Dr Frances Wood

Frances Wood studied Chinese at Cambridge (1967-71), spent a year at the Languages Institute and Beida (1975-6) and completed a PhD in Chinese domestic architecture at SOAS (1984). 

She worked in the SOAS Library and then in the Chinese section of the British Library (1977-2013) where the most significant aspect of the work was developing access to the Stein collection from Dunhuang through conservation and, eventually, digitisation. She has written more than 20 books introducing aspects of Chinese history including Did Marco Polo Go to China? (1996), The Blue Guide to China (1990, 2002), Oriental Gardens (1991), No Dogs and Not Many Chinese (1998), Hand Grenade Practise in Peking (2000), The Silk Road (2002), The Forbidden City (2005), The First Emperor (2007), The Lure of China (2009), Betrayed Ally (2016), Great Books of China (2018) and collaborated on the 8 volume set of Chinese Export Paintings in the British Library (2011).

Her most recent publication is ‘Mah-jong in Maida Vale’ in Paul Bevan, Anne Witchard and Da Zheng (eds.), Chiang Yee and artistic and intellectual life in Britain 1930-1950 (Hong Kong University Press 2021, Chinese translation, Shanghai 2023). She has lectured for the British Museum, SOAS Extramural Department and art courses run by Sotheby’s, Christie’s and SOAS and written book reviews for the TLS, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (China) and is a Vice-president of SACU and former editor of the Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society.

In 2023 she received a Special Book Award from the National Press and Publications Administration of the People’s Republic of China.