''London Single Diary'' (伦敦单身日记) is a 2009
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
written by British Chinese author
Yilin Zhong
Yilin Zhong () is a British Chinese journalist, screenwriter and author. She is the author of seventeen novels, two film screenplays, ten books and many other work including poems and literary reviews. She now lives in London.
Early life
Y ...
. It is her sixth published book. Written between 2002 and 2004, London Single Diary is a record of Zhong's first impressions and personal journey of living abroad in London.
The original work contains four volumes: V1. London Notes (Year 1), V2. Britain Essays (Year 1-2), V3. Seasons of England (Year 2) and V4. London Life (Year 3). In total, the four volumes comprise 98 diaries. In 2009, fifty of these diaries were published as the novel ''London Single Diary,'' which reached #50 on Amazon's bestselling fiction list.
''London Single Diary'' is the prequel to ''
London Love Story,'' published in 2010.
Plot summary
After arriving to London as an oversee exchange student from China, Zhong begins documenting her experiences during her first three years in the United Kingdom. The book chronicles her first day in London, her experience as a Chinese student in a British university, and her difficult time finding work in London after
graduation
Graduation is the awarding of a diploma to a student by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it. The date of the graduation ceremony is often called graduation day. The graduation ceremony is a ...
. It focuses on the love and joys of living abroad and the pain of being away from one's family.
Reception
''London Single Diary'' became a best seller soon after being published, with the first edition being sold out within three weeks.
The novel was recommended by the chief editor of Sina Blog and was listed as an Editor's Choice at Amazon. It reached #50 on the Amazon bestselling fiction list.
One year later, its sequel ''London Love Story'' reached the #3 spot on the list.
References
External links
*
《BBC人物特写：钟宜霖》, BBC, 2015-8-4BBC People: Yilin Zhong in London, BBC, 4 August 2015 - Google translation
*
''《伦敦单身日记》''
2009 Chinese novels
Novels by Yilin Zhong
Postmodern novels
Novels set in the 21st century
Novels set in London
{{postmodern-novel-stub