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 ]
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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Paul Beatty has won the 2016 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for 'The Sellout,' making him the first American author to win the award. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Puffin Books will next year release a series of Dr Who books written and illustrated in the style of Mr Men. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paula Hawkins's 'The Girl on the Train' keeps up its wild ride at #1 in the wake of the release of the film adaptation on October 7. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paula Hawkins is at #1 again with 'The Girl on the Train' in advance of the October 7 release of the film adaptation of the thriller. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Victoria Aveyard, American author of ‘The Red Queen’ wins the ‘Buxtehuder Bulle,’ Germany's most renowned prize for young people’s literature. The post US Author Victoria Aveyard Wins Prestigious German Literary Award appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Steven Spielberg’s new film adaptation of a Roald Dahl story has Dahl being remembered as a children's book author with a dark sense of humor. But his stories for adults are typically more macabre. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Actors Mel Gibson and Sean Penn are to star in "Professor and the Madman", a film adaptation of a novel about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Children’s will next month publish a new edition of Arthur Ransome's classic children's book Swallows and Amazons to tie-in with the new film adaptation. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Jim Henson Company is producing a film adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men novel, with the screenplay written by Rhianna Pratchett, the late author’s daughter. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nordic young adult series, The Snow White Trilogy by Salla Simukka (Hot Keys Books) is to be adapted for the silver screen by Zero Gravity Management in association with Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Although Maria Semple has written two previous novels—most recently the bestselling "Where’d You Go, Bernadette," with a film adaptation in the works—the one-time TV writer ("Mad About You," "Arrested Development") says writing them never gets easier. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week, Jojo Moyes fans gear up for the film adaptation of 'Me Before You’. Plus Debbie Macomber joins the coloring book revolution, animal behaviorist Frans de Waal explains why our fellow creatures are more intelligent than we think they are, and much more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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