Cultural Mavericks: The Business and Politics of Independent Bookselling in China

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Zheng Liu

Cultural Mavericks

Name: Cultural Mavericks
Price: 198.95 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9780231200127

The Business and Politics of Independent Bookselling in China

Zheng Liu

$198.95

Hardback

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English

Columbia University Press
13 February 2026

Sociology & anthropology; Publishing industry

In recent decades, self-proclaimed ""independent bookstores"" have arisen across China. In the West, such retailers represent an alternative to corporations and chains. In China, by contrast, they differentiate themselves from not only the state-owned Xinhua Bookstore but also other privately owned shops through an emphasis on intellectual independence and the free exchange of ideas.

Cultural Mavericks takes readers inside the world of independent bookselling in China, showing how a wide range of figures navigate the challenges of book retailing in the digital age amid rapidly shifting social, political, and economic dynamics. Drawing on more than a decade of immersive research-including interviews, observations, and extensive documentary analysis-Zheng Liu unveils how these bookstores carve out a unique identity and market position. She develops the concept of ""culturally adapted strategy"" to explain how independent bookstores-as both dedicated cultural institutions and resilient business enterprises-balance economic imperatives with a deep commitment to intellectual autonomy. Liu challenges the tendency to understand nonstate cultural institutions in China in terms of resistance, arguing that independent bookstores engage with politics as a strategic means of differentiation from the competition.

Richly detailed and compellingly written, Cultural Mavericks sheds new light on the interplay among culture, commerce, and politics in China, offering timely insights into the evolving dynamics of China's book industry and wider cultural economy.

By: Zheng Liu
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm,
ISBN: 9780231200127
ISBN 10: 0231200129
Pages: 264
Publication Date: 13 February 2026
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Book Publishing and Retailing in China 2. Searching for an Independent Identity 3. Culturally Adapted Strategies: The Concept 4. Implementing Culturally Adapted Strategies 5. The Economics of Independent Bookselling Conclusion Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

Zheng Liu is a lecturer in innovation management at the University of Bristol Business School and holds a PhD in sociology from the University of Cambridge.

Reviews for Cultural Mavericks: The Business and Politics of Independent Bookselling in China

This study of independent bookstores in China makes fascinating reading. Zheng Liu offers valuable insights into the book trade there and the book culture, including the importance of digital engagement by booksellers. -- Angus Phillips, coauthor of <i>Inside Book Publishing</i> Cultural Mavericks is an extraordinarily insightful account of a phenomenon largely neglected in the West: the rise of ‘independent booksellers’ in China. Zheng Liu’s richly documented account of the rise of this distinctive form of bookselling and of its broader social and political significance is a cutting-edge work of cultural sociology and a major contribution to understanding the social organization and development of one of the largest book markets in the world -- John B. Thompson, author of <i>Book Wars: The Digital Revolution in Publishing</i>