John spurling biography

2014 novel by John Spurling

The Ten Thousand Things is a historical novel by author and playwright John Spurling, based on life of 14th-century Chinese artist Wang Meng during the Yuan dynasty.

John spurling - attorney

The ten thousand things john spurling

John spurling pastor

Born in Kisumu, Kenya, July 17th, Son of Antony Cuthbert Spurling () and Elizabeth Frances (née Stobart) ().

Jon Spurling is a regular contributor to publications including Four Four Two, When Saturday Comes, The Blizzard, Nutmeg, Eight By Eight, 11 Freunde.

It was published by Duckworth Overlook in 2014 and won the Walter Scott Prize in 2015.^[1] Spurling worked on the book for over fifteen years and in the process his work was rejected by 44 publishers.^[1]

Content and publishing

The book narrates the life of artist Wang Meng, and life in general of people during the Yuan dynasty.

As the Yuan dynasty, founded by Kublai Khan of the Mongol Empire, was the first foreign empire to rule a large part of China, the themes of loyalty and a non-native ruler form major parts of the novel. Spurling describes the dilemmas in the minds of Wang and other artists, including Wang's maternal grandfather Zhao Mengfu, regarding loyalty towards the foreign ruler.^[2]

The novel starts