ALAN MACFARLANE

CHRISTOPHER PRENDERGAST

IRIS MACFARLANE

CHARLIE LOKE

HAI-SUI YU

HONGYI YANG

ANN MASSING

JIDI MAJIA

XIANGDONG GU

WEIYAO LIANG

YAN ZHI

HUANG BIKANG

SALLY CHURCH

ZHAO CONG

STEPHEN CHERRY

TAKEO FUNABIKI

ADRIANO DE LAS CORTES

LI SHAOJUN

PETER ROBERTSON

JEAN BACON

DAVID PASKETT

LIU ZHENGXING

YANG LI

PETER DE BOLLA

YANG KE

WU JINGXIONG

ZHIJUN DU

Alan Macfarlane was born in Shillong, India, in 1941 and educated at the Dragon School, Sedbergh School, Oxford and London Universities where he received two Master’s degrees and two doctorates. He is the author of over forty books, including The Origins of English Individualism (1978) and Letters to Lily: On How the World Works (2005). He has worked in England, Nepal, Japan and China as both a historian and anthropologist. He was elected to the British Academy in 1986 and is now Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the University of Cambridge and a Life Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge.

More about Alan can be found on his website: http://www.alanmacfarlane.com/

Alans lectures and website, many of which explore topics covered in his publications, can be found on the Cambridge University website. Explore Alan’s videos and lectures here.

Iris Macfarlane, mother of Alan Macfarlane, spent her life split between England and India. At the age of 54 Iris went to University at Glasgow to study Scottish literature, but when her husband died suddenly died she had to give up her studies. She also completed two thirds of an Open University degree in Philosophy.

Having learnt Assamese and Gaelic, she published books of translations of folk stories from the Assamese and the Celts. She has published both children’s stories and articles recounting life on the croft. She wrote several short stories which were broadcast by the BBC.

Christopher Prendergast is an Emeritus Professor of French Literature at the University of Cambridge. He is a life fellow of King’s College, Cambridge. He is a fellow of the British Academy and of the Academia Europaea, and also an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Officier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques.

His expertise is principally in various fields of  French literature and cultural history, predominantly of the 19th and 20th centuries.

He has written more than 18 books; these include works published by Princeton University Press, Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. His latest book, The Two Julys, co-authored with Peter de Bolla, will be published by Cam Rivers Publishing in early 2024.

Stephen Cherry is Dean of King’s College, Cambridge; he is also a Fellow and the Director of Studies in Theology and Religion.  He was previously Director of Ministry for the Diocese of Durham and a Canon Residentiary of Durham Cathedral. Prior, he was Rector of All Saints with Holy Trinity, Loughborough.

Stephen is the author of seven books of which Barefoot Disciple was the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book in 2011, Healing Agony: Reimagining Forgiveness was shortlisted for the Michael Ramsey Prize and the most recent of which is The Dark Side of the Soul: An Insider’s Guide to the Web of Sin (Bloomsbury 2016).  He publishes occasional pieces on his blog.

Funabiki, Takeo is a Japanese anthropologist and educator.

He was born on February 18, 1948 in Tokyo. He obtained his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Tokyo University and earned a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge. Since 1983, he has been a professor at Tokyo University, also serving as the Head of the Department of Cultural Anthropology since 1996. Notably, Dr. Funabiki has made significant contributions to academic literature with works such as "Academic Skills" (1994), "Intellectual Paradigms" (1995), and "Ethics of Knowledge" (1996).

Y.W. (Charlie) Loke was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He spent his early childhood in Penang, an island off the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. After boarding school in England, he graduated from Cambridge University (MA) and holds doctorates in both Medicine (MD) and Science (ScD). He is Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRCOG) in recognition of the contributions his research has made to these clinical specialties. He is Professor Emeritus of Reproductive Immunology at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of King’s College Cambridge. He presently lives in Cambridge but retains a home in Malaysia where he hopes to return one day.

This book is a translation of one of the most important first-hand accounts of Chinese life before the mass arrival of Westerners, as authored by a Spanish missionary.

