CRI听力:Bookworm Literary Fest Gets Underway

For bibliophiles in China, the Bookworm Literary Festival is a must-see. Each year, it provides a first-hand experience for readers to communicate face-to-face with their literary heroes.

Launched by the namesake bookshop, the festival covers many literary activities, such as book talks, panel discussions, readings, and writing workshops.
 
But according to Peter Goff, the managing director and the founder of Bookworm, this cultural event is more than that.

"Obviously the core is literature, but then on top of that we do a lot of film festival events, we do comedy, we do music, and magic, and dance, and screenings, and different things as well, which complements the literary festival."

Though started modestly, the festival is poised to make its own name on the global stage. Now in its 8th year, the festival has been programming more than 300 events in eight major cities around China, inviting more than 110 guests from over 25 countries.

Many names stand out in the roster, such as the Man Booker Prize short-listed Chinese writer, Yan Lianke; Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Ian Johnson; and Tim Clissold, whose book "Mr. China" won the Economist Book of the Year; as well as the comedian Mark Roswell, who is best-known in China by his stage name, Dashan.

Fans are earger to meet these celebrities. A Germany doctor comes to Beijing for business. Despite tight schedule, she has managed to buy several tickets.

"I brought this and on Monday, I have this one: Ways of Telling the Past. Tuesday, I am at home. Wednesday, I have this one."

According to the staff, many entry tickets have been sold out days ahead of the events. For voracious literature consumers, the festival seems to be a grand banquet to satisfy the appetite.

Director of the event Peter Goff elucidates why the festival beguiles many audiences.

"People like to read books, but they also like to actually meet the authors, they want to engage directly with the writers. And I think it adds another dimension to just reading the books. Particularly festival wise, you are not just talking about only meeting one author; you are putting several different writers and thinkers together on one platform and then discussing different topics. Then it becomes what it meant to become: it becomes more like a festival; it becomes a celebration of literature, and a celebration of ideas. And that's stimulating and audiences are attracted to that. "

Beijing has been the home court of the festival. Sitting inside a chamber surround by bookshelves, leading novelists have disclosed the reasons and meanings behind their writing careers, while sharing their experiences with audiences.

Diversity could be found for sure, but the discussions on China take up a large portion of talk-time: from frequently debated topics on economy and history to more contemporary social nuances, like China's "leftover" women.

For Yu Lian, a PhD student interested in Chinese feminism, the festival acts as a forum to deepen understanding to her research.

"I just want to hear different opinions and try to understand the thoughts of those who share the same interest with me. I don't ask that all the participants here be sophisticated or mature. I just came here to listen to their ideas, as it may help me to solve my own problems. "

The conversational atmosphere not only excites listeners, but also thrills the writers.

Here is Chinese author Ren Xiaowen whose most famous book is Them.

"I think it is a way to communicate. You need to know the concerns of your foreign counterparts. Even though many participants of this event come from foreign countries, they live or work in China; they are interested in what is happening in this society."

American author David Vann is visiting China for the first time. As he said, connecting people during the festival will help him know the country better and inspire his own writing.

"It actually emphasizes on Chinese writers. So I am hoping to meet more of them in the next few days. And I am hoping to reach them, read translations, and that might affect my writing in some ways. So it's all like education for me essentially: seeing new place, meeting the people, and being introduced to different literature."

From March 7 till March 21, these literary celebrities will bring rich and diverse international voices to book shops, universities and libraries across China. Their destinations are not limited to coastal cities, but also expanded to inland Chongqing, Chengdu and Kunming.

The scale of the festival and the number of writers is increasing year by year. However, since the majority of events will be conducted in English, the organizer, Peter Goff, is hoping to bring more Chinese programs to wider audiences in the future.

"Next year I would like to do more events translated into Chinese. So we could reach more, more Chinese audiences. I think expanding it, to getting into those second internal tier cities is very interesting. The market says people are very hungry for this kind of experience."

Hopefully, this kind of sharing and partaking of communication could stimulate people's love for literature.

For Studio Plus, this is He Fei.