Bruce Humes

Paper-Republic interviews Gray Tan at The Grayhawk Agency, the up-and-coming agency whose stable now includes Zhang Ling (Gold Mountain Blues), Mai Jia (Decoded), Ai Mi (Hawthorn Tree Forever) and Chi Zijian (Right Bank of the Argun):

The biggest advantage of being based in Taipei is having access to the most sophisticated publishing and the widest selection of books in the Chinese world. A lot of books either banned or censored in China are available in Taiwan, and it’s very easy to buy simplified Chinese editions too. I am different from most other agents of Chinese authors in that I’m a native Chinese speaker who also has experience in handling international bestsellers. My understanding and appreciation of Chinese novels is probably very different from a non-native reader. I don’t need to rely on reader’s reports to find books; I can always read the Chinese original myself.