Welcoming the Asian Review of Books

We are proud to anounce that, with effect from 1 February 2025 the Asian Review of Books (ARB) will become a part of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs.  We are delighted to welcome Peter Gordon, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the ARB, and all of the ARB’s contributors, into the RSAA community. 

25 years on from its founding, the Asian Review of Books remains the only dedicated pan-Asian book review publication, with particular emphasis on works in translation, books from Asian and independent publishers and academic texts rarely reviewed for general readers. Widely quoted, referenced, republished by leading publications in Asia and beyond and with an archive of several thousand book reviews, articles, essays and excerpts, the ARB provides a forum of intellectual depth and breadth where leading thinkers can write on the books, arts and ideas of the day. A weekly podcast was added in 2021.

This step will bring a vibrant new element into the RSAA, furthering the Society’s aim of advancing knowledge and understanding of Asia, and it will give the ARB the organisational structure and support that it needs to sustain its unique position over the long term.  The ARB is highly successful and no significant changes are anticipated in the short term.  We are particularly pleased that Peter Gordon will be continuing to edit the ARB for the foreseeable future. 

We strongly encourage RSAA supporters to add the ARB to your regular reading!  Links to the ARB will become a regular feature in the RSAA Newsletter.