The Bookworm’s 10th Annual Literary Festival

Posted: March 3rd, 2016 | Author: LumDimSum | Filed under: Food For Thought, Hot Tips, Upcoming Events | Tags: A Yi, Alec Ash, Andrzej Sapkowski, Anna Smaill, Anthony Tao, BBC series, Bradford Philen, China Future Perfect, Ching He Huang, David Moser, Eimear McBride, Emily Rauhala, Eric Abrahamsen, Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure, Gala Dinner, Green T. House Living, Han Song, Han Yujoo, He Xiaopei, Hu Xingdou, Hyeonseo Lee, Isolda Morillo, Jason Y. Ng, Joe McKee, Joerg Wuttke, Julie Makinen, Ken Hom, Larry Feign, Lillian Chou, Matt Hulse, Melinda Liu, Ofir Touché Gafla, Richard Blanco, Rosie Blau, Roxane Gay, Sergio del Molino, Shuang Xuetao, The Art of Memoir, The Bookworm, The Bookworm's Annual Literary Festival, the power of literature, Truffles in Chinese Cuisine, Valeria Luiselli, Xiao Meili, Xu Zechen, Yang Li, Zhiling Gao | 2 Comments »

It’s shocking to realize that March is already upon us when it feels like it was just Christmas yesterday but I guess that’s the norm when we spend most of Beijing’s cold winter months bundled up indoors. But this March isn’t just the start of warmer weather, it’s the return of the Beijing I’ve grown to adore, a dynamic city full of non-stop events that keeps us on our toes and wanting more.

This year not only marks my 10 year Chinaversary but it will also be the 10th year celebration of The Bookworm’s Annual Literary Festival (BLF), which continues to stand strong as one of the most anticipated events of the year. Organized by one of Beijing’s most beloved community centers, The Bookworm not only serves as a bookshop but a reliable resource and platform for sharing ideas, open discussions and debates for the international community. Recently named one of “The Best Bookshops in the World” by Lonely Planet, The Bookworm fosters a welcoming and creative space and their annual literary festival is a perfect example to showcase what The Bookworm is all about.

“We believe in the power of literature, which challenges us to understand the world outside of ourselves. It introduces new perspectives and shifts paradigms. We’ve created BLF to be a forum for thought and dialogue – fundamentals of a progressive society. Literature is an ongoing, live, global discussion, and BLF is proud to be part of it.” – The Bookworm

Their largest festival ever, this 16 day festival will be spotlighting over 180 writers, thinkers, performers and artists from over 30 different countries. A celebration of literature and ideas, this festival is an incredible, mind-expanding program of book talks, panel discussions, writing workshops and performances.

Not only is this a rare opportunity to get introduced to a carefully selected collection of great books that you should start adding to your home library, this is also a chance to meet your favorite authors, sign up for some useful writing workshops, and also a chance to get your kids excited about writing and reading with The Bookworm’s Kid’s Programs.  

A program as diverse as ever, this festival’s eclectic range of 300+ events will certainly please people of all ages, backgrounds and interests. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, film, theater, comedy, and trivia are all represented across subjects ranging from socio-economics, the environment, classical music, art, literature or geopolitics. I’d like to highlight their new “China Future Perfect” series of panel discussions that hone in on a wide range of key topics and issues, including the environment, civil society, regional stability, economy, film, art, religion, etc.

“Literature is an ongoing, global discussion, and through our participation we are challenged to better understand ourselves and the world we occupy. Additionally, thought and dialogue are pillars for a healthy and progressive society. We are proud to be part of this wide discussion and trust the sessions will resonate long after the festival’s conclusion.”

From a handful of snapshots taken of both authors and their literary works of art (above), you can see that this year’s festival has an action-packed program of international literary sensations, brilliant debut novelists and China’s leading intellectuals.

But the quality of the program isn’t going to be a problem, the difficulty lies in how on Earth you select which events to attend. This year’s festival program has almost 100 different events lined up making it easy to be overwhelmed with choice and difficult to digest all the festival has to offer.

Lucky for you LUMDIMSUM friends, Beijing’s Festival Coordinator Anthony Tao has generously agreed to take time out of his manic schedule to do the impossible – pick his top 10 events to share with you. It wasn’t easy and I think he says it best in his own words – “You’ve given me a pretty difficult task to pick just 10. It’s like picking your 10 favorite children, if you had 98 children. But if I have to do it…”

Festival Coordinator Anthony Tao’s Top 10 Picks:

(listed in chronological order)

President Barack Obama selected Richard Blanco in 2012 to serve as the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history, putting him in the elite company of Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Miller Williams, and Elizabeth Alexander. Born in Madrid to Cuban parents, Blanco grew up in Miami and has used his work to probe questions of identity and place. He is the youngest, first Latino, immigrant, and gay person to read at a presidential inauguration. Come listen to one of the finest poets in the U.S. share his journey of discovery and belonging.

