The big ten of 2009

The past year has yielded a marvelous variety of books in China. Here are our top picks, as compiled by Liu Jun and Mei Jia report

1. King Gesa r (格萨尔王), by Alai

Known as the world's longest epic, King Gesar is an ancient Tibetan story about the legendary King Gesar's birth, fight against evil and return to heaven. Tibetan author Alai joined the worldwide Myth Series project, initiated by British publisher Canongate Books, to retell the legend, some five years ago.