Two profound concerns of A Voyage to China, the political and the economic life of China, merit particular attention from the reader, if only because few other foreign accounts of pre-1800 China rival it as a treasure trove for first-hand testimony and insight on these aspects of Chinese life (among the multitude of foreign accounts of China its main competitors are the travel account of Marco Polo, the writings of Ricci on late sixteenth century upper-class China, and the diaries of the Japanese Buddhist monks Ennin from the 840s and Jōjun from the 1070s. But these generally lack las Cortes’ detail and analysis.

Hai-Sui Yu, who writes under the pen-name Nan Xiangzi, was born in Huizhou, a city in southern Anhui Province, China. He is a world-famous expert in Geomechanics as well as a poet. He completed his DPhil at the University of Oxford, and he is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. he is a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham and is now the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds. His Chinese poems have been published in Poetry Journal, October, Journal of Selected Poems, Poetry Tide and Poetry Monthly in China.

Cam Rivers Publishing published a collection of his poems, Ode to the Beginning of Winter, in 2022.

Li Shaojun is well known as ‘a poet of nature’ for his frequent references to the mountains and plains, leaves and forests, rain and rivers, cloudscapes and oceans, as well as the creatures that inhabit the earth. But his poems always contain a human dimension and betray the emotions and attitudes of the narrator. In fact his most fully achieved work provides insight into the human condition and our insatiable desire to belong to this world and to resist the ravages of time.

Hongyi Yang is a researcher of Chinese art history at King’s College, University of Cambridge.

Her new book is about three figures from King’s College, Cambridge, who together initiated art-historical debate about Chinese art in England in the early decades of the twentieth century.

The Cambridge Trio, composed of Roger Fry, Arthur Waley and Goldsworthy Dickinson, believed that Chinese art was modern and accessible to Western audiences. With their personal and professional lives intertwined, the three men were able to reach congruent and corroborating conclusions about Chinese art through formalist aesthetics, historical study,and sociological analysis. Although studies of Roger Fry’s criticism, Arthur Waley’s translations, and Goldsworthy Dickinson’s political work abound, little work has so far been published about their writings on Chinese art.

Peter read History at Trinity College, Oxford, but his life was full of adventure: from inspecting ships in the Middle East to working at various oil companies in England and Africa. His interest in Africa sprouted from a stint in Francophone Africa, and his interactions with African friends and colleagues during his decade and a half drew him increasingly into their own debates over how African nations were meeting the challenges of modernising and integrating into the global order.

In 2000, Peter retired and began authoring his magnum opus, A Short Story of Africa. Unfortunately, he passed away with in 2020, leaving the book to be finished by his wife and youngest daughter, Carolyn and Alexia. The book will be published in early 2024.

Renowned artist David Paskett stands as a living testament to the power of watercolors. As the former President of the Royal Watercolour Society, Paskett's masterful creations have captivated audiences around the globe, earning him a place among the most esteemed figures in the art world.
With a career spanning decades, Paskett's work embodies a profound understanding of light, color, and emotion. Each brushstroke reveals a delicate balance between precision and free-flowing expression, showcasing his remarkable ability to breathe life into every scene he portrays.
As an influential leader in the art community, Paskett has not only elevated the status of watercolor painting but has also inspired countless aspiring artists to embrace the medium's unique challenges and rewards. His legacy transcends mere accolades, leaving an indelible mark on the ever-evolving canvas of art history.

In 2024, Cam Rivers Publishing is releasing three books with Paskett: The Peony Pavilion: A Children’s Illustration Book, The Panda Family’s Urban Expedition: A Children’s Illustration Book and Reflection on Caoshan Buddhist Monastery: An Illustration Book.

Liu Zhengxing was born in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 1952. He is director of China Artists’ Association, Vice Chairman of Sichuan Artists Association and Chairman of Chengdu Artists Association. He is a member of the Central Cultural Working Committee, Vice President of the Central Academy of Painting and Calligraphy, President of Sichuan Academy of Painting and Calligraphy of the Jiusan Society.

Over the past 40 years, Liu worked on and studied the arts of painting, during which he has demonstrated his proficient painting skills, particularly in oil painting, ink-and-wash painting and print. He has also developed a unique painting style, especially that of his sketch, which depicts the scenery of Southwest China and Plateaus of Tibetan-inhabited regions.

Liu has successfully launched cultural projects and related events both nationally and internationally, expanding influence at home and abroad, contributing to cultural developing and receiving praise from government officials.

