Your Complete Guide to the 2011 Shanghai International Literary Festival

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Date: Feb 23rd 2011 11:16a.m.
Contributed by: kellieschmitt

The Shanghai International Literary Festival opens on March 4. For three weeks, some of the best authors in the world will give intimate readings, host discussions and talk about their work. Here’s who you absolutely must see.

This year’s much-anticipated Shanghai International Literary Festival will draw about 85 authors from locales as far-flung as Columbia, Israel, Australia and India. As usual, the festival has no fixed theme. Some of its authors are China experts and some have written about China, but many have no connection at all to the Middle Kingdom.

“It’s so international,” says Tina Kanagaratnam, the festival organizer. “That’s the thing about it: it’s not focused. There are a lot of writers dealing with diverse themes in a fascinating way.”

[Can't wait for March? Check out podcasts from last year's SILF talks]

Must-see Authors

Among the headliners is Australian novelist Thomas Keneally (Mar. 5, 11am, RMB65), the author best known for writing the book Schindler's Ark, which inspired Schindler’s List, and Emma Donoghue (Mar. 10, 7pm, RMB65), the Irish-Canadian writer, who will be discussing her critically acclaimed work Room, which was short-listed for the 2010 Booker Prize.

Of course, for Shanghai's Sinophiles the festival will host plenty of China-related talks as well. After his surprise cancellation last year, Peter Hessler (Mar. 13, 7pm, RMB65) will be back, along with his wife Leslie T. Chang(Mar. 19, 5pm, RMB65), the journalist and author of Factory Girls. Last year the pair were last minute no-shows.

“Many people are beside themselves about Peter Hessler,” Kanagaratnam says. “For a lot of people, Peter was their introduction to China. What gave them an understanding of China was Peter Hessler.”

China fans shouldn't overlook Paul Midler (Mar. 12, 11am, RMB65)