China Revolutions and My Family History - Illustrated Lecture
Thursday 29 May
Embassy of Iraq, Beijing
Membership desk open 7:00 pm for 7:30 pm lecture
Coordinator: Renata Greplova, 135 5277 7692 (No Reservations Necessary)
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The Beijing International Society is delighted to welcome back writer, speaker, businessman and novelist Adam Williams, the author of three acclaimed historical novels: The Palace of Heavenly Pleasure, The Emperor’s Bones and The Dragon’s Tail. His novels weave together historical fact and family history.
Williams, who has spent twenty years as a businessman and a banker in Beijing, is the fourth generation of his family to be living and working in China. In his presentation, which will be illustrated by more than 100 contemporary photographs and illustrations, he will talk about China’s history that provided the factual background of his trilogy, as well as his family’s own experience in China over more than 100 turbulent years and how that influenced his writing. He will also read an extract from his latest novel, The Dragon’s Tail (published by Hodder and Stoughton, 2007), which covers the period from the Cold War through the Cultural Revolution to a denouement in Tienanmen Square.
Signed copies of The Dragon’s Tail will be available.
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Adam will be signing copies of his three novels at Three Shadows on Sunday 25th May 3pm to 6 pm to raise money for the Sichuan earthquake. Full details of the Three Shadows Sichuan Earthquake Benefit below:
On May 12th 2008, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Sichuan province. With over 10,000 victims, the scope and scale of this tragedy has shocked people all over the world. In response, Three Shadows is bringing together friends and family for a united effort benefiting the earthquake victims. A fundraiser, including charity sale and silent auction, will take place in Three Shadows’ fourth exhibition hall, concluding with a special benefit event on Sunday, May 25th. In addition to a donation box for collections, Three Shadows has called upon its widespread network of artists and creative individuals for artwork, signed publications, and special classes to donate to the charity sale and silent auction. All profits from the event will be given to the China Red Cross for earthquake disaster relief.
When one person is in trouble, many people can help. Three Shadows hopes you’ll get involved!
The Three Shadows Fundraiser is accepting donations for the charity sale and silent auction immediately. Any items - artworks, books, gift certificates, etc. - are welcome. Beginning on May 16th, Three Shadows will exhibit the donated items in the exhibition hall. Items will be collected through May 25th, the day of the Sichuan Earthquake Benefit. Please contact Three Shadows to coordinate donations.
The following artists have generously donated works:
- RongRong & inri
- Adou (Sichuan native)
- Xiong Wenyun (Sichuan native, donating a 1999 photograph from Wenchuan county, the earthquake epicenter)
- Zhao Liang
- Qiu
- Huang Lei
- Gao Bo (Sichuan native)
- He Yunchang
- He An
- Mo Yi
- Jiang Zhi
- Yu Bogong
- Alberto Garcia-Alix
In addition, other items already donated include:
- Signed books by writers Hong Yin (Sichuan native) and Adam Williams
- Three-day tour of Pingyao by Wild China journeys
- A One-on-One Darkroom Tutorial with photographers Chip Rountree and Liu Yuan (English or Chinese)
Special Exhibit: May 16-25th, 10am-6pm (closed Mondays)
Sichuan Earthquake Benefit: Sunday, May 25th, 3-6pm
For more information:
Chen Yin (Chinese): 64319063 ext 8019
Stephanie Tung (English): 64319063 ext 8004
Or visit our blog: http://3shadows.blogbus.com/
In Italy this summer I will have with me a bagful of homework for my new novel on mediaeval Spain, including such exotica as the Penguin The Poem of the Cid, books on alchemy and astrology, Ibn Hazm’s The Ring of the Dove, other collections of Arab and Hebrew poetry, and the newly published God’s Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe 570-1215 by David Devering Lewis - but there will still be a little space at the bottom of the bag for more self indulgent reading. I have purchased Italy’s Sorrow: A Year of War 1944-45 by James Holland (the fighting that took place near where I live still haunts people’s memories so it will be good to know the historical background); The Bloody White Baron by James Palmer about the mad Russian, Ungern Von Sternberg, and his mayhem in Mongolia in the 1920s; The Roads to Modernity by Gertrude Himmelfarb about the 18th Century Enlightenment; Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut (his posthumous essays); and, to keep my toe in China, Return to Dragon Mountain by Jonathan Spence, the memoirs of a Ming Dynasty scholar who sees his world destroyed when China is conquered by the Manchus.
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