Blacksmith publisher Pete Spurrier was among four writers who shared their insights with Hong Kong members of the Asian American Journalists Association on the evening of April 3. Pete has written guidebooks to Hong Kong, while the other authors -- Cameron Dueck, Michelle Yu and Blossom Kan -- have written travelogues and novels, so there were different perspectives and a [...]
From the South China Morning Post Lai See column: A flyer came across our desk yesterday inviting us to a booksigning event featuring John Hung’s book Master of None, How a Hong Kong High- Flyer Overcame the Devastating Experience of Imprisonment. Hung, it will be recalled, not so long ago stepped out of Stanley Prison after a 16-month sojourn for [...]
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Kathryn Chua is a 17-year-old author; the latest – and youngest – in the wave of rising stars from Asia writing in English. Midnight Walking is her first published novel. Come and meet Kathryn on the 19th November at Bookazine in Central, Hong Kong! Click the invite to see at larger size. Drinks and snacks will be served. Free scary [...]
Does a man need a stint in jail to complete his life experiences? When John T. Hung was writing his book “Master of None” from inside Stanley Prison, apart from the experience of imprisonment, he also recounted the many events and people that have affected his life. The most dramatic changes in Hong Kong took place from 1970 to the [...]
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Cantonese can be difficult, and people are often put off learning it. But Norwegian Cantonese teacher Cecilie Gamst Berg has hit on the best strategy: she avoids boring classrooms and teaches Cantonese in the places you will actually need it -- in shops, taxis and bars. OK, mostly in bars, but sometimes in cha chaan teng (local Chinese cafés) too. [...]
If you're free on the afternoon of Saturday 14th May, why not join us at Hong Kong's historic old police headquarters -- at 10 Hollywood Road, Central -- for a series of author talks about different aspects of Hong Kong culture. Entry is free, and signed books will be available. This mini book fair is part of a wider exhibition [...]
You are invited to a New York book event: HONG KONG ON AIR As the Hong Kong handover boom fizzles into the Asian economic bust, a young American couple’s marriage and careers tumble into a maze of television news, betrayal, high finance, and cheap lingerie. Come and meet totally globalized New York author Muhammad Cohen. “In this irreverent comic novel, [...]
How long would it take to walk across the world's most populous country? Find out by listening to Graham Earnshaw's story. He'll be speaking at Garden Books -- 325 Changle Road, Shanghai -- at 6pm on Saturday 26th February. 40 RMB includes one drink. Graham's book The Great Walk of China is a journey into China's heartland, away from its [...]
Extreme urban climber Alain Robert is in Hong Kong this week to give a talk at the Royal Geographical Society (6:30pm, Tuesday Jan 25th, details at the link). This reminds me to post an excerpt from his hair-raising autobiography With Bare Hands. Alain has made a career out of thumbing his nose at the authorities and doing what people tell [...]
Thanks to everyone who came to our book launch at Lotus! The crowd was bigger than we expected, so it was lucky we had an open-fronted venue which allowed people to spill onto the street. Kirsteen Zimmern was supposed to say a few words at 7:30, but it was past 9:00 before she was able to edge out [...]
You are invited to the launch of The Eurasian Face by Kirsteen Zimmern -- now available on Amazon US and Amazon UK! If you go to those sites, you can click to "look inside" the book. No one represents diversity better than Eurasians: those people with a mix of Caucasian and Asian heritage. Once a source of shame, the Eurasian [...]
Philip Chan Yan-kin, legendary Hong Kong movie actor, director, and producer, has said the following about Feng Chi-shun's Kowloon memoir Diamond Hill: It was with red, teary eyes and a pain in my stomach that I closed the last page of Feng Chi-shun’s flashback of his youthful days in and around the infamous Diamond Hill. For me, the place itself [...]
The USA Pavilion's official blog has a post about author/photographer Tom Carter's talk at the Expo. Together with artist Terence Lloren, Tom shared the challenges and rewards of living and travelling in China. At the end of their presentation, both artists stood on stage. They fielded questions and shared anecdotes with an engaged crowd. Though their mediums and perspectives were [...]
For Immediate Release USA Pavilion Sponsors an Afternoon of Photography and Sound at Two Cities Gallery [SHANGHAI, 4 August, 2010] – The USA Pavilion proudly presents a joint show by two published American authors, Tom Carter and Terence Lloren, that portrays modern China. The show is scheduled to run at the Moganshan Road Art Centre’s Two Cities [...]