6:23 | thunderous applause

6:18 | Q: China has changed so greatly. Is memory inching closer to imagination?

Coming back to the topic of memory, Su characterizes memory as something that patches things up. Even a photograph doesn't represent reality. He goes on in an abstract manner that is ... Read more »

3:05 | Filling up

Tess hangs out onstage, looking very at home there. The house is 95% full, with the Tess fans abuzz with Saturday afternoon chatter.

Lynn Pan takes the stage to say, “I am most honored to be able to introduce Tess Johnston. But if there is anyone ... Read more »

1:06 | Intro

At the age of ten, Emmerson's interest in the Artic began with a map. While other children collected sports cards or stickers, he collected "destinations." There are multiple ways to define the Artic: by temperature, by longitude or by land mass. However one defines it, one ... Read more »

11:05 | Running Late

As probably happens many morning sessions. People are still streaming in, as Andy Field takes the stage accompanied by JFK Miller, who is moderating.

The usual suspects who come to all things Shanghai History are in attendance: Duncan Hewitt, James Areddy, Lynn Pan, Tess Johnston, Peter ... Read more »

4:40pm

Glamour Bar’s atrium was crowded with people when I show up twenty minutes early for the Diaz talk. Tickets have been sold out for awhile. There are scalpers. The crowd is full of expatriates. A fitting audience for Diaz’s talk about the eternal search for home ... Read more »

16:03 | The Female Psyche

We're here to hear Chinese author Bi Feiyu's perspective on "writing the female psyche." Says the moderator, a short time ago a critic said that among Chinese male authors, Bi Feiyu has the clearest perspective on the female perspective. The moderator says this ... Read more »

3:06 | Closing and Q&A

Amy notes that what unites all these authors is their love of Chinese culture and their view of it as an ideal society beyond that of the West.

Q: Have these books been republished?

A: Some may be, but I usually buy them as ... Read more »

See Alexis’s novel, Carpentaria, winner of the 2006 Miles Franklin Award and several other literary awards.

1:54 | Q&A 2

An audience member asks Alexis what Chinese influence she had growing up. Alexis says that although she knew of her Chinese ancestor, even her grandmother, the daughter of ... Read more »

12:55 | Love/Hate Relationship

Kristin is a writer who likes to write. So she goes back and forth on all of this. In the morning she loves connecting, in the afternoon she hates it, or vice versa. Q&As to follow, but I'm off to my next session ... Read more »

11:48 | It's Not a Debate

This is the second session in which this moderator has referred to the interview discussion as a "debate." A debate, according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary online is:

Noun

A contention by words or arguments as:

a) the formal discussion of a motion ... Read more »

18:26 | Decolonizing Queer Asia

Erni poses the question, how can we decolonize the queer experience? He cites Zhou's example of how many key LGBT events in Shanghai are led by foreigners, and posits that many LGBT experiences in Asia are informed by previous Western experiences. In the politics ... Read more »

2:03 | Filling Up

Not an empty seat in the room.

2:12 | Yuan-Tsung Chen takes her seat on stage

She is sporting a short bob, a baby pink sweater and grey slacks. Without pre-applause, the talk begins immediately.

2:13 | Introduction: "History has been distorted"

Her book, Return to ... Read more »

3:00 | Packed house

3:13 | "There's a circle in my work"

Speaking of her last book, Åsne remembers how she started her career in Russia, studying Russian politics. She decided to become a journalists at that time because as a journalist, "all doors are open to you."

She ... Read more »

14:26 | Translation

"So much of what I write is in Hebrew and rooted in the language and culture," says Grossman in response to a question regarding the translation of his works into other language. People often read his works in other languages and tell him that they felt as ... Read more »

So, every year M on the Bund puts together some lunchboxes for ravenous lit lovers. What's in store this year? Well, we're down to three sandwiches from four, BUT the three you get are bigger than last year's, so I guess it balances.

The vegetarian option is ... Read more »

12:03 | The Genesis of the Book

After having invested so many years of research and effort on this project, Tan approached Smith and told him she thought he should write a book about it. "When Amy Tan tells you to do something, you do it," says Lee. The result ... Read more »

6:10 | Starting Late

It's Friday night and it's raining. Still a pretty full house though; Dario's has been socializing as he waits as has Tina, the head of the SILF team. Good news? We're getting started and we've all been invited to stay late ... Read more »

One of Israel’s most compelling young voices, Alon Hilu talks about the novelists’ device of retelling history in the context of his historical novels. House of Dajani (2008) describes the fascinating relations between Jewish and Palestinian characters in 1865 Jaffa, while the award-winning Death of the Monk is the ... Read more »

Come and hear Sophie Gee dish on the deliciously scandalous topic of sex and dating in eighteenth century London, the topic of her acclaimed novel, The Scandal of the Season. Named one of the best books of 2007 by the Washington Post, the novel tells the story of the real-life ... Read more »

Mara Moustafine shares the incredible story of the Russians of China through the discovery of the fate of her Russian Jewish family, from Harbin to Stalin’s Soviet Union, chronicled in Secrets & Spies. The touchingly personal account, overlaid with the skilled geopolitical analysis by this former diplomat and intelligence analyst ... Read more »

A glass of wine is the perfect accompaniment to Krisztina Tóth’s poetry. One of Hungary’s most acclaimed young poets and novelists, Toth’s poetry has strong connections with different Hungarian and European poetic traditions, their trademark a subtle combination of strong visual elements, intellectual reflection and an empathetic ... Read more »

“To see the future, one must grasp the past,” said Confucius. Jonathan Fenby, the author of The Penguin History of Modern China, takes the expertise gained as former editor of the Observer, the South China Morning Post and Reuters World Service to flesh this out in an engaging discussion of ... Read more »

Wang Gang launches the English version of his transcendent novel, in which the English language is the catalyst for a journey of self-discovery for young protagonist Love Liu in Xinjiang. The original Chinese edition was a major bestseller, voted Best Novel of the Year. Translators Jane Pan and Martin Merz ... Read more »