Redemption pays off

China's Su Tong, 46, won the prestigious Man Asian Literary Prize in Hong Kong yesterday, with his latest work, The Boat to Redemption, a realistic novel set during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

Its title, in Chinese, He An, means "river and shore", representing the worlds of two different types of people - those who live on steady ground are politically reliable; those who live on boats are "exiles" or politically questionable.

"I'm not sure if The Boat to Redemption can help overseas readers know more about China. It's just a novel centering on the fate of people caught in an absurd time," Su said in an e-mail interview, adding his upcoming novel will be set in contemporary China.