When Handong, a ruthless and wealthy businessman, is introduced to Lan Yu, a naïve, working-class architectural studentthe attraction is all consuming.
Arrogant and privileged, Handong is unsettled by this desire, while Lan Yu quietly submits. Despite divergent lives, the two men spend their nights together, establishing a deep connection. When loyalties are tested, Handong is left questioning his secrets, his choices, and his very identity.
Beijing Comradesis the story of a tumultuous love affair set against the sociopolitical unrest of late-eighties China. Due to its depiction of gay sexuality and its critique of the totalitarian government, it was originally published anonymously on an underground gay website within mainland China. This riveting and heartbreaking novel, circulated throughout China in 1998, quickly developed a cult following, and remains a central work of queer literature from the People's Republic of China. This is the first English-language translation ofBeijing Comrades.
Co-op available
Advance bound galleys
National campaign to book review media
Campaign to literary and popular culture blogs and podcasts
Social media campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr
First serial in print and online magazines
Launch events in NYC and Chicago
Outreach for endorsement from academic, literary, and dissident Chinese figuresBei-Tong is the anonymous author ofBeijing Comrades. The pseudonymous author, whose real-world identity has been a subject of debate since the story was first published on a gay Chinese website over a decade ago, is known variously as Beijing Comrade, Beijing Tongzhi, Xiao He, and Miss Wang.
Scott E. Myers is a translator of Chinese who focuses on contemporary queer fiction from the PRC. He holds a BA in philosophy from Hampshire College and master̵l“”