On Horror and Identity
I love speaking at conventions. This whole career as a sinologist started with talks to anime crowds about the films, foods, myth and music of China. In the midst of the buzz around my upcoming collection, Sinophagia, I was excited to be included on the panel of “Horror and Identity” as part of this year’s Flight of Foundry, especially with such a diverse collection of fellow guests to talk about the genre, and how our lived experiences and outlooks informed it.
Posted in Culture, Translation and tagged china, Chinese, fiction, genre, horror, identity, literature, SFF, translation
On Chinese Identity
A recent conversation on Twitter about books on Chinese history turned into a much deeper discussion of China and identities. The two issues that have come up are fractured diaspora identities, and the idea of a “unified China”.
Posted in Commentary and tagged china, Chinese, commentary, culture, diversity, ethnicity, history, identity, languages, migration, race
Reclaiming Yellow: What does it Mean to be Chinese
I have always been proud to be Chinese. Growing up in Britain during the 1990s, surrounded by a mix of Chinese family, friends of mixed ethnicity, and generally accepting people all round, it was not something I felt I needed to defend or actively promote. It wasn’t until I went to university, and came into contact with a wider public, that I began to see a problem.
Posted in Commentary and tagged china, Chinese, commentary, culture, ethnicity, heritage, identity, race