Stories from the angle of a son

Writer Liu Hongqing has written a new book on famed Chinese author Shen Congwen, based on dialogues with Shen's eldest son Shen Longzhu.

The book, Shen Congwen and His Family, reveals some unknown details spread over eight chapters.

It chronicles the different phases of Shen Longzhu's life, growing up with his father.

"The book is not strictly a biography, but it contributes to studies on Shen and contemporary literature, for it brings new material and a new angle," says scholar Xie Yong.

The book has 100 pictures, including photos taken by Shen Congwen and sketches of the family's old houses by the son.

With his representative works like Border City, the late Shen was said to have almost won the Nobel Prize on literature in the 1980s. He's also known for penning the beauty of his hometown Fenghuang, an ancient town in Hunan province, now a tourist attraction.

This year marks the 110th birthday of the literature master. New Star Press has already worked with Liu on three other books related to Shen.