100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

New on the blog! πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ Japanese Healing Fiction & β˜• The Perfect Winter Reads

Everyday Tang

On What We Can Learn From a Dynasty
Brief Description
After decades living in England, writer and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo travelled to her native China with her daughter. Her objective was twofold: to show her eleven-year-old where she came from, and to discover what remained of an enigmatic period that had long fascinated her: the magnificent... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Everyday Tang. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

A fascinating, profound and personal meditation on the magnificent and cosmopolitan Tang Dynasty (618–907), China's Golden Age

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

After decades living in England, writer and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo travelled to her native China with her daughter. Her objective was twofold: to show her eleven-year-old where she came from, and to discover what remained of an enigmatic period that had long fascinated her: the magnificent and cosmopolitan Tang Dynasty (618-907).

As they wander through the great cities of Xi'an and Luoyang, and cross the Wei and the Yangzi Rivers, Guo ponders the unique artistic, intellectual and social achievements of the Tang Dynasty and its influence on Western culture. Part travelogue, part historical reflection, Everyday Tang is a profound β€” and often startling β€” meditation on China's Golden Age.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781912559756

Publisher: Notting Hill Editions

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 September 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Notting Hill Editions

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 116.0mm

Height: 175.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 128

About the Author

Xiaolu Guo is a novelist, memoirist and filmmaker. She was born in China and moved to London in 2002. Her first novel written in English, A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers (2007), was shortlisted for the Orange Prize. She was one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists in 2013. Her memoir Once Upon a Time in the East won the National Book Critics Circle Award 2017 and was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award. Her most recent novel, Call Me Ishmaelle (2025), was a New York Times Book Review Editors' Pick. Her memoir My Battle of Hastings was first published in 2024. As well as writing, Xiaolu Guo has directed a dozen award-winning films, including How is Your Fish Today (Sundance Official Selection). Her feature She, a Chinese received the Golden Leopard Award at the Locarno Festival 2009 and her documentary We Went to Wonderland was selected for ND/NF Festival at the Museum of Modern Art. Guo is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. She lives in London.

Also by Xiaolu Guo

View all
  • 20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth
    Meet ten of literature's most iconic heroines, jacketed in bold portraits by female photographers from around the world. 20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth tells the story of Fenfang, who is determined to carve out a life more independent than her provincial roots. She secures a job as a film extra in Beijing, but living a modern life is not...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Radical
    The new memoir from prize-winning writer and filmmaker Xiaolu Guoβ€”playful, provocative, and originalβ€”it's her deeply personal take on striving for a life of her own. The new memoir from prize-winning writer and filmmaker Xiaolu Guoβ€”playful, provocative, and originalβ€”it's her deeply personal take on striving for a life of her own. 'When it comes to spinning light and shadow on the...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • My Battle of Hastings
    The new memoir in a triptych from prize-winning writer and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo, in which she moves to Hastings to find a room of her own and immerses herself in local history. 'This is urgent, compelling but also delightful writing' – Lauren Elkin In the depths of winter, Xiaolu Guo moves into a tiny dilapidated flat on the Hastings seafrontβ€”a...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Call Me Ishmaelle
    Moby-Dick reimagined from the perspective of a cross-dressed female sailor. Brilliantly written... ambitious, brave, strange β€” Philip Hoare One of the most valuable writers in the world β€” Deborah Levy 1843. Ishmaelle is born in a small village on the stormy Kent coast where she grows up swimming with dolphins. After her parents and infant sister die, her brother, Joseph,...
    Paperback
    $3800
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Call Me Ishmaelle
    From prize-winning author Xiaolu Guo comes a dazzling gender-flipped reimagining of Moby Dick. Moby-Dick reimagined from the perspective of a cross-dressed female sailor. Brilliantly written... ambitious, brave, strange - Philip Hoare One of the most valuable writers in the world - Deborah Levy 1843. Ishmaelle is born in a small village on the stormy Kent coast where she grows up...
    Paperback
    $2800
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Lover's Discourse
    A funny and charming new novel from Xiaolu Guo about love, language, displacement and finding our place in the world. A Lover's Discourse is described as 'a fragmentary meditation on the nature of love' by the Guardian. A Chinese woman comes to post-Brexit London to start over, just as the Brexit campaign reaches a fever pitch. Isolated and lonely in...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • My Battle of Hastings
    The new memoir in a triptych from prize-winning writer and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo, in which she moves to Hastings to find a room of her own and immerses herself in local history. 'One of the most valuable writers in the world' - Deborah Levy My Battle of Hastings is an exploration of how an immigrant, an outsider, and a woman...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Once Upon A Time in the East
    A memoir of growing up in modern China from the Orange-shortlisted and Granta Best Young British Novelist. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award Shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award Shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize Shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2018 A Sunday Times Book of the Year Xiaolu Guo meets her parents for the first time when...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers
    VINTAGE VOYAGES: A world of journeys, from the tallest mountains to the depths of the mind. A charming and clever account of one woman's exploration of love, language, and identity. Twenty-three-year-old Zhuang (or Z as she calls herself) arrives in London to spend a year learning English. Struggling to find her way in the city, and through the puzzles of...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Travel & Adventure