In Tao’s Words: I don’t really need to sell this to you, do I? Richard Blanco read for President Obama in front of millions watching. Literally millions. The poem he read is framed in the Oval Office. Really. Do I need to tell you this one’s worth attending?

2. Umbrellas in Bloom

Sun March 13, 12PM

Jason Y. Ng, moderated by Julie Makinen | The Bookworm | BW13B | 60 RMB

In late September 2014, a group of students initiated a civil disobedience campaign that swelled into a massive pro-democracy movement that saw more than 100,000 people, at its various peaks, occupy the streets of downtown Hong Kong. Jason Y. Ng, a bestselling local author, was there to capture many of the stories, both big and small. His book, Umbrellas in Bloom, is the first English-language chronicle of those turbulent days, weeks, and months. “The umbrella flowers blossomed and withered,” says Benny Tai, co-founder of Occupy Central with Love and Peace. “Ng captures the lifecycle of the occupy movement with compassion and wit.” Ng will share his experiences with Los Angeles Times Beijing Bureau Chief Julie Makinen.

In Tao’s Words: Jason Y Ng is one of the most outspoken commentators in and about Hong Kong. He actually came last year to talk about his book HONG KONG State of Mind, but we just had to bring him back because, you know, nothing at all has happened in Hong Kong this past year.

3. New Chinese Writing

Sun March 13, 6PM

A Yi, Shuang Xuetao; moderated by Eric Abrahamsen | The Bookworm | BW13E | 60 RMB

A Yi and Shuang Xuetao are two accomplished authors who belong to an emerging generation of Chinese writers who have taken non-mainstream routes to success. A Yi, formerly the editor-in-chief of the edgy literary magazine Chutzpah, has been published in Granta and The Guardian, and has been called “one of the most gifted Chinese authors in recent times” (by Nobel-nominated poet Bei Dao). Shuang Xuetao’s fiction has yet to be translated, but it’s only a matter of time; he’s won prizes at multiple competitions, including first prize at the 14th Taipei Literature Awards. This talk will be moderated by Eric Abrahamsen, editor at Pathlight, China’s premier English-language literary journal of translated Chinese works of short fiction and poetry. This event will be in Chinese with English interpretation.

In Tao’s Words: A Yi and Shuang Xuetao are great. I actually have to admit to not knowing Shuang’s work, but A Yi I can vouch for. In addition to being one of the most gifted writers in China today, he’s one of the most supportive of this country’s younger writers. He’s also in that very rare spare of having credibility with both the establishment and those in the fringes, by dint of his work as a writer and an editor. Eric Abrahamsen, the event’s moderator, really knows his stuff, too.

4. Voices from the Margins: Gender, Politics, and Race

Tues March 15, 8PM

Roxane Gay, He Xiaopei, Xiao Meili; moderated by Emily Rauhala | The Bookworm | BW15D | 80 RMB

How universal are issues of gender, politics, race, sexuality, privilege, class, and identity? Roxane Gay, the bestselling author of Bad Feminist, will engage in a cross-cultural dialogue with Xiao Meili, one of China’s most prominent women’s rights activists, and He Xiaopei, executive director of Pink Space Sexuality Research Center, an NGO that provides a platform for minority groups to tell their stories. This event will be moderated by Washington Postcorrespondent Emily Rauhala.

In Tao’s Words: Roxane Gay might be the coolest visiting author we’ve had in a couple of years. You probably know her as the “bad feminist” — her solo event on Sunday the 13th, by that name, is one of the festival’s highlights — but she’s also a notable writer on many other subjects, including identity, pop culture, alienation, privilege, class, and race. We thought it’d be interesting to put her on stage with someone from China who could match her bravado: Xiao Meili, one of China’s foremost women’s rights activities (just google her), and He Xiaopei, who runs a prominent NGO that helps society’s most disenfranchised. We have the super sharp Emily Rauhala (Washington Post journalist) moderating this one.

