Interviews Weina Dai Randel burst onto the literary scene a number of years ago with her duology about Empress Wu Zetian, China’s first woman leader. After winning the prestigious Rita Award in 2017 and seeing her novels translated into seven languages, she is back now with a new historical novel set in 1940s Shanghai. Keeping with her love of strong women characters, her new book, The Last Rose of Shanghai, centers on a nightclub owner named Aiyi Shao who falls for a Jewish refugee who had recently escaped Nazi Germany. Through their love of jazz, they develop a forbidden bond set during one of Shanghai’s most volatile and exciting eras. Randel is the first Chinese American author to write about Shanghai Jewish refugees, although there have been dozens of memoirs, narratives, and novels about this phenomenon from Jewish authors. We recently spoke over Zoom about what made Shanghai so special and why it matters now, along with the reasons Jews escaped to Shanghai during World War II and how Chinese and Jewish traditions are so similar. Susan Blumberg-Kason: It seems that the popularity of 1930s and ’40s Shanghai rose both in China and the US about twenty-five years ago. Can you talk about the appeal of this time and why it’s so special, both to people in the US and China? Weina Dai Randel: I think many aspects of Old Shanghai appeal to us today. From the late 1920s to the early 1940s, the period of Old Shanghai was a symbol of... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2022-01-20 14:33:49 UTC ]
Libraries’ e-book and audiobook programs are especially vulnerable to the Trump administration’s budget cuts. Libraries across the United States are cutting back on e-books, audiobooks, and loan programs after the Trump administration suspended millions of dollars in federal grants as it tries... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2025-05-19 19:30:00 UTC ]
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Your dreams of becoming an audiobook narrator can finally come true! Here's how to use Yoto to record personalized audiobooks for kids. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-05-15 12:30:00 UTC ]
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Selected publishers are working with an early release of Audible's AI-voiced audiobook production, with translation and accents to follow. The post Audible Opens AI-Narration to Selected Publishers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-05-13 20:32:00 UTC ]
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Amazon brand will offer more than 100 artificial intelligence-generated voices in English and other languagesAudible has announced plans to use AI technology to narrate audiobooks, with AI translation to follow.The Amazon-owned audiobook provider has said it will be making its AI production... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2025-05-13 16:56:54 UTC ]
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Whether you’re a print reader or audiobook listener, this family drama-laden dark Appalachian mystery is a must read. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-04-16 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Pop on your headphones and immerse yourself in these excellent audiobook mystery series. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-04-11 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Touting an investment of €1 million, Spotify builds on its French and Benelux audiobook operations to open a new production initiative. The post Spotify Opens French and Dutch Audiobook Production appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-04-11 08:01:49 UTC ]
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Audible's Lee Jarit spoke at London Book Fair, describing the company's market gains and ACX's operations. The post London Book Fair: An Audiobook Update From Audible appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-03-19 19:07:05 UTC ]
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The streaming giant has launched a short-form audiobook publishing program for self-published genre fiction authors, following reports of nearly tripling its catalog growth over the past year by attracting younger listeners to its platform. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-03-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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New Harper Lee short stories coming this fall, a day in the life of an audiobook narrator, the It Books of March, and more news. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-03-09 15:00:00 UTC ]
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Audiobook subscription service Libro.fm reported 275% growth in new monthly memberships this February, compared to the same period in 2024. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-03-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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How an audiobook narrator does their work, the art of understanding Colson Whitehead, and a hot new imprint's first releases. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-03-05 16:00:00 UTC ]
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At the 30th annual Audies, presented by the Audio Publishers Association and held in New York City on March 4, winners across 28 categories were announced. Barbra Streisand’s memoir took home the night's biggest honor, Audiobook of the Year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-03-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Two acquisitions and the continuing growth of the audiobook market led to another good year for the audiobook publishing giant. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-01-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Just how much do celebrity audiobook narrators cost?, a bookish hero of the week, and don't forget Amazon's might: all in today's book news. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-01-24 18:34:58 UTC ]
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Time to take a peek at what’s been happening in Library Land. We have audiobook news, January book club picks, ... Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-01-21 13:00:00 UTC ]
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The newly released 'Audiobooks and Public Libraries' report shows US libraries' community sizes playing a role in audio circulation. The post New Research on Audiobook Circulation in US Libraries appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-01-14 22:10:01 UTC ]
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Jewish Life in Harbin, China: A Conversation with Jean Hoffmann Lewanda by Susan Blumberg-Kason Interviews [email protected] Tue, 01/07/2025 - 07:08 Shalama and Paul, Shanghai, 1950. Photo courtesy of Jean Hoffmann LewandaI met the author Jean... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2025-01-07 13:08:24 UTC ]
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