The people of China tell of an ancient tale, where the mantis hunts the cicada, unaware of the yellow bird behind it. In a small corner of one of its many cities, a random act of violence sets off a spinning top, entwining the lives of three people.

Baorun, the compulsive bondage expert, is forever aided and abetted by Liu Sheng, a brash troublemaker, to indulge in his obsessions; and the lady Fairy Princess, ever-youthful, becomes the target of the pair’s escalating antics.

As the years pass, many things begin to change, but in the dysfunctional world of a mental hospital at the end of Red Toon Street, just who is prey, and who is predator?

Often insightful and occasionally unsettling, Shadow of the Hunter is a memorable tale concerned with guilt, injustice, madness and the struggle not to lose one’s soul to history. It is one of Su Tong’s most acclaimed works, now available in English for the first time.

Prizes

Winner of Mao Dun Literature Prize 2015

Su Tong rose to international acclaim after Raise the Red Lantern, a film adaptation of his book Wives and Concubines, won the 1993 BAFTA for best non-English language film. He was joint winner of the 2015 Mao Dun Literature Prize, and his earlier novel The Boat to Redemption won the Man Asia Literature Prize in 2009. James Trapp has had a long career promoting Chinese language and culture in UK schools. As well as new versions of the Art of War and Daodejing, his translations include Shadow of the Hunter, Longevity Park and Old Kiln. Much of his work revolves around integrating the study of Chinese language and culture, and breaking down barriers of cultural misunderstanding that still persist.