A dynamic cross-cultural collection of innovative writing from the Asia–Pacific region

In the outer suburbs of Perth, Australia, a seven-year-old discovers ballroom dancing. In Jakarta, Indonesia, a poet tries to move on with his life after splitting up with his boyfriend. In the Philippines’ Quezon City, a nurse reflects on her late mother while caring for a dying woman. And in the Uva province of Sri Lanka, a thirty-panel mural tells the story of a boy who refuses to speak a word.

This vibrant collection features writers who have forged connections across cultures and generations, with contributors from Australia, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Vietnam, and China, among others. Through sharing perspectives and ideas in the Writers Immersion and Cultural Exchange program, they have created exciting new work that reveals the value of genuine dialog and mutual respect.

Spanning fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from the Asia-Pacific’s finest writers—including Christos Tsiolkas, Alice Pung, Norman Erikson Pasaribu, Han Yujoo, Ellen van Neerven, and Ali Cobby Eckermann—The Near and The Far, Volume II invites readers on a unique and unforgettable journey.