Uncovering Forgotten History: World War I and Chinese Ghosts
What would you do if you touched an artifact from the past and a ghost suddenly appeared?
In her fascinating video for Time Tunnellers, award-winning author Maisie Chan introduces her book, Nate Yue’s Blast from the Past. While the novel is set in contemporary Liverpool, it uncovers a vital, often overlooked piece of global history: the contribution of the Chinese Labour Corps during World War I.
The Inspiration: A World War I Shell Casing
Maisie brings the inspiration for her book directly to the screen: a heavy 1917 World War I shell casing engraved with a intricate Chinese dragon, complete with claws, scales, and traditional cloud patterns.
During World War I, around 140,000 men from China joined the war effort to support the Allies. Many of these men were farmers or laborers, though some were educated translators. They performed crucial and dangerous tasks—digging trenches, handling artillery, collecting bodies, and clearing minefields. At the end of the war, some carved discarded shell casings with artwork to sell as souvenirs or keep as mementos.
Despite their monumental role, this history is rarely covered in school textbooks or children’s literature.
The Plot: A Ghost in Modern-Day Liverpool
In Nate Yue’s Blast from the Past, main character Nate has just moved from a small village to Liverpool. During a visit from a local museum representative, Nate’s friend Ryan accidentally slips a World War I shell casing into Nate’s bag.
When Nate gets home, he gets the surprise of his life: touching the casing summons the ghost of a young Chinese Labour Corps worker nicknamed “Jirro” (which means chicken in Chinese; his real name is Igore).
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Chinese New Year in Liverpool—home to one of the oldest Chinatowns in Europe—Nate and his friends must figure out why Jirro has appeared, why only Nate can see him, and what they must do to help his spirit rest in peace.
Creative Writing Challenge for Pupils
Prompt: A Day with a Ghost from the Past
- The Lead Character: Create a contemporary character living in the present day.
- The Catalyst: How do they summon the ghost? (e.g., touching an antique object, opening an old book).
- The Historical Figure: Choose a time period and a figure for them to meet—whether a real historical figure like Mary, Queen of Scots, or an everyday person from Tudor, Victorian, or wartime Britain.
- The Challenge: Your main character only has one single day with this ghost. How do they react, where do they go, and what do they do together?
Free resource
About the Author
Maisie Chan is a multi-award-winning author. She won the Jhalak Prize and Branford Boase with her debut children’s novel Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths.
Her new novel, Nate Yu’s Blast From the Past, is one of the Best Children’s Chapter Books for the Summer (The Observer) and The Week Junior Book of the Week.
Maisie writes a young fiction series called Tiger Warrior and has written for the best selling anthology The Very Merry Murder Club. She lives in Glasgow with her family and dog.
About the book
Nate Yu Riley loves three things: his Switch, his ant farm (especially Betsy, queen of the colony) and his family.
He’s not so sure about some other things, like moving to a big city, starting a new school, and his parents making him do Chinese stuff. They’re always trying to get him to embrace his heritage, but Nate can’t speak Chinese, and he doesn’t know anything about Chinese customs.
But when Nate comes across an old shell casing engraved with a Chinese dragon, he can’t stop thinking about it. And when he touches the shell, someone extraordinary appears. A ghost from long ago. Someone who needs Nate’s help – and Nate might just need his, too …
