Sam Meekings is a talented and accomplished novelist and poet. Born in England, Meekings has also spent time living in China and now teaches at Northwestern University’s Qatar campus.
Meeking published his first novel, Under Fishbone Clouds, before he was 30 years old. The book elicited much critical acclaim, with The New York Times calling it “a poetic evocation of [China] and its people” and renowned author Amy Tan writing that Meekings “has a maturity of insight and theme not commonly found in a young writer.”
Since then, Meekings has published three more successful books, as well as collaborating on volumes on the practice of creative writing. Meekings' works span from tales of ancient China to insights about the human psyche. Allow yourself to get lost in his flowing and impactful writing with these four books.
Under Fishbone Clouds
With this astonishing debut novel, Sam Meekings proved himself to be a literary force to be reckoned with. The mythical Kitchen God is challenged by the Jade Emperor to decipher the workings of the human heart. To complete this task, he decides to follow the life of husband and wife Jinyi and Yuying. The epic love story of the couple, who have lived through great challenges in Chinese history, is interwoven with folklore to create this far-reaching yet intimate novel.
The Book of Crows
Four narrators, separated by many years and differing stations in life, tell of their challenges and hopes within China. The characters are all in some way affected by the mythical Book of Crows, a book which is said to contain all of human history. Their stories interconnect to form a web of myth and intrigue, and Meekings' lyrical prose will carry readers away into the narratives.
The Afterlives of Doctor Gachet: Van Gogh's Portrait Model
This biographical fiction novel tells the story of the model for one of Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, but it is also much more. The book includes an engaging fictionalized account of the model, Dr. Paul Ferdinand Gachet, as he underwent tragedy and triumph in 19th century France. The plot also weaves in the history of the painting itself and Meekings’ journey of research into the painting. All of these storylines combine to form a commentary on the nature of sadness, art, and truth.
The Bestiary
In this collection of poems, Sam Meekings illustrates the connection between the human experience and the natural world. Meekings explores the complicated nature of the world through stories of animals and humans alike, tying in threads of history and mythology. This collection addresses both the minutiae of everyday life and the constant overarching changes going on around us.