5. A Novel Approach: Experimenting with Language and Style

Thurs March 17, 6PM

Eimear McBride, Anna Smaill, Xu Zechen; moderated by Rosie Blau | The Bookworm | BW17C | 60 RMB

For you. You’ll soon. You’ll give her name. In the stitches of her skin she’ll wear your say. Thus begins Eimear McBride’s A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing, one of the most daring and innovative novels to come out in recent times. Anna Smaill’s novel, The Chines, is no less ambitious, set in a dystopic London where the written word is gone and a series of daily chimes destroys memory. And Xu Zechen’s Running Through Beijing – his first book translated into English – is like a literary Run Lola Run, following a hustling hero trying to stay ahead of the law – and himself. These three will share the stage in a discussion about language, style, and the novel, moderated by Economist correspondent Rosie Blau, a former judge for the Man Booker Prize.

In Tao’s Words: If you had to see one event on its literary merits alone, this is probably the one. Eimear McBride’s A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing is one of the most roundly praised novels of recent memory. Anna Smaill — a poet and classically musician, among other things — saw her debut novel, The Chimes, get longlisted for the Booker Prize this year. Xu Zechen is a Chinese novelist who just had a book translated into English: Running Through Beijing, a “literary Run Lola Run” about the city’s underclass. Moderated by former Man Booker Prize judge Rosie Blau.

6. Creating Worlds: Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy

Mon March 21, 8PM

Ofir Touché Gafla, Han Song, Andrzej Sapkowski; moderated by Joe McKee | The Bookworm | BW21D | 60 RMB

This panel of decorated authors will discuss the genres of science fiction and fantasy. Ofir Touché Gafla’s debut novel, The World of the End, won the 2005 Geffen Award for best fantasy/science fiction novel of the year and the 2006 Kugel Award for Hebrew literature. Han Song, a six-time recipient of China’s Galaxy Award for fiction, is one of China’s most prolific and respected science fiction writers (one of his novels, 2066: Red Star Over America, predicted the attack on the World Trade Center a year before 9/11). And Andrzej Sapkowski is one of the most famous fantasy writers in the world, whose Witcher Saga led to a video game series. Moderated by Joe McKee, Dulwich College Beijing Academic Director.

In Tao’s Words: Here’s another panel with a diverse mix of authors that I just love. Ofir Touche Gafla is an Israeli writer (we haven’t had one of those in a while) whose novel The World of the End won several awards when it was first published (originally in Hebrew). Han Song is a Chinese science fiction writer who uses the genre to shed light on the ugly aspects of society. And Andrzej Sapkowski is one of the most famous fantasy writers in the world. He’s legit famous in Poland.

7. In Conversation with a Literary Pioneer

Fri March 25, 6PM

Yang Li, moderated by Isolda Morillo | The Bookworm | BW25C | 60 RMB

“I remember, I swear: it was the summer of ’74,” writes Yang Li in the poem “Albania. “We had just turned 12 and thought what he’d said outrageously reactionary.” Reactionary wouldn’t be the best way to describe Yang Li – considered one of the most prominent members of China’s avant-garde poetry movement – but he certainly draws reactions. In the 1980s he was one of the founding members of the hugely influential “Fei Fei” poetry project, often translated as the “Not-Not” movement. His poems touch the most banal and personal everyday life events, and sometimes his sexual life takes the center of his prose and stories. With this he seems to attempt to escape moral codes and semantic conventions, finding poetical purity by going to the basics of language. Isolda Morillo, an AP reporter who has published poetry in Chinese, will direct this conversation, which will feature short readings. This event will be in Chinese with English interpretation.

In Tao’s Words: Isolda Morillo, the moderator for this event, calls Yang Li the bad boy of contemporary Chinese poetry. The man’s seen it all, from friends getting jailed after ’89 to the recent resurgence of popular poetry in China. This one-on-one talk should be fascinating. Isolda, I should mention, is immersed in the Chinese poetry scene, and has written some poems in Chinese as well (under the name Momo).

8. Whisky and Writers

Sat March 26, 8PM

Alec Ash, Larry Feign, Han Yujoo, Matt Hulse, Valeria Luiselli; hosted by Anthony Tao | The Bookworm | BW26F | 60 RMB non-drinking ticket; 160 RMB drinking ticket

Do you like whisky? How about stories? Put them together and you get the booziest night of the festival, a whisky-and-writing pairing you didn’t think possible. The way it works: five writers will each tell a story, accompanied by a glass of whisky poured for everyone with a drinking ticket. Five whiskies in total, paired with five stories. A very limited number of drinking tickets are available.

In Tao’s Words: I’m hosting this one, so please pardon the plug. Come for the five whiskies. Tickets very limited. 

