The Hindi edition of Chinese author Xuemo's novel 'Wild Fox Ridge' was launched at the New Delhi Book Fair, translated by award-winning translator Anand Swaroop Verma and published by New Delhi-based Prakashan Sansthan. The event featured scholars including B.R. Deepak, director of the Center for Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and scholar Ravindra Tripathi, who read passages and discussed the novel's literary themes and cultural context.
Tripathi described Xuemo as "a writer with international acclaim," praising his work's intellectual depth and narrative breadth. Rahul Sharma, director of Prakashan Sansthan, noted the distinctiveness of Xuemo's writing among Chinese novels, highlighting his sketch-like portrayal of rural Chinese life combined with reflective narrative. Several of Xuemo's works have previously been released in Hindi, including 'Selected Stories by Xuemo,' 'The World Is a Reflection of the Mind,' 'Wild Fox Ridge,' and 'Desert Rites,' attracting attention from both academic circles and general readers in India.
Students and faculty at the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University have shown growing interest in Xuemo's works, which are frequently used in literary research and cross-cultural studies. The English-language edition of 'Wild Fox Ridge' has gained international recognition, receiving honors such as the International Impact Book Awards, the NYC Big Book Award, and the International Book Awards in 2025. According to international media commentary, the novel represents a major stylistic shift in Xuemo's career, blending historical narration with mystical and symbolic elements compared to his earlier realist works like the Desert Trilogy.
The novel is set within a ritual of "summoning the souls" and recounts the mysterious disappearance of two camel caravans in western China over a century ago. Through 28 spectral monologues, it explores the inner lives, beliefs, and moral dilemmas of camel drivers in the desert, with critics calling it a poetic reimagining of the mythology in China's western region. The launch event allowed visitors to browse the new release, speak with featured guests, and take commemorative photos with Xuemo's works. For more information on Xuemo and his works, readers can visit www.xuemo.com or shop.xuemo.com.
