The BBILF is bringing some of the most interesting literary personalities in the world to Beijing two weeks of festivities. Check out the links below for in-depth interviews with some of the festival's best. Author biographies and photos are courtesy of The Bookworm.

Nury Vittachi: Click here for an interview with Nury

It’s fair to say no line up for a literary festival in Asia these days is complete without the inclusion of maverick writer Nury Vittachi. Author, tireless moderator, host of cabaret, literary quizzes, open mics and whatever else a festival chooses to throw at him, The Bookworm are delighted to invite Nury, Hong Kong’s best selling writer in English, back a second time for our 2008 festival. Nury’s most recent title, The Shanghai Union of Industrial Mystics was published in 2007 and features, amongst other things, an elephant mired and immobile in Shanghai traffic.

Rob Gifford: Click here for an interview with Rob.

Rob Gifford has an undergraduate in Chinese Studies from Durham University, an MA in East Asian Studies from Harvard, and has been traveling back and forth between China, the US and the UK for the last twenty years. From 1999 to 2005, he was based in Beijing as China correspondent for America’s National Public Radio network. He has traveled widely throughout China and across Asia, reporting for the BBC, and for NPR.

Rob’s fascinating account of his journey across China, from Shanghai to the Khazak border, China Road, was published in 2007.