New: The Beijinger Online Book Club

OK, so we dig Chinese films. Chinese art is pretty cool these days, too, and we know Beijingers are all over local indie bands and hot Chinese designers. But what about literature? Are we stuck with the classics about weak, ailing women and misbehaving monkeys? Or sensationalist crap gunning for the “Banned in China!” sticker? Isn’t there more for those of us who want a rich literary look at this nation’s modern milieu?

The answer: Yes, a thousand times yes! (Maybe more like three times.) The current list of good, relevant contemporary works translated into English is small, but it’s expanding. Join our new Online Book Club as we stand at the digging of a new wellspring of wordsmithery, buckets in hand.

It’ll be simple: We’ll introduce a book written fairly recently by a Chinese author that’s available in English. Then, over the next month or so, we’ll run a series of several blog posts that include discussion questions, some author Q&A, analysis of a few of the book’s themes, and of course – perhaps most importantly – a steady stream of comments from you, our readers. Together, we’ll explore the uncharted territory of Chinese contemporary lit while getting nice UV tans from our computer screens.

This would be a good time to mention that we’ll be partnering with our lovely friends at The Bookworm, our indispensable source for all things bookish in Beijing. They’ll provide a discount on books for Book Club members, as well as inside access to the authors we’ll be reading. We’ll also have The Bookworm’s fearless Kadi Hughes (she’s the one who pulls a month straight of all-nighters to put on The Bookworm’s International Literary Festival) popping in with guest posts about each book. There will also be special, extended content on The Bookworm's own website, which we'll be sure to link you to.

We’ll kick off our inaugural Book Club with an exciting new release: The Magician of 1919, by Li Er. Though still fairly unknown globally, Li Er is establishing a reputation as a beloved avant-garde writer among hip, young readers in China. The Magician plays fast and loose with historical truth surrounding university culture during the May Fourth movement, its protagonist a man named Bigshot Cowrie who sports a magical queue and travels with pigeons. In the opening essay that prefaces the new book, the author is quoted as saying:

“The piercing feeling I have about intellectuals is their powerlessness — it haunts them every second. They are so powerless that they don’t even have the strength to sigh.”

Lucky for us, Li Er himself will be presiding over his book launch at The Bookworm next Tuesday, Sep 27. See the author in person, and while you’re at it, pick up a copy of the book so you can join our online discussions.

Speaking of which, here’s how to join the new Book Club: Send an email to tbjbookclub@gmail.com with your name and phone number (and a quick hello, if you’re feeling friendly). We’ll keep a running list at The Bookworm of all who’ve joined up, and all you’ll have to do is show up at the bookstore, tell them your name, and get a 10% discount on your book purchase. We’ll also use the email list to dispense updates on new blog posts and other delicious info about the book and/or author.

Expect our first post with some more in-depth background on the book, along with some discussion questions, next week.

In the meantime, let’s get the discussion started. What are some features you’d love to see for this book club, as well as other recent books by Chinese authors that you’d be excited to read and discuss over the interwebs?

Photos: http://condalmo.wordpress.com and Peter Wilkinson