John Lewell

John Lewell is the author of the acclaimed biographical encyclopedia "Modern Japanese Novelists" (Kodansha, NY, 1993). His many other books include several on photography, including the insightful guide, "Street Photography is Cool."

Born in Suffolk, in the east of England, John Lewell attended Framlingham College, then went on to graduate from Peterhouse, Cambridge, in English and Fine Art.

After working in the film industry as a researcher and scriptwriter, he moved to the United States where he became West Coast Editor of "Computer Pictures" magazine and wrote two books on computer graphics. As a freelance journalist, he also wrote for the "Los Angeles Times," "New Scientist," "Films and Filming", and a dozen other publications.

Returning to the U.K, he ran his own public relations consultancy Technology Relations, and married Thai cookery writer Oi Cheepchaiissara, author of "The Food of Thailand," and other books. Over thirty years, the couple have traveled to many countries in the Far East.

John Lewell's 3-volume book "My China Library" was published in 2023, updated with new, in-depth reviews of recent books in the 2025 "My China Library UPDATE."