Bookworm Literary Festival 2019 Begins Today, Tickets Now on Sale

Great news for bibliophiles – The Bookworm Literary Festival 2019 begins today, and it looks to be one of the best events yet. Tickets for each of the events are now available here, and you can browse the full program PDF here.

Running until Mar 31, the festival comprises of dozens of back-to-back events, including readings, Q&A sessions, live podcast recordings, slam poetry performances, and panel discussions.

A veritable who's who of local and international authors and academics will all converge on Beijing's favorite bookshop over the next 16 days, partaking in events that tackle some of the most pressing, compelling, and interesting societal issues of the day, including big data, feminism, climate change, and international geopolitics.

Below are several events that we forecast to be this year's highlights (in order of date, all take place at The Bookworm):
 

The Bookworm Literary Festival 2019 Highlights

Mar 16: AI Superpowers: China's Silicon Valley, and the New World Order – with Lee Kai-Fu
World-renowned AI and China expert Lee Kai-Fu will discuss why China's unprecedented advances in artificial intelligence are likely to disrupt the current world order, and why future Sino-US relations hinge on the superpowers embracing the great responsibility that comes with this new technology. Midday. RMB 60

Mar 16: Sojourners to China – with Paul French and Jeremiah Jenne
Famed author of Murder in Peking, Paul French (pictured above), and long-time Beijinger, historian and regular the Beijinger contributor Jeremiah Jenne discuss some of the many various writers, historians, royals, stars, and artists who have spent time in the Middle Kingdom, as well as their own time and travels. RMB 60. 4pm

Mar 16: Babies to Bookworms: Raising Kids to Read in the Digital Era – with Antoinette Portis and Sarah Brennan
Two bestselling children's authors will discuss the ways to engender a lifelong love of reading, as well as looking at the science behind what reading does to the brain, as opposed to digital technologies. RMB 60. 6pm

Mar 18: Last Boat out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution – with Helen Zia, in conversation with Ni Ching-Ching
Members of the last generation to fully recall the mass exodus from Shanghai after the end of the civil war have revealed their stories to Chinese American journalist Helen Zia (pictured above), who interviewed hundreds of exiles about their journey through one of the most tumultuous events of the 20th century. RMB 60. 6pm

Mar 19: Sham Marriages: Why Lesbians and Gays Wed in China – with Dr. He Xiaopei
So called “Cooperative marriages,” where gays and lesbians in China marry one another, is a growing trend in a country where homosexuality is legal, but same-sex marriage is not. Dr. He will discuss her research into this phenomenon, the underlying reasons behind it, and how society’s attitude can and might gradually shift. RMB 60. 6pm

Mar 22: Ginkgo: The Tree That Time Forgot – with Peter Crane
Perhaps the world’s most distinctive tree, the ginkgo is a botanical oddity and a widely recognized botanical “living fossil.” Wild ginkgo exists only in China, but today it is beloved for the elegance of its leaves, prized for its edible nuts, and revered for its longevity. Crane examines the cultural and social significance of the ginkgo: its medicinal and nutritional uses, its power as a source of artistic and religious inspiration, and its importance as one of the world’s most popular street trees. RMB 60. 6pm

Mar 23: Green Poems for a Blue Planet – a performance by Martin Kiszko
In this event, aimed at kids eight years old and over, the UK's "Green Poet" will save the planet through the power of poetry. From disappearing tigers to lost whales, from football to "poo power," Kiszko says of the show: "I hope this show will provoke a thought, raise a smile, start a conversation, spark an idea, spur us into action, or simply turn on a few 'green lights.' RMB 60. Midday

Mar 25: Stress and the City – with Enoch Li
Enoch Li, author of Stress and the City: Playing Your Way Out of Depression, will share her experiences at the top of the corporate world, reflect on the warning signs she refused to see, and document her journey back from the edge through the rediscovery of her inner child. Li will also discuss how companies can help their executives be mentally and emotionally well, an area she has researched through the psychology of playfulness, workplace burnout, and company culture. RMB 60. 6pm

Mar 29: India: Democracy VS. Development – moderated by Wu Huizhong, with Anand Krishnan, Ray Zhong, and Yang Lu
India has claimed China's spot as the world's fastest-growing major economy, and as it grows, it might just offer an alternative model for any country seeking balance between the need for development and democratic institutions. Or, if China has anything to say about it, India could serve as a cautionary tale. Anand Krishnan (pictured above), Ray Zhong, and Yang Lu will debate what the future holds for the world's second most populous country. RMB 60. 8pm

Mar 31: Science Fiction in the Age of Algorithms – with Zhang Feng, Chen Quifan, Que A and Blake Stone-Banks
In the era of sensors, Internet, cloud, big data, and algorithms, everything on the planet is being measured, calculated, projected and, very often, commoditized. What are the wildest and most powerful visions and concepts that science fiction has provided with regard to our future in the digital age? RMB 60. Midday

These talks and workshops are just the tip of the iceberg. The Literary Festival will also live podcast recordings by both Sinica and NüVoices, Spittunes events and live music, a discussion by a panel of international journalists, and plenty more. The festival will close with the beloved Literary Quiz on Sunday night, so devotees can put their knowledge of all things bookwormy to the test. 

Tickets for this year's Bookworm Literary Festival cost approximately RMB 60 for events and RMB 200 for workshops. The program runs from midday to 8pm, Mar 15-30.

READ: The Bookworm's New Manager David Cantalupo Looks Back on His 30 Years in China

Images: The Bookworm, Blangua, angryasianman.com, asianreviewofbooks.com, SCMP, kinderlitcanada.wordpress.com, hkmentalhealthconference.com