Cross-cultural connections

Chinese authors will join those from as far as Iceland for nation’s biggest literary festival.

The book carnival season across China kicks off on Feb 26, with Tom Keneally of Schindler's Ark fame raising a toast to the power of the written word at the Capital Literary Festival in Beijing. For four weeks it would be raining authors on China, arriving from as far as Reykavik, Iceland, to take part in events across six locations ?two in Beijing, one each in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chengdu and Suzhou. China Daily presents some of the favorites.

Andri Magnason, Iceland

Claim to Fame: His latest, Dreamland - A Self-help Manual for a Frightened Nation, worries about the environmental damage caused by industrial waste. His much-awarded children's book, The Story of the Blue Planet, was published in 18 languages and the play based on it staged in five countries.

Authorspeak: My friend went to China and told me, if you have not been to China you haven't seen planet Earth. I am one of the very few Icelandic writers to have been translated in Chinese, so it is a great opportunity to travel and get to know this part of the world.

As a child I had a book of Chinese folklore and fairytales, which were very inspiring. Later, I read Dao De Jing (Taoist classic by Laozi) and Confucius, which inspired my children's writing, to an extent. I am very interested to read and hear what the young contemporary writers of China are thinking now, in this time of great change and progress.

Events: 7:30 pm, March 4, The Bookworm, Chengdu; 10 am, 2 pm, March 6, The Bookworm, Beijing; 10 am, March 7, The Bookworm, Beijing, for children

Emma Donoghue, Ireland/Canada

Claim to Fame: Her novel Room, a gripping story about a 5-year-old boy and his mother, imprisoned in a basement for 11 years, made it to the Booker shortlist in 2010. Her next novel is going to be based on the true story of a murdered 19th century cross-dressing frog catcher.

Authorspeak: I am deeply honored to be invited to the literary festivals in China, and feel just as enthusiastic about encountering Chinese audiences as they might feel about encountering me.

Since I have never been to China (or, indeed, anywhere in Asia), I am very excited to discover the many ways in which our cultures differ as well as resemble each other. For a writer, such experiences are meat and drink.

Events: 8 pm, March 7, and 1 pm, March 8, The Bookworm, Beijing; 7 pm, March 10, M on the Bund, Shanghai; 7 pm, March 11, The Helena May, Hong Kong

Peter Zilahy, Hungary

Claim to fame: Photography, new media and performance mingle with the written word in Peter Zilahy's work. The Last Window Giraffe, a memoir about growing up in Hungary, has been translated into 27 languages.

Authorspeak: I have been here before a long time ago, so I'm excited to see how much China has changed in more than a decade. I hope to find some inspiring people and revisit places of fond memories. I would also like to be surprised, just be taken by China once again.

Lao She was always a big favorite of mine, (along) with the Dao De Jing, so I am re-reading his work before my trip. I take it slowly, believing that "a journey of 1,000 miles starts from beneath one's feet".

Events: 4 pm, March 5 and 6, The Bookworm, Beijing

Yan Lianke, China

Claim to fame: The master of satire has won the prestigious Lu Xun and Lao She awards and been translated in over 20 languages. His last novel, The Dream of Ding Village, takes a long hard look at the social ostracization of AIDS victims.

Authorspeak: Attending literary festivals does not help a writer in concrete terms. One's writing can improve by reading other writers, not necessarily interacting with them. But then had it not been for this exchange between writers, writing would be so much more of a lonely job. Literary festivals give writers a chance to get away from writing.

I look forward to meeting those who have read my works and who truly love literature. I would have loved to meet Franz Kafka at the festival, but who could make that happen?

Event: 6 pm, March 17, The Bookworm, Beijing

Bi Feiyu, China

Claim to fame: Shortlisted for this year's Man Asian Literary Prize, for his poignant study of the female mind in Three Sisters, a tale set in 1960s rural China, Bi Feiyu is also an accomplished screen writer, having collaborated with Zhang Yimou on Shanghai Triad.

Authorspeak: I like discussing literary topics with anybody. Conversations make me happy and also realize the power of literature, which is both magical and futile. Talking to people vindicates the idea that human beings are more interesting than we expect them to be.

Participating in literary festivals does not really provide anything that I might use in my writing. Normally I wouldn't put real-life experiences into writing. I enjoy making up stories and dislike confining myself merely to facts as they are.

Event: 8 pm, March 9, The Bookworm, Beijing