By Doane April Chungalao
The vast amounts of Asian literature dates back throughout history with the beginning of songs, poems, and historically written artifacts. Many Asian literature, both classical and contemporary, consist of religious themes, spirituality, values, and war.
Because of the number of countries found in Asia, a select few shall be represented in the following texts together with those from the Middle East. Indian author Ruskin Bond’s story “Dust on the Mountain” deals with environmental issues and subtle themes that represent the take on environmental issues in India. Japanese author Haruki Murakami’s “Mirror” represents the identity issues experienced by many people across the globe.
These stories, including “Khamsin on the Hills” by Elisha Porat and “The Abandoned Village” by Hassan Blasim representing the Middle East address the different themes determined in this unit.
21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World 