Talking of the Hong Kong Lit Fest – Lindsay Shen Appearing and talking about the Amazing Florence Ayscough

Posted: October 8th, 2012 | No Comments »

The Hong Kong Lit Fest is underway now and this coming weekend will be busy (I’ll post my own events asap). Time to mention though, having mentioned Julia Boyd’s appearance, that one of my  RAS Shanghai-Hong Kong University Press China Monograph authors, Lindsay Shen, will be appearing to talk about her fantastic new biography of Florence Ayscough.

 

Thursday, 11 October 2012

A Tale of Two Cities: Peking and Shanghai

Participants:  Lindsay Shen, Julia Boyd, Vanessa Collingridge

17:00 – 18:00

Culture Club

General Ticket Price HKD$180.00

 

Culture vs. commerce.  Intellect vs. indulgence.  Antiquity vs. le dernier cri.  For foreigners living in China in the early 20th century, Peking and Shanghai could as well have been the capital cities of different countries.  Join Julia Boyd, author of A Dance with the Dragon, and Lindsay Shen, author of Knowledge is Pleasure:  Florence Ayscough in Shanghai, as they explore the stereotypes and surprises of these two very distinct cities.  Moderated by Vanessa Collingridge who is a broadcaster and author, and Director of Monster Media Productions.  She’s a correspondent for the BBC, ITV, and ABC specializing in current affairs, science and history.  Price includes on drink.

Friday, 12 October 2012

Florence Ayscough, a Shanghai Tale of Art Dealings,

Theft, Jealousy and Rivalry

Participants:  Lindsay Shen

19:00 – 21:00

Club Lusitano

General Ticket Price HKD$550

Wealthy Shanghailanders were found more often at the Country Club or Race Course than in the library, or perusing seals and scrolls.  But Florence Ayscough (1857-1942) was far from the normal Shanghailander – privileged and well-positioned, she became a poetry translator and writer on Chinese life; she also introduced contemporary Chinese painting to an unsuspecting American public and her own collections now form the basis of some of North America’s most impressive Asian art collections.  Lindsay Shen’s new book Knowledge is Pleasure: Florence Ayscough in Shanghai is one of the first in an exciting new series of China Monographs from the Royal Asiatic Society Shanghai and Hong Kong University Press.  Lindsay Shen is Associate Professor at the Sino-British College, Shanghai.  She is Honorary Journal Editor for the Royal Asiatic Society China in Shanghai.  She has published in the fields of design and museum studies in Europe and the United States.  Price includes dinner.  This event is sponsored by Hong Kong University Press and The Sino-British College.

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