To celebrate this special occasion, the Embassy of Ireland in China launched a yearlong "Irish Literature Marathon." By reading through the great works of classical and contemporary Irish writers and discovering the cultural connections therein, stronger links will be forged between the two countries and peoples, according to the Irish Embassy in China.

The campaign will not only introduce a literary theme each month and invite guests to recommend Irish literature that fits the theme, but will also welcome readers with a love of Irish literature to equally give their recommendations.

The January theme is Friendship and Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney was recommended by Ann Derwin, Ambassador of Ireland to China. Sally Rooney is one of Ireland's most renowned Millennial writers, and perhaps best known for her bestselling novel Normal People. In Conversations with Friends, she undertakes a compelling exploration of the dynamics of friendship, skillfully weaving a narrative that delves into the complexities of relationships without the constraints of romantic positioning.

In addition to Conversations with Friends, Beyond the Sea by Paul Lynch, which was recommended by Chen Li, director of the Irish Study Centre at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, will also be featured. The book is an earlier novel by this year's Booker Prize winner Paul Lynch. The novel provides a follow-up to the pandemic by exploring a germane question: When we are forced to disconnect from the world, how shall we deal with sudden and inescapable intimacy with people imposed on us by love or chance? The book narrates the powerful story of two men stuck in the middle of nowhere faced with an uncertain future, as Lynch welcomes the readers to assess what it means to be a friend and a human.