In ‘Lost in Chinatown, Again’, Celeste Moore discovers the intertwining of place and human intimacy. Also on relationships, Arul Britto Raj Arokiasamy’s ‘Acrimony in Matrimony’ charts the demise of love with considerable skill. Two short stories excel. ‘The Thief’ by Marina Yang is an intimate, intriguing, beautifully crafted work about a man who will not stop stealing fruit from a family orchard; it is reminiscent of Peter Carey’s earlier short fiction. In ‘The Postmodern Convention’, Diana H. Quan has wild fun pitching the likes of Freud, Barthes, and Nietzsche against one another, all for the reader’s benefit.

Perhaps the strongest pieces are the non-fiction. ‘Forest Wars’ by Annika Blau is an appropriately direct survey of the colourful characters who put their lives in danger to save what remains of our natural environment. ‘To Be Touched’ by Zhiming Yu offers a lucid and empathetic view into the world of the sex worker for people with disabilities.

Mention should also be made of black-and-white photographs that are reproduced throughout this volume – they provide texture and, in many cases, illumination. The editors should also be congratulated for creating a handsome and at times moving anthology. It is refreshingly free of urban anger and angst, and has been formed with considerable care and publishing nous.