Book reviews put books on our radar screen. However, the writing of book reviews is often a thankless task in an underappreciated genre, and the book author does not usually have any opportunity to elaborate on his or her writing process.

     Chinese Literature Today is pleased to launch a new feature in this issue that will enhance the book review section and heighten our appreciation of the works that appear within these covers.

     What does it entail to become an author in the fullest sense of the word? How does an author construct a study of literature or build worlds in which imagination flies?

     These are the questions we shall examine. We will invite authors to reflect upon their own writing processes: how they found inspiration, why and how they revised what they wrote, what the book means to them.

     It is a privilege to know how others know themselves, because self-knowledge is an integral part of one’s worldview and ability to understand others.