It all started with a question from the translator Nicky Harman: "What are you going to do about the market focus on China at the London Book Fair?" Well, I don't know, I just stared at my cup—we were in the Guardian canteen, of course. In my defence, I'd like to point out that this was months ago, way before Christmas, and by the time I'd finished my coffee we'd cooked up a plan to publish some of the most exciting new short fiction from China.