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?

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Monday 26 August

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