Capital M's elegant interior will be the fitting stage for a engaging literary festival that starts from February 25. While you can show up on the day and hope for a seat, we recommend getting your tickets either by popping into Capital M before the festival or grabbing them at mypiao.com, as many of the more popular events sell out fast. Check out more event details on Capital M's upcoming festival here

The Complete Schedule

Geremie Barmé: The founding director of the Australian Centre on China in the World takes a literary and political tour through Hangzhou’s West Lake, a recent UNESCO World Heritage site. Saturday, Feb 25 at 11am.

Cheryl Tan: Sex, Lies & Pineapple Tarts: The author's memoir on discovering her Singaporean family’s treasured recipes. New York-based Tan also ends up excavating her family histories along with the recipes. Saturday, Feb 25 at 12:30pm.

Wine Writers Panel: A panel of prominent wine writers and critics in China discuss the role of wine writing and its influence on the development of the Chinese wine market. This event was extremely interesting when it was held last year. This year, the panel will be conducted in Chinese. Saturday, Feb 25 at 2pm.

Liu Cheng: Screenwriting as Literature: Are screenplays literature? Liu Cheng, film professor, scriptwriter and the author of the Three Character Primer of Film joins in a panel discussion on whether screenplays qualify as literature. Moderated by New York Times journalist Ed Wong. Saturday, Feb 25 at 3:30pm.

Harold McGee: Chemistry in the Kitchen: The author of the seminal work on the chemistry of food and cooking, or "one of the greatest cookery books ever written" according to Heston Blumenthal, dives into the centuries-old dialogue between cooking and science. Saturday, Feb 25 at 5pm.

Jan Latta: Adventures in the Wild with Endangered Animals: Lions, tigers and cheetahs, oh my! This wildlife photographer will share her adventures photographing endangered jungle cats and other animals of all sizes with children 7-17. Sunday, Feb 26 at 12:30pm.

Elizabeth Knox: Creating magical make believe is the topic of discussion with New Zealand author Elizabeth Knox who has penned some incredibly imaginative tales. Listen to the author ponder on the art of words. Sunday, Feb 26 at 2pm.

Kunal Basu: This Indian author of historical fiction discusses his latest book, The Yellow Emperor's Cure. The novel follows a Portuguese surgeon who travels to Beijing at the end of the 19th century in search of a Chinese medicinal cure for syphilis. Sunday, Feb 26 at 3:30pm.

Alan Hollinghurst: Private Lives : Developing a character in writing is one of the most notoriously difficult things to do. Listen to this Man Booker prize winning author as he discusses the art of crafting characters. Sunday, Feb 26 at 5pm.

Jeff Fuchs: Jeff Fuchs is the first Westerner to have ever completed the Tea Horse Road, an ancient trading route that involves an arduous eight-month journey over the Himalayas. He shares tales of the journey at this talk. Thursday, March 1 at 6pm.

That Woman--or the Duchess of Style? Time to Reassess Wallis Simpson: Biographer Anna Sebba uses three years’ worth of research and dramatic new documents to take a fresh look at the woman for whom King Edward VIII gave up the monarchy – who was she and what power did she have over the King? Saturday, March 3 at 11am.

Siddhartha Deb: Deb's first non-fiction work, The Beautiful And The Damned: Life In The New India, looks at how India is being shaped by rapid societal change, and those caught in the transition. The talk should present an interesting perspective for those living in the also rapidly changing China. Saturday, March 3 at 12:30pm.

Tom Rob Smith: Smith, the Man Booker Prize longlisted author of Soviet thriller Child 44 talks with local teen author Kathryn Chua on the dark side of the novel. Saturday, March 3 at 2pm.

The Great FT Debate: At this debate, Financial Times journalists discuss the question: Does China’s rise spell America’s decline? Expect a serious discussion of the meaning of the biggest shift in international power since America emerged as a global superpower. This annual event is exceedingly popular, so reservations are encouraged. Saturday, March 3 at 3:30pm.

Mohammed Hanif: Our Lady of Alice Bhatti : Pakistani author Hanif discusses his latest book about modern Karachi, a Catholic hospital and a Muslim bodybuilder that tells of the richness and ridiculousness of modern love. Saturday, March 3 at 5pm.

Barney Loehnis: Long March Revisited: Loehnis shares his extraordinary tale of retracing the route of the Red Army's 1935 Long March across China--all 9,000km of it. He was the first person to accomplish this since 1936. And with very little Mandarin apparently. Sunday, March 4 at 11am.

The Art of the Profile: Writing about China: Beijing-based writers and contributors to the forthcoming anthology Chinese Characters: Fast-Changing Lives in a Fast-Changing Land, Evan Osnos, Ian Johnson, Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Michelle Loyalka and Christine Larson share the profiles of individual Chinese people written for the book and how it brings a unique perspective to understanding China. Sunday, March 4 at 12:30pm.

Criselda Yates: Reality, Reportage and Fiction: A former journalist whose novel on the Moro rebellion was longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize, Filipina author Yabes talks about turning historical events and reportage to fiction. Sunday, Mar 4 at 2pm.

Arvind Subramanian: Living in the Shadow of China’s Economic Dominance: Subramanian, one of Foreign Policy’s “Top 100 Global Thinkers”, considers the global economic shift now taking place and considers a scenario with China as the world’s dominant economic power. Sunday, March 4 at 3:30pm.

The PhotoBook: Recording Social Engagement: Shahidul Alam, Lois Connor, Rosa Maria Falvo and Jiang Jian talk about the power and perils of social engagement through a camera lens. Moderated by Meg Maggio, founder of Pékin Fine Arts. Sunday, March 4 at 5pm.

Ross Garnaut: The Garnaut Climate Change Review: Dr. Ross Garnaut discusses his study of the impact of climate change on the economy and discusses the policies that mitigate the damages wrought by our fossil fuel economy. Moderated by Jonathan Watts. Sunday, Mar 7 at 12:30pm.

All events are ¥65 (includes a drink), ¥20 (includes a soft drink) for students and children