Linda Jaivin is an internationally published Australian author, translator, essayist, cultural commentator, novelist and specialist writer on China.
Linda is the author of thirteen books, including The Shortest History of China, named the No. 1 China book of the year by fivebooks.com when it came out in 2021, and has been published in over a dozen languages worldwide, and her newest, Bombard the Headquarters: China’s Cultural Revolution is out in Australia in June 2025. She is also an internationally published novelist, essayist, cultural critic and a literary translator from Chinese specialising in film subtitles.
Fluent in Mandarin Chinese and with an honours degree in Asian history, Linda spent nine years in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China as a student, editor and journalist. She writes frequently on Chinese history, politics, culture and society as well as the importance of cultural engagement with China. She is co-editor of The China Story Yearbook, which is produced by the Australian Centre on China in the World at the ANU.
As a literary translator from Chinese specialising in film, Linda has subtitled some of China’s most famous movies, including Chen Kaige’s “Farewell my Concubine”, Zhang Yimou’s “Hero” and Wong Kar Wai’s “Grandmaster”. Her Quarterly Essay: Found in Translation tells how translation binds our world.
Finally, Linda has written and presented two radio documentaries for ABC Radio National: the series ‘Situation Critical’, on the state of Australian arts criticism, for Arts Hub, and ‘Nothing to Hide’, on the importance of privacy, for Earshot.
The Shortest History of China will also be published in the US, UK and in a number of translations including Russian, Japanese, Portuguese, Greek and Bulgarian.
Linda’s specific topics include:
- Engaging with China
- You’re Better at Learning Languages Than You Think
- A Novel Approach to Reading
- If History isn’t also Herstory, It’s only Half the Story
- What China’s Past Tells Us about China Today
Stay up to date with Linda Jaivin on Instagram and check out her website here.