A Novel of Old Shanghai: In Conversation with Weina Dai Randel, by Susan Blumberg-Kason

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 ]

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Bookwire Expands Its Text-to-Speech Audiobook Offer with Google Play Books

The Frankfurt-based Bookwire has entered a partnership with Google Play Books for broader automated production of audiobooks. The post Bookwire Expands Its Text-to-Speech Audiobook Offer with Google Play Books appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-01-17 14:43:24 UTC ]
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Digital Book World 2023: The Future of AI Writing and Audio

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital Book World 2023: The Future of AI Writing and Audio

According to multiple presenters at the Digital Book World conference, ChatGPT has potential to remake the way people write and streamline production and editing, while AI voice replication promises affordable audiobook adaptations. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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8 Brilliant Dark Academia Books by Authors of Color

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Cover Reveal: 'Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.' by Judy Blume

Since the 1970 publication of 'Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.,' Judy Blume refused all offers for a film adaptation, until Kelly Fremon Craig wrote Blume an email that changed her mind. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-12 05:00:00 UTC ]
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German Nonfiction Prize: 206 Titles Entered in the 2023 Competition

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-01-11 01:51:25 UTC ]
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Trying to Read More in 2023? These Things Can Help.

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Nope, I do not like these AI audiobook narrators one bit.

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Apple's new audiobook narration service uses AI voices

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[ Engadget | 2023-01-05 13:10:59 UTC ]
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Why AI audiobook narrators could win over some authors and readers, despite the vocal bumps

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The Symbolism of ‘Young Goodman Brown’ Explained

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The best sci-fi movies, books and shows to consume over the holidays

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Apple's AirPods Pro fall to $200, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

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[ Engadget | 2022-12-23 17:30:24 UTC ]
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How a Great Audiobook Narrator Finds Her Voices

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[ New Yorker | 2022-12-16 16:45:13 UTC ]
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What Running Has Taught Me About Writing (and Vice Versa)

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BookBeat in France: ‘Updated’ Audiobook Subscriptions

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Talking to Lake Bell About the 2022 Best Nonfiction and Culture Audiobooks

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