Cam Rivers Publishing published Liu’s collected works in 2017.

Dr. Xiangdong Gu is a respected Education Professor at Chongqing University in China. He is known for his dedication to improving teaching methods and educational policies, shaping the future of education in China and beyond. Dr. Gu’s extensive research and experience have earned him recognition for his work in curriculum development, teacher training, and educational leadership. As an accomplished author, he has written many scholarly articles, enriching educational discussions with innovative perspectives. Dr. Gu is committed to empowering the next generation of educators and promoting a culture of continuous learning. He is a visionary leader, driving positive change and inspiring excellence in education both locally and internationally.

Cam Rivers Publishing published Dr. Gu’s two-volume biography series.

Venerable Bhikkhuni Dr Yang Li is one of the most influential Buddhist masters in contemporary China. She is the Abbess of Caoshan Baoji monastery, and the chairperson of the Buddhist Association of Jiangxi Province.

Master Yang Li has been a well-known practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine for over three decades. She engaged with an in-depth study of western medicine as well, having obtained her PhD in medicine in France. She is also an astronomer, artists and activist. Enlightened by Master Yi Cheng (1927-2017), a highly regarded Buddhist monk, she decided to resign from her job as a doctor at the hospital and became a Buddhist nun.

In 2022, Cam Rivers Publishing published Buddhism and Suffering: Why Do the Good Suffer More?

Professor Liang is a Professor Emeritus of Superconductivity, a College Lecturer and Life Fellow in Gonville & Caius College with an interest in electronic properties of semiconductors and superconductors, as well as quantum phase transitions.

Outside of his academic interests, Professor Liang has an interest in photography and music, as well as art.

Cam Rivers Publishing is releasing three books authored by Professor Liang in 2024.

Peter de Bolla has been Professor of Cultural History and Aesthetics since 2009. He has been a visiting Professor in Siegen, at Vanderbilt and New York University. between 2014 and 2018, he was Director of the Cambridge Concept Lab.

His main research interests are Eighteenth Century British cultural history, the history of aesthetics, conceptual history, philosophical aesthetics and digital knowledge.

Cam Rivers Publishing is releasing The Two Julys, a book about the French and American revolutions co-authored by de Bolla and Christopher Prendergast, in 2024.

Born in Luotian County, in the Hubei Province of China in July 1972, Yan Zhi started writing in 1988 and went on to become a member of the China Writers’ Association in 1999. He has published more than twenty literary works, including Ode to Youth (《少年辞》), Poems for Tomorrow (《明天的诗篇》), South of the Dabie Mountain (《大别山以南》), Elegy and Commemoration (《挽歌与纪念》), Wandering Youth (《少年去流浪》), Stories of Xiaowei (《小维故事书》), and Love in Wuhan (《武汉之恋》). Many of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese, Korean and Mongolian. His works have won many international awards.

Yan Zhi is the founder of Wuhan Poetry Festival, the Zall Bookstore and the Zall Foundation. He is also Vice Chairman of the Poetry Institute of China.

Cam Rivers Publishing released Yan Zhi’s long poem, Elegy and Commemoration in 2023.

Within the contemporary poetry scene Yang Ke is unique. He has exhibited through his work a deeply personalised historical imagination and a steely regard for truth. his urban poetry has created a unusual subjectivity. For over thirty years his writing, which is heavily informed by traditional Chinese poetry, has struck out upon an alternative path. His work is characterised by both an intense emotional appeal and also a constant drive towards a more innovative poetics.

Yang Ke has published numerous works including eleven books of poetry. These include Yang Ke’s Poems, Related and Unrelated, I speak the Shape of the Wind as well as four prose essays and one non-fiction book. His work has been published by the Peoples Literature Publishing House and Taiwan Huapin Wenchuang, amongst others. Yang Ke’s poetry books have been translated into ten different languages and published by the Japanese Ichao Society, the University of Oklahoma University Press, and the University of Zaragoza as well as many others. Yang Ke’s poems and essays have also been published more than 400 times in works including China’s New Literature Series and 100 Years of Chinese New Poetry.

Cam Rivers Publishing released Yang Ke’s latest collection of poems, Journey without Destination in 2022.

