Wish Lanterns (Picador)

There are approximately 322 million Chinese aged between 16 and 30 - a group larger than the population of the USA, and destined to have an unprecedented influence on global affairs in the coming years. The one-child policy has led to a generation of only children; there is intense competition for education and jobs, and a tug-of-war between cultural change and tradition, nationalism and the lures of the West. We know the headlines of their lives, but what of the details? Following the lives of six young Chinese, Alec Ash has created an immersive, narrative account of how it feels to be young in today's China: what it means to be an artist, to face academic failure, to remain single, to be addicted to the internet, to be wealthy and privileged, to choose not to join the Party.

Told as six first-person accounts, Wish Lanterns is a vibrant and intimate book, for readers of Katherine Boo's Behind the Beautiful Forevers and Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy.

As read on BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. This is the generation that will change China. The youth, over 320 million of them in their teens and twenties, more than the population of the USA. Born after Mao, with no memory of Tiananmen, they are destined to transform both their nation and the world. These millennials, offspring of the one-child policy, face fierce competition to succeed. Pressure starts young, and their road isn't easy. Their stories are also like those of young people all over the world: moving out of home, starting a career, falling in love. Wish Lanterns follows the lives of six young Chinese. Dahai is a military child and netizen; 'Fred' is a daughter of the Party. Lucifer is an aspiring superstar; Snail a country migrant addicted to online games. Xiaoxiao is a hipster from the freezing north; Mia a rebel from Xinjiang in the far west. Alec Ash, a writer in Beijing of the same generation, has given us a vivid, gripping account of young China as it comes of age. Through individual stories, Wish Lanterns shows with empathy and insight the challenges and dreams that will define China's future global impact.