2013 Bookworm International Literary Festival Announcement

The details for The 2013 Bookworm International Literary Festival were made public this morning. The program boasts a beefy line-up and we are pumped for the intellectual showdown lurking on the horizon. There are a few notable highlights. Acclaimed author Lionel Shriver is number one on the roster this year. She will open the festival with a discussion inspired by her witty reflections on issues like obesity, childhood violence and how the media covered the war on terror. Another hard-hitter will be AD Miller, a reporter with The Economist, who explores the temptations of Moscow's nightlife in his book Snowdrops. He and colleague Gady Epstein will discuss what happens when morality spins out of control.

Other events to look out for are Anne Witchard's story about contemporary Chinese literature hero Lao She and his life in London in 1920 (which will enlighten if not dazzle), and Bill Dodson taking us clanking to the future through the mechanization of the country in China Fast Forward.

That's only a small dose of what The Bookworm has in store. If you were around last year, then you know the festival offers far more than authors and panels. Music, poetry, plays and workshops are all part of the fun. Even the Beijinger has been known to offer some of its own shenanigans. Early bird tickets for the festival will go on sale January 25, and we'll be sharing all the content we can, starting with some reading lists to stretch your thinking limbs, so stay tuned!

Photo: Wikipedia