Rebecca F. Kuang dropped by Book Hero while she was in Auckland for the Auckland Writers Festival, and honestly, it was every bit as exciting, thoughtful, funny, and bookish as you’d imagine.
The internationally bestselling author behind Babel, Yellowface, The Poppy War trilogy, and more visited the team to sign copies from across her catalogue, chat books, and give us a sneak peek into what’s next, including her upcoming release Taipei Story, which is available for pre-order now.
For readers who haven’t already added it to their TBR pile, Taipei Story follows two estranged siblings reconnecting in Taiwan after years apart, navigating grief, family expectation, identity, and the strange intimacy of returning somewhere that no longer quite feels like home. Like much of Kuang’s work, it promises razor-sharp observations, emotional complexity, and the kind of storytelling that stays with you.
One of the things we loved hearing Rebecca talk about was her enthusiasm for writing across completely different genres. From epic fantasy to dark academia to biting literary satire, her books refuse to stay in one lane, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
She told us she doesn’t understand why more authors don’t jump between genres because, in her words, it’s just “so fun.”
Honestly, we agree.
We also put Rebecca through some very important quickfire questions, and you can watch the video to hear all her answers.
- Dark academia or fantasy epic?
- Annotated books or pristine pages?
- Favourite morally grey character you’ve written?
- Oxford library or magical underworld?
- Paperback or hardback?
- If Babel had a soundtrack, what artist would be on it?
- Coffee shop writing or silent library writing?
- One word to describe Taipei Story?
- Dream casting for one of your books?
- Which of your characters would survive a horror movie?
Because we couldn’t let Rebecca leave empty-handed, we also gifted her a Kiwi novel we thought captured the kind of fiction we’re proud to champion at Book Hero.
We chose The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey, an award-winning New Zealand novel centred around one of our favourite birds ever, Tama, and his rise to internet fame in rural Aotearoa. It’s quirky, beautiful, unsettling in places, and unmistakably New Zealand. A perfect local recommendation for a visiting author whose own work constantly pushes boundaries and surprises readers.
We’re so grateful Rebecca took the time to pop in and say hello while she was in town. It was a genuine privilege to host her, talk books, and celebrate storytelling with one of the most exciting voices writing today.
Thanks so much for visiting us, Rebecca, and we can’t wait for readers to get their hands on Taipei Story later this year.
Signed copies from across Rebecca F. Kuang’s catalogue are available now at Book Hero, while stocks last.
You’ll love this if you like:
- Sharp, emotionally layered literary fiction about family, identity, and complicated relationships
- Stories that explore diaspora, homecoming, and the tension between where you’re from and who you become
- Authors like Sally Rooney, Elif Batuman, or Ocean Vuong who blend intimacy with razor-sharp observations
- Rebecca F. Kuang’s genre-hopping brilliance, especially if you loved the intellectual depth of Babel or the social commentary of Yellowface