Can We Truly Be Free of Our Past? A Conversation with Wendy Chen, by Xixuan Collins Interviews [email protected] Mon, 04/29/2024 - 15:10 An epic family saga that spans over one hundred years and two countries, Wendy Chen’s powerful, lyrical debut, Their Divine Fires (Algonquin, forthcoming on May 7, 2024), is about history, love, passion, loyalty, betrayal, and our desire to be free of our past. In the novel, four generations of women survived the formidable hardship in China during the tumultuous twentieth century—the warlord melee, the Communist–Nationalist civil war, the Japanese invasion, and the Cultural Revolution—each emerging with unspeakable loss and heartache yet undampened spirit for life and the future. An intimate study of family relationships with the backdrop of a chaotic, changing world, this book provides a perspective on Chinese history rarely seen in American literature. Xixuan Collins: You capture the emotions of the four generations of Chinese and Chinese American women so vividly. You have said that you were inspired by your grandmother’s stories of her mother and uncles and the ways they fought, lived, and died for what they believed in. Can you tell us a little more about the story behind your story; that is, what was the moment when you realized you had a story to tell and you felt compelled to sit down and write this novel? Wendy Chen: My grandmother would always tell me stories of her family when I... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2024-04-29 20:10:46 UTC ]
In our digital age, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nobel prize is a reminder that it is still novels that ask the biggest questionsIt’s always entertaining to observe the interaction between the news media and a writer who has just won the Nobel prize. The all-time best was obviously Doris Lessing, who when... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The writer discovered that his ‘perfect novella’ was all in his mind. It’s a story that is somehow fitting for the times in which we liveIt’s been a busy few days in the literary world, what with the release of this year’s Man Booker shortlist following the recent longlist announcement for its... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The shortlist for the Man Booker Prize, considered one of the most prestigious fiction awards in the world, was revealed Wednesday. Three American authors made the cut from the longlist: George Saunders, for “Lincoln in the Bardo”; Paul Auster, for his novel “4 3 2 1”; and Emily Fridlund for... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Man Booker Prize has announced its shortlist for the 2017 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and it includes books by Paul Auster and George Saunders. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Novels by Arundhati Roy, George Saunders, Sebastian Barry and Zadie Smith have been longlisted for the £50,000 Man Booker Prize 2017. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Arts Council England is broadening its literature work, which has previously concentrated on areas such as poetry and translated literature, into a new emphasis on literary fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The winner of the Book of the Year at the British Book Awards, Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent has taken the literary world by storm. The author discusses her ascent with Alice O’Keeffe. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Australian publisher Black Inc, which specialises in literary fiction and non-fiction, is to launch in the UK this September. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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I’ve raved before—to friends, to co-workers, and to Slate readers—about Ethan Rilly’s beautiful and subversive comic book Pope Hats. Issue No. 5, coming soon, is the longest and most fascinating installment yet. Returning to the friendship of neurotic law clerk Frances and actress-on-the-rise... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2017-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Folio Prize-winning writer takes a single moment from american history and conjures his spellbinding first full-length fiction Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tyrus Books, which published crime and literary fiction, is closing six months after S&S acquired its parent company, Adams Media, from F&W. Christian imprint Howard Books is being relocated to the publisher's New York City headquarters and losing its publisher in the move. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Publishing, the largest publisher of translations, will be at the London Book Fair with a rights list of suspense, memoir and literary titles. The post Amazon Publishing at London Book Fair: Literary Fiction, Suspense, Memoir appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reading is an engrossing and transportive experience. But what if a book could be made even more immersive? George Saunders and actor and screenwriter Graham Sack may have found one answer: virtual reality. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At a time when literary fiction has a chance to illuminate the struggles and needs of many, the leading Arabic fiction prize's shortlist makes the point. The post The International Prize for Arabic Fiction’s Shortlist: Strong on Issues appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On the 'Late Show,' George Saunders gets ribbed about writing a novel, explains what a "bardo" is, and discusses kindness and Donald Trump in support of his debut novel, 'Lincoln in the Bardo.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Future Publish's program at Leipzig Book Fair includes a tour, as literary fiction and free speech intersect at conferences in the US and UK. The post Germany’s ‘Future Publish’ at Leipzig; Faber’s Page and Europa’s Reynolds on Literature appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Julianne Moore, Nick Offerman, and Jeff Tweedy were among the huge cast who helped record the audiobook. Plus other audiobook news. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Head of venerable press says his sector has important role in the defence of free speech and champions the revival of literary fiction and traditional booksFaber & Faber’s chief executive has called for publishers to oppose crackdowns on free speech and the rise of so-called fake news.... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The dominance of three honours in the UK can be prohibitively expensive for small publishers, and end up discouraging risk-taking on ‘difficult’ authorsCutting-edge British literary fiction risks being undermined by its growing reliance on a handful of powerful book prizes, a leading literary... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-01-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From literary fiction to middle-grade series, Singapore’s new literary voices are getting louder, and their works finding new homes far away from the tropical city-state. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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