Online event 28 Apr (UTC): The global appeal of the new generation of Chinese sci-fi writers

[mungouk]

Organised by Manchester (UK) Confucius Institute:

 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talk-the-global-appeal-of-the-new-generation-of-chinese-sci-fi-writers-tickets-148679523457

 

 

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About this Event

If you have read books like The Three-Body Problem, you will agree that Chinese science fiction is a diverse and quite unique type of sci-fi. Back in 2019, we welcomed Xia Jia to Manchester Literature Festival and someone asked: ‘What makes Chinese science fiction Chinese?’ In her response she explained that contemporary Chinese science fiction writers form a community full of internal differences like their origin, social class, ideology, cultural identity and aesthetics. However, there are still aspects of commonality among them as the stories are written primarily for a Chinese audience. The problems addressed are the problems that this audience can relate to but it is somehow connected in complex ways with the fate of the whole human race.

We are delighted to welcome Regina Kanyu Wang, a bilingual writer from Shanghai, who will talk about how the female identity and international encounters have influenced her own writing. Regina will explore further what makes Chinese science fiction ‘Chinese’ and reflect on her rediscovery of what it means to write science fiction as a Chinese female author. She will also give a reading of her most recent story The Story of Dǎo.

About the speaker:

Regina Kanyu Wang holds a bachelor degree in business administration and a master degree of creative writing, both from Fudan University. She has co-founded SF AppleCore, the largest SF fan organization in eastern China at the age of 19, attended her first World Science Fiction Convention in London at 24, and published her first story written directly in English in the UK at 29. During all those years, she has also published two SF story collections and over a dozen pieces in mainstream literature magazines in Chinese, won six Chinese Nebula Awards, been translated into 10 languages, resided in Writing in Downtown Las Vegas Residency, been supported by Shanghai Culture Development Foundation, and been a contracted Writer of Shanghai Writers’ Association. She has recently joined the CoFUTURES project at the University of Oslo as a PhD fellow and her research focuses on contemporary Chinese SF from the gender and environmental perspective.

 

 

[Lu]

Oh cool! And it's free too. 19:00 in the evening for me, even the time is convenient.

[mungouk]

1-2am here in China... ?

 

[Luxi]

It seems to clash with an event with the historian Michael Wood where I'm already registered, that's a pity. One can probably run 2 eventbrite events simultaneously on 2 different devices, but attend to both may be quite a feat.

 

[mungouk]

Speaking of Michael Wood, I notice that his film on the poet Du Fu (杜甫，最偉大的中國詩人) has recently appeared on various youtube channels.

 

[Luxi]

Good to hear @mungo! I saw it on BBC2 some time ago but wouldn't mind watching it again.

 

[mungouk]

Yes I missed it and have been waiting in vain for the repeat, so thank you, youtubers.

 

 

[Luxi]

2 hours ago, Luxi said:

seems to clash with

But then, it turns out there is another Michael Wood event on the Story of China scheduled for 29 April. So back on both events.

This is getting a bit crazy now.

 

[amytheorangutan]

@Luxi Thanks for mentioning Michael Wood’s event but isn’t this TV program a few years old? Is he making a new one? 

[mungouk]

He has a new book out, based on the series, so presumably he’s doing the rounds to promote it.

[Lu]

I just registered for this event (the Regina Wang one, not the Michael Wood one). If there are more forum people there, I can make a zoom link for a little afterparty, if anyone is interested?