Chan Koonchung (2011 event)

Is it possible to live in China today, and to raise an eyebrow about the country’s political ambitions? Chan Koonchung, resident in Beijing for a decade, has done precisely that in his political fable The Fat Years, which was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2011. A portrait of China in 2013, when capitalism in the West has self-destructed, this novel paints a vivid picture of a country whose citizens appear to be wholly satisfied. But why have they forgotten an entire month’s history?

Book Festival News

Communities Programme participants celebrate success of 2024 Communities Programme participants celebrate success of 2024
Friday 13 December

Enjoying this event? You can help us produce more like it.

Donate

Share

Watch more

Frans Timmermans with Gordon Brown: The Way Forward for Europe Frans Timmermans with Gordon Brown: The Way Forward for Europe 2020 has been, without doubt, a banner year for challenging our understanding of what constitutes a global problem and how equipped we are to address that task collectively. At the start of this year — what feels like an age ago — after generations of… Elizabeth Knox: The Political Force of Fantasy Elizabeth Knox: The Political Force of Fantasy In January 2020, an article appeared on Slate with the headline, 'This New Zealand Fantasy Masterpiece Needs to Be Published in America, Like, Now.' The article went viral with readers as they raced to order 'the majestic, brain-bending novel' from New… Tom Holland: Rome in a Time of Peace Tom Holland: Rome in a Time of Peace Tom Holland is the co-host of the phenomenally popular The Rest is History podcast. An accomplished writer and historian, he returns to the time when Christianity began with Pax — the last volume in a trilogy narrating the story of the Roman Empire… Bonnie Greer (2014 event) Bonnie Greer (2014 event) Best known in the UK as a dispassionate commentator on BBC Newsnight Review and Question Time – even when sitting beside the leader of the BNP – Bonnie Greer has now written the first volume of her memoirs, A Parallel Life. In this event she… Lights Off The Quay - pt4 (Don Paterson) Lights Off The Quay - pt4 (Don Paterson) We commissioned and published new stories and poems from four of the finest Scottish writers: A L Kennedy, Janice Galloway, John Burnside and Don Paterson. Lights Off The Quay, our first publication of new writing, is the result. A sold-out event at the… DeRay Mckesson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival DeRay Mckesson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival In 2014 DeRay Mckesson quit his job and moved to Ferguson, Missouri to protest against the police shooting of Michael Brown Jr, an unarmed African-American teenager. He spent the next 400 days on the streets as an activist and helped bring the Black Lives… Elif Shafak: If Trees Could Speak Elif Shafak: If Trees Could Speak In her Booker-shortlisted novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, Elif Shafak entered the mind of a dying sex worker lying murdered in an Istanbul alley. The story moved from brutal realism to the magical world of the afterlife. Now Shafak has… Scotland's Stories Now Scotland's Stories Now Everyone has a story to tell; through stories we can make sense of our world. Earlier this year writers Andrew O’Hagan, Eleanor Thom, Ryan Van Winkle, Mae Diansangu, Roseanne Watt, Bea Webster and Siân Bevan collaborated with community groups across the… Maryse Condé & Richard Philcox: Giving Voice to Guadeloupe Maryse Condé & Richard Philcox: Giving Voice to Guadeloupe At 83, Maryse Condé is one of the most significant voices of our time. The Guadeloupean novelist, critic and playwright has had a career festooned with honours and awards for her work, including the New Academy Prize in Literature, the substitute for the 2… Raja Shehadeh: The Quest for Peace Raja Shehadeh: The Quest for Peace For many years, lawyer and writer Raja Shehadeh has shared his wisdom about life under occupation in the Palestinian West Bank. Each year he and his wife Penny travel from their home in Ramallah to spend the summer in Edinburgh, and Book Festival…