PSA: The Shanghai Literary Review is More Than a Publication

It is no secret that Shanghai is a big, BIG place. While you have the opportunity to meet new people each and every day and join new circles, it can be overwhelming to feel like a little fish in a big and sometimes, scary sea. While there are many groups, book clubs, and physical activity clubs for individuals keen on topics such as art, urbanism, globalism, identity and transnationalism, it’s difficult to find an organization or community that allows you to be as involved as you’d like. This can lead to people feeling isolated from their communities and the wider world. Fortunately, in the last two years, a group of literary editors based in New York and Shanghai have been working hard to create a publication that will bridge the gap between artists and writers in Asia and the rest of the world.

The Shanghai Literary Review (TSLR) is a biannual English print magazine dedicated to sharing and celebrating artistic works and texts from or about Asia, featuring original artwork, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, book reviews, and translations.

Juli Min, founder of TSLR, reacted to this lack of unity between writers and artists of both the local and expat communities and spearheaded the movement to create a magazine that would encourage artists living in China to participate in a literary conversation that transcends borders. Min’s ultimate goal is to introduce artists living in China to a global audience, as well as bring international writers to a readership in China through use of an online platform.

Page at a Time, Richard Forjoe

So, how exactly can you get involved with TSLR? The publication accepts submissions year-round and publishes bi-annually in the summer and winter. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, visual arts, translations, and book reviews are all welcomed for submission. For more information on how you can submit your piece, you can visit the TSLR webpage, but what truly sets TSLR apart from most artistic communities is that they have identified ways to avoid exclusivity and limitations in their participation. 

For readers who want to be involved without submitting artworks, the group has formed a book club to celebrate Chinese literature with casual readers and bibliophiles. Both locals and expats come together each month to discuss awesome books, Chinese history, and share their literary insights. For our fellow bookworms living in Shanghai, doesn’t this sound like an intercultural dream?

Photography by Felipe Cavalheiro Dos Anjos from TSLR’s Spit-Tunes collaboration in April

TSLR also hosts open-mic and literary events monthly, not only to share published works with the public but to encourage the public to share their personal work. This past week, TSLR collaborated with Shanghai’s storytelling platform, Unravel, to delve into the topic of language complexity with live and unscripted stories. They expect to continue partnering with more artistic organizations and groups like Beijing’s own Spit-Tunes to combine artworks with music, food, and more fun activities that will really get the whole gang feeling the good vibes. If you’re interested in attending an event or book club meeting, you can visit TSLR’s website (www.shanghailiterary.com) and see how you can get involved with this extraordinary platform that is taking the literary scene by storm.

Concrete, photo courtesy of Neocha and TSLR

TSLR’s third issue, Concrete, featuring contemporary writing and photography capturing Chinese cities today will be available for purchase in coming weeks. Information on how to obtain your own copy will be available online soon! Why is this book important? The entire theme of this edition is to focus on how contemporary artists in China view their ever-changing cities with beautiful and expressive photography, which in our opinion, is something that us Shanghaiers should most definitely pay attention to. Beijing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hong Kong, Xi'an, and a few other cities are subjects of the artworks as well. 

Related Articles