readers. Invited by Cheltenham Literature Festival and the UK branch of the Chinese Literature Readers Club, Ning Ken's tour celebrated the English translation of his novel, Tibetan Sky, released by Sinoist Books in 2025. Professor Emeritus Thomas Moran, who taught Chinese language, literature, and film at Middlebury College in the US from 1994 to 2025, accompanied Ning Ken as his translator. They visited Cheltenham, Oxford, Leeds and London.

Under falling leaves and grey skies, fans of Ning Ken and members of the UK branch of the Chinese Literature Reading Club traveled from across the country to enjoy a rare opportunity to meet with a Chinese author in the UK. At the welcome reception in Cheltenham on the afternoon of October 12, heavy rain could not dampen the readers' enthusiasm. Speaking directly to Ning Ken and Thomas Moran about their thoughts on the philosophical novel and taking photos to remember the occasion, club members showed their passion for the author.

That evening, Ning Ken became the first Chinese mainland author to attend the Cheltenham Literature Festival, one of the UK's three major literary festivals. Warmed by the presence of more than a hundred attendees, the room was ablaze with keen interest in the author. He was interviewed by the internationally bestselling author, editor, and speaker Ann Morgan, after he caught her attention in 2025 with Tibetan Sky. An avid reader, Ann runs the blog Read the World, where she reviews international literature. Reading Tibetan Sky was her first introduction to Chinese literature, and she praised the novel as an "extraordinary experience". Her enjoyment of the novel led her to interview Ning Ken at the festival, an event which brought together readers of many different ethnicities and nationalities, demonstrating the international appeal of Chinese literature and Ning Ken's ability to write narratives that resonate across cultures.

The next day Ning Ken enjoyed blue skies during his tour of the historic city of Oxford, accompanied by members of the Oxford Brookes Confucius Institute. In the evening, he was interviewed by Professor Angus Phillips, director of the Oxford International Centre for Publishing and editor-in-chief of the premier publishing journal Logos. The university room provided an intimate atmosphere in which many local attendees remained afterwards to express their deep interest in Ning Ken's work.

Traveling to the North of England, Ning Ken received a wholehearted welcome from Professor Frances Weightman, founding-director of The Leeds Centre for New Chinese Writing and editor of Writing Chinese: A Journal of Contemporary Sinophone Literature. She is at the forefront of promoting Chinese literature in the UK, and invited Ning Ken to talk to students and staff members at the University of Leeds. Audience members asked questions and participated in a lively discussion, highlighting the students' keen interest in the writer and the appeal of studying Chinese language and literature.

After returning from the University of Leeds, Ning Ken and Thomas Moran attended a dinner hosted by Wang Ying, publishing director of ACA Publishing, at her home. This gave the guests and publishing staff a chance to discuss the success of the tour and the interest surrounding contemporary Chinese literature. Finally, on October 16, Ning Ken and Thomas Moran embarked on a signing tour in London. Four bookstores already stocking Tibetan Sky took in additional stock to prepare for the visit, including two major retailers in Piccadilly Circus and Russell Square. The pair signed copies for readers in-store.

The diverse attendance across cities demonstrates the growing interest in Chinese literature among English-speaking audiences, with readers ranging from students to retirees, from all corners of the UK. Due to the writer's exceptional skill, Ann Morgan's keen literary interest, and the expert production of the publisher, Ning Ken will be remembered as the first Chinese mainland author to be invited to the famous Cheltenham Literature Festival.