9. Writing Life: The Art of Memoir

Sun March 27, 2PM

Hyeonseo Lee, Sergio del Molino; moderated by Zhiling Gao | The Bookworm | BW27C |60 RMB

Sergio del Molino and Hyeonseo Lee have both crafted spellbinding, powerful memoirs. Del Molino lost his young son to a rare and aggressive form of leukemia, and his memoir, The Violet Hour, is a moving account that muses on life and death. Lee’s story is also one of life and death – her book, The Girl with Seven Names, is the story of her defection from North Korea, her decade spent in China, and the subsequent escape of her parents. This session will be moderated by Zhiling Gao, currently working on a social memoir set in her birthplace of Inner Mongolia.

In Tao’s Words: Hyeonseo Lee is obviously the big name on this panel — she’s a North Korean defector whose solo book talk on Saturday the 26th has been our fastest seller so far. But Sergio del Molino has a great book out too, The Violet Hour, about the death of his infant son. You’ll want to read that with a box of tissues close by.

10. China’s Future Perfect

Sun March 27, 2PM

Hu Xingdou, Melinda Liu, David Moser, Joerg Wuttke | The Bookworm | BW27D | 60 RMB

What kind of future is China building, and what role can we all play? Now is the time for big and bold ideas. This Future Perfect discussion will summarize all the themes previously explored in the 13-event China Future Perfect series, then try to answer the hardest question of them all: how does this country create the cleanest, most stable, innovative, and sustainable future for itself? A historian, a journalist, an academic, and a financial expert will speculate.

In Tao’s Words: We’ve organized a series of 13 panel discussions that investigate China’s environment, civil society, journalism, art, religion, economy, etc., and calling it our China Future Perfect series. The last event in that series is this one, China’s Future Perfect, in which we ask our panelists to speculate wildly on what this country’s “perfect future” will look like. It should be a lively and entertaining discussion. I should also add that if you buy tickets to any three China Future Perfect events, you get one more for free. That’s a good deal!

*This event is part of our China Future Perfect series, 13 panel discussions that take a deeper look at contemporary Chinese society. Buy 3 tickets to China Future Perfect events, get 1 free to any China Future Perfect event. 

Having shared Tao’s Top 10, I feel it’s only fair for me to plug the event that I’m most excited about (and also happen to be moderating) this year!

Ken Hom, Master Chef

Fri March 18, 6PM

Ken Hom, moderated by Kristen Lum | The Bookworm | BW18C | 60 RMB

Ken Hom is an American-born celebrity chef, TV presenter, and author of more than 80 books, many of which have been translated worldwide. He has spent more than three decades on UK television and is acknowledged as a leading expert on Asian and Chinese cuisine, and has cooked for presidents, prime ministers, celebrities, and royalty across the world. In 2009 he was appointed honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for “services to culinary arts.” Learn more about him and his work at this talk moderated by Kristen Lum, founder of the food blog LumDimSum.com.

In LDS’ Words: Credit goes to Ken Hom for basically introducing Asian cuisine to the UK. Though he may be lesser known in the US, he’s a household name in the UK and chances are that every wok and Chinese stir-fry recipe that exists in the UK is thanks to Ken! If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend watching the BBC series Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure where Ken Hom co-hosts together with Ching He Huang.

“With over eight million woks sold worldwide and with one in seven Britons owing a Ken Hom wok, he also had and continues to have a great impact on the UK economy.” – Ken Hom’s Biography

Gala Dinner with Special Menu and Discussion with Celebrity Chef Ken Hom

Sat March 19, 7PM

Ken Hom, moderated by Lillian Chou | Green T House | GT19 | 588 RMB (+15% service charge)

Ken Hom, who has cooked for heads of state, royalty, and celebrities – the likes of Elton John, Jiang Zemin, and Jacques Chirac, to name just a few – brings his health-conscious food philosophy and unique fusion of East and West to Beijing for a special gala dinner. Be prepared for a sumptuous, never-before-seen four-course meal featuring luxurious truffles paired with wine. Hom, who has spent more than three decades on UK television and was appointed honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for “services to culinary arts”, will introduce dishes and answer questions between each course.

This dinner will be held at Green T House. Space is limited. Please send inquiries to peter@chinabookworm.com.

For a full list of The Bookworm’s Literary Festival Authors, see here.  For full list of BLF events, see here.

Last year, certain events were sold out within days of tickets being released. Hurry as tickets are going fast!

All Literary Festival Events at The Bookworm include a complimentary beer, glass of wine or soft drink.  Tickets are sold exclusively at The Bookworm and must be purchased in person.

If you are interested in getting involved with BLF, click here for more information on volunteer opportunities.

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