Bookworm Literary Festival 2019 Kicks Off, Tickets Now on Sale
advertisement
Great news for bibliophiles – The Bookworm Literary Festival 2019 has begun, and it looks to be one of the best events yet. Tickets for each of the events are now available here: bookwormfestival.com, where you can also browse the full program PDF.
Running until Mar 31,
the festival comprises of dozens of back-to-back events, including
readings, Q&A sessions, live podcast recordings, slam poetry
performances, and panel discussions.
This is The Bookworm's 12th Literary Festival
A
veritable who's who of local and international authors and academics
will all converge on Beijing's favorite bookshop over the next two weeks,
partaking in events that tackle some of the most pressing, compelling,
and interesting societal issues of the day, including big data,
feminism, climate change, and international geopolitics.
Below are several events that we forecast to be this year's highlights (in order of date, all take place at The Bookworm):
The Bookworm Literary Festival 2019 Highlights
Members of the
last generation to fully recall the mass exodus from Shanghai after the
end of the civil war have revealed their stories to Chinese American
journalist Helen Zia (pictured above), who interviewed hundreds of
exiles about their journey through one of the most tumultuous events of
the 20th century.
RMB 60. 6pm
So called "cooperative marriages," where gays and lesbians in China marry one
another, is a growing trend in a country where homosexuality is legal,
but same-sex marriage is not. Dr. He will discuss her research into this
phenomenon, the underlying reasons behind it, and how society's
attitude can and might gradually shift.
RMB 60. 6pm
Chinese hip-hop,
which has gained headlines in the past year (see: "hip-hop ban"), took
root many decades back, during a time when Chinese emcees dared to be
defiant and countercultural. With rap music gaining mainstream
credibility in the PRC, is the genre in danger of being co-opted? What
does the future hold for China's rappers?
RMB 60. 8pm
Perhaps the
world's most distinctive tree, the ginkgo is a botanical oddity and a
widely recognized botanical "living fossil." Wild ginkgo exists only in
China, but today it is beloved for the elegance of its leaves, prized
for its edible nuts, and revered for its longevity. Crane examines the
cultural and social significance of the ginkgo: its medicinal and
nutritional uses, its power as a source of artistic and religious
inspiration, and its importance as one of the world's most popular
street trees.
RMB 60. 6pm
In this event,
aimed at kids eight years old and over, the UK's "Green Poet" will save
the planet through the power of poetry. From disappearing tigers to lost
whales, from football to "poo power," Kiszko says of the show: "I hope
this show will provoke a thought, raise a smile, start a conversation,
spark an idea, spur us into action, or simply turn on a few 'green
lights.'
RMB 60. Midday
Enoch Li, author
of Stress and the City: Playing Your Way Out of Depression, will share
her experiences at the top of the corporate world, reflect on the
warning signs she refused to see, and document her journey back from the
edge through the rediscovery of her inner child. Li will also discuss
how companies can help their executives be mentally and emotionally
well, an area she has researched through the psychology of playfulness,
workplace burnout, and company culture.
RMB 60. 6pm
India has claimed
China's spot as the world's fastest-growing major economy, and as it
grows, it might just offer an alternative model for any country seeking
balance between the need for development and democratic institutions.
Or, if China has anything to say about it, India could serve as a
cautionary tale. Anand Krishnan (pictured above), Ray Zhong, and Yang Lu
will debate what the future holds for the world's second most populous
country.
RMB 60. 8pm
In the era of
sensors, Internet, cloud, big data, and algorithms, everything on the
planet is being measured, calculated, projected and, very often,
commoditized. What are the wildest and most powerful visions and
concepts that science fiction has provided with regard to our future in
the digital age?
RMB 60. Midday
These
talks and workshops are just the tip of the iceberg. The Literary
Festival will also live podcast recordings by both Sinica and NüVoices,
Spittunes events and live music, a discussion by a panel of
international journalists, and plenty more. The festival will close with
the beloved Literary Quiz on Sunday night, so devotees can put their
knowledge of all things bookwormy to the test.
Tickets for
this year's Bookworm Literary Festival cost approximately RMB 60 for
events and RMB 200 for workshops. The program runs from midday to 8pm,
Mar 15-30.
READ: The Bookworm's New Manager David Cantalupo Looks Back on His 30 Years in China
Images:
The Bookworm (via Facebook), Blangua.com, angryasianman.com,
asianreviewofbooks.com, SCMP.com, kinderlitcanada.wordpress.com,
hkmentalhealthconference.com
Want to know what awesome events are happening in town? Scan/Extract the QR code above to get the list of our Editors' Picks.
Got something to sell? Looking for a job? Or an apartment? Then scan/extract the QR code above to visit our Classified Ads.
Do you have what it takes to be a True Runner?
Scan/Extract the QR code above to check out our current job openings.
The Beijinger
Always something fresh
Scan/Extract this QR code to follow us!