A fragment from The Book of Perilous Dishes has reached Chinese readers through its inclusion in an anthology with a long, memorable title: Cong Quan Shan Dao Ping Yuan De Li Zan.
The volume brings together texts focused on real and symbolic liquids—elixirs, drinks, vices, and pleasures—exploring how inspiration has long been intertwined with excess. The anthology was published in Sichuan by Si Chuan Min Zu Chu Ban She, and features contributions from diverse literary traditions.
The excerpt from The Book of Perilous Dishes marks an initial step toward a possible full Chinese translation of the novel, a hope shared by Siqi Zhu, well aware of the complexity and subtlety such a translation entails.
The project has also sparked a visual continuation: a short film begun together with Li Xinduo—started with a slightly trembling hand and a broken phone. It is, nonetheless, a beginning. By the end of the film, Li Xinduo, a distinguished professor at the Beijing Film Academy, appears serene—and, fortunately, has already forgiven the phone.