Huang Bikang is a Professor of English Literature at the School of Foreign languages at Peking University. He received his Master’s degree at the School of Foreign Languages and Literature. He is a scholar of Shakespearan studies and classical Chinese literature.

He recently completed a new translation of Tang Xianzu’s The Peony Pavilion and The Purple Hairpins, which Cam Rivers Publishing in 2024. Tang Xianzu is often called the ‘Chinese Shakespeare’ for his contributions to the world of Chinese drama. Cam Rivers Publishing released a biography of Tang Xianzu recently, which complements the translations of Professor Bikang.

Wu Junxiong is a poet from Shenzhen, China. His poetry is characterised by the glow and the shadows of a particular intimacy. The reader often has the sense of overhearing meditations late at night, meditations that may open out into memories of infancy, or early years in the countryside, of life as a young man amidst the bright lights of the city, of friends and relatives now far away or who are no more. Uniting these meditations and memories are reflections on the art of poetry itself, and what it means to be alone with language.

Wu Jinxiong is not afraid to acknowledge and share the emotions that accompany solitude, the creative process and nostalgia.

Cam Rivers Publishing released Jinxiong’s poetry collection, We Are Each a Cactus In the City, in 2022.

Sally Church studied Chinese history at Middlebury College for her BA. She obtained an MA in Chinese literature at the University of Chicago and a PhD, also in Chinese literature, at Harvard. She came to Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, in 1998 as a Junior Research Fellow, and was appointed Tutor in September 2001. In 2004 she began running the College's Thesis Writing Group, and in 2005 was appointed International Student Liaison Officer at the College, at which point she began also to run Academic English Classes at the College.

Her academic work focuses on various aspects of pre-modern Chinese history, especially on the maritime expeditions of Zheng He (1405-1433), the history of Chinese ships during the Ming period and earlier, and Chinese diplomatic history during the Ming. She is producing a critical edition of the Longjiang Shipyard Treatise, a 16th century work by a Chinese bureaucrat who was trying to turn a corrupt and failing shipbuilding institution around; and mapping the overland journey of Chen Cheng, Chinese ambassador to the Timurids, who made the nine-month journey along the Silk Road from China to Herat three times on horseback in the early 15th century. She is also producing, together with Dr Robert Harding, a new annotated translation of the travel account of the Chinese Buddhist monk Faxian, who went to India in 399-414 AD. She was co-author of the Oxford Starter Chinese Dictionary, published in 2000.

Cam Rivers Publishing is releasing the translation of Faxian’s travel accounts in 2024.

Zhijun Du’s journey to becoming a Buddhist Dharma started with reading the Diamond Sutra in 2013. The vivid metaphors, the richly philosophical language drew him to the Dharma described. He continued his journey by buying every book on the market that provided an explanation of the text. In them, he came across terms like the ‘True Principle’, ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Non-self’, as well as phrases about ‘calming the mind’ and ‘bringing an end to suffering’. They were eye-opening and encouraging to Du, who has since followed the journey to nirvana.

Later, his regular discussion group organised a trip to stay at a monastery for a few days to get a taste of life in a temple. As he sat drinking tea and talking to one of the masters, he took the chance to ask the master what is meant within the Dharma by wisdom. “Master, I’ve heard that Wisdom and Emptiness are advanced concepts to try and understand. Could you take a moment to explain them to me, please?’ His answer was not what he had hoped. The master very tactfully sidestepped the question and led the conversation onto another topic while continuing to sip tea. The conversation ended soon after. The take-away for Du was that his foundation in Dharmic learning needed more work. he had to practice and experience the lessons of Dharma for much longer, cultivating greater merit, before the chance for him to grasp emptiness would present itself.

Cam Rivers Publishing released Emptiness and Wisdom, Zhijun Du’s opus, translated by Jack Hargreavers, in 2022.

Zhao Cong is one of today's most sought-after Chinese traditional musicians as an influential Pi Pa (Chinese lute) musician. She is also a composer and known for her artistic adventurousness. She is the director of China National Traditional Orchestra which is the finest traditional orchestras in China.

Cam Rivers Publishing is releasing a series of her books aimed at younger audiences, titled Around the World with Zhao Cong, in 2024.