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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Listen Up: Excellent Gifts for Audiobook Lovers

From stickers to mugs and awesome tees, show off your passion for listening with these sweet gifts for audiobook lovers. - Kelly Jensen Continue reading at Book Riot

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Picking the Right Audiobook Version With Different or Same Narrators

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Armitage and Fiennes among all-star cast for PRH Audio's 2000 AD adaptations

Richard Armitage, Sheila Atim and Joseph Fiennes are starring in five new audiobook adaptations of stories from 2000 AD, including Judge Dredd and Halo Jones. Continue reading at The Bookseller

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Aries signs 'compulsive' thriller Every Last Fear

Head of Zeus' Aries imprint has signed a two-book deal with American author Alex Finlay, including a book following a family made infamous after the airing of a true crime documentary. Continue reading at The Bookseller

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RBMedia Acquires Spain's Booka

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Germany-Based Bookwire in 2020: Titles Up 11 Percent Over 2019

The digital distributor reports a rise in audiobook titles of 123 percent in 2020 over the previous year. Print-on-demand advanced 18 percent. The post Germany-Based Bookwire in 2020: Titles Up 11 Percent Over 2019 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

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Bridgerton star Andoh to read An Ordinary Wonder

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Rival GameStop movies being rushed into production

Netflix has announced a film centered on the ongoing stock saga starring Noah Centineo after MGM acquired rights to a book proposal on the same subjectThe GameStop content race is on, even as the Reddit-fueled market rebellion against billionaire hedge funds continues to play out in real... Continue reading at The Guardian

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Lit Hub Daily: January 29, 2021

“Much of what has been created to give purpose to lonely, empty hours will not be seen by future generations—the muffins eaten, the gardens remodeled or abandoned. Words on the page, though, have longevity.” Anne Youngson considers pandemic hobbies and writing fiction. | Lit Hub What it’s like... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

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5 Audiobook Essay Collections Ideally Suited to Your Quarantine Walks

As a verb, one definition of essay is to try. As horrible as 2020 was, let’s pretend it means to try again. Audiobooks of self-contained pieces between twenty and sixty minutes seem perfectly suited for walks, commutes, and household chores. Essays might also be perfect for attention spans... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

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Audiobook Apps for Bilingual Readers and Language Learners

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5 Must-Listen Short Story Collections on Audio

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The Black Friend by Frederick Joseph, Read by Miebaca Yohannes

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A different Calibre: audiobook charity shares how it is meeting growing demand

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Fox on board to narrate Mason's Sorrow and Bliss

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Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey, Read by the Author

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Angry Robot picks up Pratt's Kickstarter novella collection

Angry Robot has acquired its first novella collection from Hugo Award-winning American author Tim Pratt after seeing the author's Kickstarter campaign for the project.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

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American Savior by Roland Merullo, Read by Dion Graham

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We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper, Read by the Author

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The Unspoken by Ian K. Smith, Read by Amir Abdullah

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