View all
  • The Salt Path
    The bestselling true story of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey not of escape but salvation, soon to be a major motion picture starring Golden Globe winning Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, the couple lose their home and their livelihood. With...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Lonely Planet Japan
    #1 Bestselling guidebook to Japan "Classic. Comprehensive. Crucial." - Library Journal Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime to Japan. Discover popular and off the beaten track experiences from visiting Yoshino for Japan's most famous cherry-blossom-viewing festival to sipping sake at a 300-year-old brewery in Niigata, and exploring the...
    Paperback
    $4100
    Elsewhere:
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Maintenance: Of Everything
    The first in-depth exploration of maintenance and a powerful argument for its civilisational importance from the author of How Buildings Learn and creator of the Whole Earth Catalog. Maintenance is what keeps everything going. It's what keeps life going. Yet it's also easy to shirk or defer until the thing breaks, the system falters, and everything stops. The apparent paradox...
    Hardback
    $7999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Abroad in Japan
    The hilarious number one bestselling memoir from YouTube sensation Chris Broad, a Brit trying to assimilate into life in Japan as he unravels the wonders and eccentricities of one of the world's most mysterious cultures. When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan, he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Cat's Tales
    Once upon a time, the enchanting creature that is the cat infiltrated our lives – and our folklore. Cats have a long association with the supernatural – from being worshipped as gods in ancient Egypt to vilified as witches’ familiars in Europe – and they appear in countless fairy tales throughout history. Every part of the world has its own...
    Hardback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Penguin Lessons
    Now a major film, this is the true story of an unlikely friendship between a flightless bird and a teacher out of his depth. When schoolteacher Tom Michell pulls a penguin from an oil slick off the coast of Uruguay, he has no idea what to do. Back at his apartment, Tom cleans him, but upon returning to the beach,...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Rambling Man
    THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM THE NATION'S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN, BILLY CONNOLLY "Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarely come across...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    22% off
    Lonely Planet Pocket Lisbon
    Lonely Planet's Pocket Lisbon is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life - neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the city's most scenic tram routes, find the best pastΓ©is de nata and discover the winding backstreets of Alfama; all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Lisbon and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Cozy Bookshops: Colouring Book
    Cozy Bookshopsβ€”your ultimate escape into a world of bookish bliss and mindful relaxation in 46 adorable scenes, from the coziest book nooks. Wander labyrinthine bookshelves, sink into soft armchairs by roaring fireplaces, and lose yourself in snug, atmospheric corners. Escape, relax, and unwind with this colouring book for all skill levels and bring your own personality. The possibilities are endless!...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    22% off
    Lonely Planet Pocket Porto
    Lonely Planet's Pocket Porto is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the historic Se cathedral, marvel at the stunning Palacio da Bolsa, and visit peacocks in Jardim do Palacio de Cristal, all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Porto and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Auto Biography
    From one of the world's most popular motor journalists, a highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars. A highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars by Mat Watson, the world's most followed car journalist on social media. Mat Watson knows everything there is to know about cars. In his 25-year career as a motor journalist, he has driven...
    Hardback
    $4600
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Brilliant Maps
    With a foreword by Tim Harford Which nations have North Korean embassies? Which region has the highest number of death metal bands per capita? How many countries have bigger economies than California? Who drives on the 'wrong' side of the road? And where can you find lions in the wild? Revelatory, thought-provoking and fun, Brilliant Maps is a unique atlas...
    Paperback
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.