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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Denmark’s Saga Egmont on Its Acquisition of Spain’s Sonolibro

Having just acquired Sonolibro, Saga Egmont director Lasse Korsemann Horne sees the Spanish-language audiobook market as a key territory for expansion. The post Denmark’s Saga Egmont on Its Acquisition of Spain’s Sonolibro appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-05-07 15:29:40 UTC ]
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Lesley Manville to read Richard Osman audiobook

“Mum” and “Phantom Thread” star Lesley Manville will narrate the audiobook of Richard Osman's forthcoming novel, The Thursday Murder Club. Continue reading at The Bookseller

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4 Under 4: Fast & Fabulous Audiobooks Under 4 Hours

Itching for a great audiobook that's on the shorter side? Here are four under four hours long. Continue reading at Book Riot

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Sonos can now stream free audiobooks from your local library

Even if social distancing has helped you to achieve the nigh impossible task of watching your entire Netflix queue, there’s still a trove of media to consume. Sonos has teamed up with OverDrive -- makers of the audiobook lending app Libby -- to let c... Continue reading at Engadget

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Welbeck to publish 'pulse-pounding and fearless' debut

Welbeck Publishing Group has acquired Dark Horses, a debut novel from American author Susan Mihalic. Continue reading at The Bookseller

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7 of the Best Audiobooks by Muslim Women Writers

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5 Audiobook Memoirs and Essay Collections Written by Bi+ Women of Color

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Hugh Bonneville voices audiobook for Nosy Crow coronavirus title

"Paddington" and "Downton Abbey" star Hugh Bonneville is voicing the free audiobook for Nosy Crow's recently released children's e-book about coronavirus.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

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Sweden’s BookBeat Rides High on the Pandemic’s Audiobook Boom

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Behind the Mic: On Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon, Read by Shiromi Arseri and Jason Carpenter

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Audible Charts: Michelle Obama returns to the top

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Four amazing audiobooks to listen to this April

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Four amazing audiobooks to listen to this April

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Four amazing audiobooks to listen to this April

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An Ersatz Wonderland: On Stephen Wright’s “Processed Cheese”

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Early release for Adam Buxton audiobook, recorded remotely

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Zawe Ashton narrates Von Reinhold's debut

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To get us through, finding the wisdom of books written in isolation

Take solace in works such as ‘Robinson Crusoe,’ ‘The Autobiography of Malcolm X’ ‘Walden’ and more. Continue reading at The Washington Post

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Cameron Esposito: Five Books for a Queer Road Trip

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10 of the Best Audiobook Series

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