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 ]
Delia Owens's 'Where the Crawdads Sing' keeps seeing dividends thanks to a bump from Reese Witherspoon, whose film adaptation of the novel was announced last month. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week's hot international books include an Australian backlist novel that has gained new sales after a film adaptation, and a Finnish title about a woman seeking inspiration from historical figures. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-11-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lee Child’s 2011 Jack Reacher novel 'The Affair' jumped to #1 over Jenny Han’s 'To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before' (now at #2) following recent news that the series will be rebooted for a new TV series. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The main characters in a new children's book bear an uncanny likeness to New Zealand's first family. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2018-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The film adaptation of Kevin Kwan's 'Crazy Rich Asians' is dominating the U.S. box office, and its source book continues to sell well in Apple's iBooks store as well. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kevin Kwan's 'Crazy Rich Asians' remains on top of Apple's iBooks store as its film adaptation continues to do well at the box office, while Rachel Hollis's 'Girl, Wash Your Face' climbs up the list to #2. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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We spoke with author emily m. danforth about the film adaptation of her 2012 novel, 'The Miseducation of Cameron Post,' a queer coming-of-age story set in 1990s Montana. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chicken House has acquired world publishing rights to a middle grade fantasy, which is also in development for film adaptation with Altitude Films, by Benjamin Read and Laura Trinder (Trindles & Read). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kevin Kwan's 'Crazy Rich Asians' soars to the top of the Apple Store's iBooks bestsellers list on the strength of its film adaptation, which is now in theaters. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett has the #1 book in the country with ‘The Russian Hoax.’ Plus Kevin Kwan’s ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ gets ready to hit the big screen, and newcomer Rosie Walsh’s ‘Ghosted’ gets some love from Liane Moriarty. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wondering which books you should bring to the beach this summer? Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, philanthropist and unrepentant book nerd, has some suggestions for you. Gates recommended five books he's enjoyed on his blog on Monday, including a Booker Prize-winning novel by an American... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Cannes, Voltage is handling world rights to the film adaptation of Anna Todd's 'After' from Wattpad Studios. In New York, a newly announced panel with the Motion Picture Association and AAP looks at film collaborations. The post BookExpo Adds Screen Panel; Anna Todd’s ‘After’ Names Telles,... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There's still much to be learned from books written by the great minds of advertising's golden age, but it's hard to deny that almost any advice printed to the page quickly becomes dated in today's digitally driven world. To illustrate that point, and boost turnout at an upcoming IdeasFirst... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2018-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The film adaptation of Becky Albertalli’s groundbreaking debut novel, 'Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,' hits theaters on March 16. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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George Saunders has become the second American author to win the £50,000 Man Booker Prize for his first full-length novel, Lincoln in the Bardo (Bloomsbury). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As an American author and her Russian publisher reveal, literary censorship is ongoing, and reports indicate that Moscow is increasing its efforts. The post Reports: Russian Censorship Is Being Intensified; Translated Work Examined appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wm. Paul Young's Christian bestseller 'The Shack' hit #1 on the iBooks bestseller list this week after a strong box office debut for its film adaptation. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two study guides by Proverbs 31 Ministries president Lysa TerKeurst—‘Finding I Am’ and ‘Uninvited’—break the top 10 in Religion Nonfiction. Plus, the film adaptation of ‘The Shack’ lifts Wm. Paul Young’s book to #1 in Fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Facebook, Instant Articles has largely been the domain of traditional publishers using them to distribute their journalism. Last week, in the latest example of the blurring of lines between brand and publisher, TBS began using them to promote one of its shows. To drum up excitement for the... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2016-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paul Beatty's book 'Sellout' tells the story of an African-American who attempts to bring back segregation and slavery. The novel had previously won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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