| Edinburgh sets her sights on China |
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| Culture | |
| Sunday, 05 August 2007 | |
 The Edinburgh International Book Festival will be the focus of debates on China throughout August, with authors discussing the history of and the changes within what is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. With a fully dedicated ‘Focus on China' strand, this year's programme features well-known Chinese and British authors with interests ranging from fiction and culture to travel and the economy. The highlights of the programme are: Harry G Gelber & Mark Leonard 11 August at 3.30pm Mark Leonard, one of the most brilliant young analysts of the age asks What Does China Think? Harry G Gelber gives a compelling narrative of China's relations with the rest of the world over the last three millennia. Oliver August & Guy Delisle 12 August at 8.30pm Two extraordinary travelogues - one atmospheric and revealing investigation in search of China's most wanted man, the other a journey to the booming yet closed city of Shenzen. Basil Pao 14 August at 10.00am The internationally celebrated Hong Kong photographer and writer (who previously worked with Michael Palin) embarks on a jaw-dropping visual journey of all the provinces of China. Xiaolu Guo 18 August at 8.30pm A talented young Chinese writer, born in a tiny fishing village in South China, she returns to the Book Festival with a witty tale of dawning cultural comprehension. Rob Gifford & Duncan Hewitt 21 August at 4.00pm Two in-depth accounts of the staggering transformations taking place, from the new entrepreneurs to a journey to the heart of China. Xinran Xue 24 August at 3.00pm Journalist, radio presenter, columnist and novelist, Xinran Xue has shed new light on her homeland. Her new novel follows three peasant girls as they embrace a new life in the big, fast-changing city. John Man & Frances Wood 24 August at 7.00pm Two fascinating historical accounts looking at the Great Wall, its history and purpose, and the controversial First Emperor, who started the wall and founded, through law, strategy and brutality, what we now know as China. Helen Tse 24 August at 8.30pm The first ever memoir from a British-born Chinese woman recounts the courageous generations of the women in her family, overcoming adversity to found some of the earliest Chinese restaurants in the UK. Running from 11 to 27 August with over 700 events, this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival will be the most international ever with more than 40 countries represented, with a special focus on China. Tickets, and full details of the programme, are available on-line at www.edbookfest.co.uk, or can be booked over the telephone 0845 373 5888 (from 9:30-17:30, Mon-Sat). |
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