Literature

Asia Society Literature

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Motoyuki Shibata at Asia Society New York in December 2010.
New York

From Manga to Murakami

Japan's master translator: 'Style is like fate.'
Hong Kong

Rawi Hage and Madeleine Thien

Two immigrant authors share insights into latest books.
Exiled Chinese poet Bei Ling at the 2011 Frankfurt Book Fair. (Ekko)

Exile Now Even Lonelier: Chinese Poet Says London Book Fair Excludes Dissident Voices

Chinese poet Bei Ling says the London Book Fair's celebration of China is shutting out some of its most important dissident voices in the name of money.
Texas

New Houston Headquarters Makes Texas Architect Magazine Cover

Writer Jeffrey Brown reviews architect Yoshio Taniguchi’s Texas Center, featuring the building in a six-page cover story.
Chinese author Murong Xuecun speaks during the Chindia Dialogues at Asia Society in New York on Sunday, November 6, 2011. (Elsa Ruiz)

Murong Xuecun on China Censorship

NYT-profiled author spoke out at Asia Society's 'Chindia' event.
Yu Hua (Courtesy of Fabrica)

Jeffrey Wasserstrom on Yu Hua's 'China in Ten Words'

Jeffrey Wasserstrom reviews Chinese author Yu Hua's latest work for the Los Angeles Review of Books.
'River of Smoke' author Amitav Ghosh, appearing at Asia Society New York on Nov. 3, 2011. (Frederick Noronha/Flickr)

'Chindia Dialogues' Speaker Amitav Ghosh Featured on WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show

Indian writer Amitav Ghosh discusses the 19th-century opium trade wars ahead of his Nov. 3 talk at Asia Society New York.
Novelist Tahmima Anam decries what she sees as a "culture of censorship" in South Asia. (2 min., 2 sec.)

'Quiet Heroes' in Bangladesh

Looking back on a country's birth.
Tahmima Anam, author of The Good Muslim. (Zahedul I. Khan)

Interview: Author Tahmima Anam Asks, Who Is the 'Good' Muslim?

The noted Bangladeshi author discusses the second volume in her trilogy prior to her Sept. 13 reading at Asia Society.
Across Many Mountains by Yangzom Brauen (St. Martin’s Press, 2011).
New York

Book Excerpt: 'Across Many Mountains' by Yangzom Brauen

An extraordinary memoir chronicling the repression, escape and determination of three generations of a Tibetan family.
The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam
New York

Book Excerpt: 'The Good Muslim' by Tahmima Anam

A third-class railway journey prompts uneasy memories at the start of Tahmima Anam's latest novel.
Maxine Hong Kingston in San Francisco on April 21, 2011

Maxine Hong Kingston on the 'Broad Margin' of Her Life

A major figure in Asian American writing reflects on her life and legacy at a book event in San Francisco.
Detail of cover art for Modern Poetry of Pakistan (Dalkey Archive, 2011).

Interview: Waqas Khwaja, The Translator as Ambassador

In Pakistan, explains Waqas Khwaja, being a poet has always entailed a special responsibility.
Thaddeus Rutkowski, author of the novel Haywire, reads his poem "White and Wong" in Hong Kong on April 19. (1 min., 48 sec.)
Hong Kong

Haywire: A Polish-Chinese American Acts Out

Reading and reciting in Hong Kong, Thaddeus Rutkowski uses a hybrid form to capture his hybrid identity.
In New York on March 8, author Colin Thubron reads from and discusses To a Mountain in Tibet.

A Lone Man's Struggle with Grief in Tibet

Colin Thubron reads from and discusses To a Mountain in Tibet, a combination travel book and memoir.
Official logo of the Jaipur Literature Festival.

Jaipur: The 'Great Indian Mela'

India's premiere literary event attracts bigger names, and bigger crowds, every year.
The Tryst Betrayed: Reflections on Indian Diplomacy and Development by Jagat Mehta.

India to Strengthen Bonds with Neighbors for Regional Stability

India needs to make stronger efforts in building functional relationships with its neighbors for the country and the region.
Paul Auster and Motoyuki Shibata assess which kinds of writers survive translation and which don't, in New York on December 7, 2010. (1 min., 28 sec.)

Paul Auster: Lost (and Found) in Translation

The American novelist and his Japanese translator discuss the intricacies of cross-cultural communication.

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