Beijing International Literary Festival – Events for the China Hands

Posted: March 7th, 2012 | No Comments »

It’s all getting underway in Beijing once again for their annual March Literary Festival. I’ll note here some events that are part of the Beijing International Literary Festival that are China-related and that don’t feature me! All details on the Festival site here.

Tales From the Countryside – March 10 – 10:00 – Journalist Liang Hong has spent years investigating the lives of those living in rural China. As the country becomes increasingly urban and the young gravitate towards cities for employment and opportunity, what is happening to the countryside? How are those left behind in the farms and villages affected by the changes of modern China? Hear Liang Hong share their stories and her predictions for the future of an ancient way of life. Moderated by Qin Liwen of International Crisis Group. In Chinese with English translation.

Tiger Head, Snake Tails: China Today, How it got there and where it is going – March 10 – 12:00 – Economists, policy makers and armchair historians alike have made popular sport debating the future role of China. Will China rule the world? Or is all just smoke and mirrors? Historian and journalist Jonathan Fenby, author of The Penguin History of Modern China, proposes the answer is both – and neither. In his latest book Tiger Head, Snake Tails, Fenby argues that the future of China is much like its past – nuanced and complex. Through extensive research, on-the-ground reporting, interviews and more, Fenby presents a dynamic and holistic picture of China’s future, both at home and abroad. Brought to you by Rutgers Business School.

The Death of Mao and the Birth of the New China – March 11 – 12:00 Summer 1976. One of the worst earthquakes on record struck Tangshan, killing over a quarter of a million people. In nearby Beijing, the Communist Party was being torn apart as various factions vied for power. In the wake of Mao’s death, would the Gang of Four take control or would Deng Xiaoping bring about reform and reopen China to the world? James Palmer’s latest work of non-fiction, The Death of Mao, recreates the tensions of that tumultuous summer when China’s fate hung in the balance and discusses how these events created the New China.

A Wanderer’s World – Chinese Travel Writing – March 11 – 14:00 – Travel writing has a long history in the West extending back to before Marco Polo. Now as a growing Chinese middle class strikes out to explore the globe, a new crop of Chinese travel writers are documenting these travels. Xu Zhiyuan, editor-in-chief of the Chinese edition of Business Weekly and a FT contributor, is one of these pioneers. Join us to hear Xu speak on his latest book, A Wanderer’s World (一个游荡者的世界), which chronicles his adventures and journeys around the globe.

Knifepoint – Chinese Spy Thrillers – March 14 – 18:00 – Mai Jia is China’s best-known author of spy thrillers. His popular works mix intrigue with romance and have been awarded the Mao Dun Literature Prize and adapted into films and television programmes. His latest novel Knifepoint (刀之阳面 and 刀之阴 面) tells the story of two undercover agents – a man working for the Kuomintang and the female Communist spy who seduces him – set against the backdrop of war and chaos. Join us as Mai Jia discusses espionage, seduction and thrill of the chase. In Chinese with English translation. Brought to you by Blue Frog.

China in Ten Words – March 14 – 20:00 – In his latest work, China in Ten Words, the acclaimed author of Brothers and To Live Yu Hua turns his pen to non-fiction. He frames the Chinese experience over the last several decades with ten common phrases: “people,” “leader,” “reading,” “writing,” “Lu Xun,” “disparity,” “revolution,” “grassroots,” “copycat” and “bamboozle.” Listen as Yu Hua gives his candid take on China’s meteoric economic and social transformation, mixing personal stories and astute analysis. In Chinese with English translation. Brought to you by Harrow International School Beijing.

City of the Dragon – March 15 – 20:00 – Di An is one of China’s most buzzed about young writers. Part of the ’80s generation, Di An’s works explore the complexities of modern relationships in China. Her books The City of the Dragon I & II (西决) were runaway bestsellers in China. Join us to hear from one of China’s most promising new voices. In Chinese with English translation.

Red Rock – Rock n Roll in China – March 17 – 16:00 – Rebellious, individualistic, explosive rock and roll seems at odds with modern Chinese society. But Jonathan Campbell’s book Red Rock explores how rock in China has evolved its own unique homegrown sound and style. Join us as Campbell discusses with music critic Hao Fang the long strange journey of Chinese rock from Mao to the present – and where this thriving underground scene is headed. Moderated by Nathaniel Davis of Split Works and JUE. This event is also part of the JUE festival.

Foreign Concession – March 17 – 18:00 – 1930s Shanghai has long provided inspiration for writers and artists. The potent intersection of glittering high society, seedy dens of iniquity, politics, violence and the whispers of war provide a perfect backdrop to Shanghai writer Xiao Bai’s acclaimed novel Foreign Concession (租界). Hear Xiao Bai on his story of a French-Chinese photographer who becomes entangled with international gunrunners, terrorists and a corrupt police force. In Chinese with English translation.

Walking Tour – Literary Beijing – March 18 – 14:00 – We take a special trip by foot through the old Beijing where great Chinese writers wrote, drank, debated and created. More information at The Bookworm.

Celluloid Dreams – March 20 – 13:00 – The Chinese film industry is the third largest in the world and growing bigger every year. With the audiences’ unending appetite for new stories, studios are looking to novelists and short story writers for tales to bring from the page to the screen. Authors Zhu Wen (I Love Dollars) and Murong Xuecun (Leave Me Alone: a Novel of Chengdu) discuss the process and challenges of writing for Chinese cinema. In Chinese with English translation.

Tibet: The Harmonious Land – March 21 – 18:00 – Sichuan-native Fan Wen’s best-selling novels delve deep into the complex interaction between culture, religion and national identity in Tibet. Drawing on his personal experience and historical accounts, Fan created his epic trilogy A Tibetan Three-Movement Song (Harmonious Land 水乳大地, Compassionate Land and Elegant Song of the Land). Join us to hear Fan talk about the tangled interactions between ethnic minorities, Han culture and foreign missionaries on the Tibetan plateau. In Chinese with English translation.

Chick-lit with Chinese Characteristics – March 22 – 18:00 – Chick-lit with a twist. A Chinese national and Korean ethnic minority, Jilin-native Jin Renshun’s novels and short stories delve deeply into the unstable relationships between the sexes in modern China. Her work looks at contemporary society through an introspective lens. Come hear this unique voice on who is winning the battle of the sexes in China today. In Chinese with English translation.

The Maker of Heavenly Trousers – March 23 – 18:00 – Originally published in 1935, diplomat Daniel Varè’s The Maker of Heavenly Trousers, is a fascinating and evocative look in to a Peking of a different era. Set amidst the bustle of a frenzied city, this China classic tells a fascinating tale of love, loss and humanity. In a home staffed by mischievous servants, an unnamed bachelor finds himself falling in love with his ward. Competing with eccentrics, millionaires and Rasputin’s former mistress for his ward’s affections, he can’t stop her from falling under the spell of Eastern hypnosis and his charmed and charming world very nearly comes crashing down around him. We’ve gathered a panel of old China hands to discuss and debate Varè’s infamous work.

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