
The Ten Thousand Things
Award History
| Award | Year | Status | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction | 2015 | Winner | “For its rich, contemplative evocation of fourteenth-century China and the philosophy of Chinese landscape painting.” |
| Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction | 2014 | Shortlist |
About This Book
John Spurling's novel imagines the life of Wang Meng, one of the Four Masters of Chinese landscape painting, set during the turbulent final decades of the Mongol Yuan dynasty and the founding of the Ming. Rich with the philosophy and aesthetics of Chinese painting, the novel is a meditation on art, politics, and survival. It won the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction in 2015.
About the Author
John Spurling (1936–2022) was a British playwright, novelist, and art critic. He studied classics at Oxford and worked for many years as a playwright, with plays performed at the Royal Court and the National Theatre. As an art critic he wrote widely about painting and was the author of studies of Anthony Blunt and John Bratby. Read more →
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