She is also a literary Chinese-to-English translator.[7] Her translations include the bestselling novel Decoded by
Mai Jia (co-translated by Christopher Payne), which caught her attention because of a family connection: her grandfather was a
codebreaker in World War II, like the book's protagonist.[citation needed] Her translation has been praised for its "tightly wrought aphorisms" and for "the classic beauty and elegant taste of the language".[8][9]
In 2018, Milburn's translation work was recognised by the Chinese government with a
Special Book Award of China, which honours contributions to bridging cultures and fostering understanding.[3]
Selected works
The Glory of Yue: An Annotated Translation of the Yuejue shu. Leiden: EJ Brill, 2010.
ISBN9789047443995.[10]
Cherishing Antiquity: The Cultural Construction of an Ancient Chinese Kingdom. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Asia Center, 2013.
ISBN9780674726680.[4]
Urbanization in Early and Medieval China: Gazetteers for the City of Suzhou. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2015.
ISBN9780295994604.[5]
The Spring and Autumn Annals of Master Yan. Leiden: EJ Brill, 2016.
ISBN9789004309661.[6]
The Empress in the Pepper Chamber: Zhao Feiyan in History and Fiction. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2021. ISBN 978-0295748757.
Selected translations
(With Christopher Payne) Mai Jia, Decoded. London: Allan Lane, 2014; and New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014.
ISBN9781250062352.
(With Christopher Payne) Mai Jia, In the Dark. London: Penguin, 2015.
ISBN9780141391458.
Mai Jia, The Message. London: Head of Zeus, 2020. ISBN 978-1789543018.
Feng Jicai, Faces in the Crowd: 36 Extraordinary Tales of Tianjin. London: Sinoist Books, 2020. ISBN 978-1910760482.
Feng Jicai, A Looking-Glass World. London: Sinoist Books, 2021. ISBN 978-1838905149
Fang Fang, The Walls of Wuchang. London: Sinoist Books 2022. ISBN 9781838905118[11]
Feng Menglong, Kingdoms in Peril: A Novel of the Ancient Chinese World at War. Oakland, California: University of California Press, 2022. ISBN 9780520380516.[12]
Feng Menglong, Kingdoms in Peril: Volume 1, The Curse of the Bao Lords. Oakland, California: University of California Press, 2023. ISBN 9780520381001 [13]
Feng Menglong, Kingdoms in Peril: Volume 2, The Exile Returns. Oakland, California: University of California Press, 2023. ISBN 9780520381032. [14]
Feng Menglong, Kingdoms in Peril: Volume 3, The Death of a Southern Hero. Oakland, California: University of California Press, 2023. ISBN 9780520381070. [15]
Feng Menglong, Kingdoms in Peril: Volume 4, The Assassins Strike. Oakland, California: University of California Press, 2023. ISBN 9780520381100. [16]