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The Lantern and the Night Moths

The Lantern and the Night Moths: Five Modern and Contemporary Chinese Poets in TranslationWinner, John Glassco Translation Prize, from the Literary Translators Association of Canada

“Poetry is what survives translation. Here, in the pages of Yilin Wang’s The Lantern and the Night Moths, it not only survives, it thrives, shining all the more brilliantly, persistently, and heroically. Vivid and moving, Wang’s beautiful translations and reflective essays grant us entry into the poems of Qiu Jin, Zhang Qiaohui, Fei Ming, Xiao Xi, and Dai Wangshu, while also helping us understand the difficult choices and challenges that lie at the human heart of the translator’s work.” — Neil Aitken, poet and co-translator of The Book of Cranes: Selected Poems of Zang Di from Chinese

“An exceptional book of translations and literary criticism [and Wang’s] accompanying essays (one per poet) make for a rich but accessible reading experience. The Lantern and the Night Moths is a wholly impressive work that is sure to appeal to many audiences.” — Annick MacAskill, Quill & Quire, Starred Review

“In this stunning new collection, Chinese diaspora poet-translator Yilin Wang has selected and translated poems by five Chinese poets. Autumn moons and spring flowers abound, but also the power of language and poetry. She includes thoughtful biographical information about the poets and discusses the fascinating art and craft of translation, but I was most struck by the way she reflects on how the poets speak to each other and speak to her.” — Pierce Alquist, Book Riot

“This is a carefully written and considered labour of love for Sinophone poetry. This is a gift Wang is sharing with us: the work of these poets, their stories and context in which they wrote, and her relationship with these works as she translated them.” — Alison Manley, The Miramichi Reader

“The book is not only a marvellous collection of poetry in both the original and translation, but also of an insightful series of reflections on the translation process and its impact. […] In the translations themselves, there are instances of true brilliance. […] This is a book full of such treasures. Pick it up. You’ll be glad you did.” — Shelly Bryant, Quarterly Literary Review Singapore

“Yilin Wang intimately shares the act of translation that comes from a profound connection with one’s mother tongue – each poem blooms before one’s eyes, a wonderful encapsulation of autumn moon and winds, of yearning for home. Wang reincarnates the language of diaspora, blending her personal experiences with the story of poets, while dissecting the history of the classics of poetry.” — Elena Luo (Book reviewer and Bookstagrammer @elena.luo)

See Invisible Publishing’s website for the full book description and all the blurbs.

Where to buy the book:

I recommend ordering through your local bookstore, but you can get it anywhere where books are sold. Thanks so much! Here are some places I like to direct people to:

My book was previously available Lighthouse Bookshop in Edinburgh, Scotland and a pick for the Women in Translation club but they dropped it without contacting me and twice left out my name as a translator. I request that folks DO NOT order the book through Lighthouse Bookshop because of this blatant erasure and choose other channels in the UK where possible. 

Review copies are available for request on Edelweiss.

You can also help support the book by:

  • Asking your local bookstore to stock it.
  • Requesting that your library order a copy — in Canada and in the UK, libraries will pay writers and translators a license fee when their books appear in libraries. You should be able to fill in a request form with your local library.
  • Inviting Yilin to take part in literary events in 2024 or attending her events.
  • Leaving reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and any other bookselling/review sites.
  • Spread the word on social media and in person. Word of mouth helps a lot! 

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