This week on Talking Books, Susan will be talking with Louisa Lim, author of ‘The People’s Republic of Amnesia: Tiananmen Revisited.’ Louisa’s book deals with Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the violent consequences of this event. During this protest, hundreds of unarmed protesters were killed by soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army.
Her book is an incredibly provocative read. It has been described as meticulous in its research and accessible in its writing. While truly bringing to light the events at Tiananmen 25 years ago, it can also be viewed within the context of tense international relations today. In this respect, the book becomes an even more enlightening study.
Louisa has been based in China for much of her journalistic career, most recently as a correspondent for NPR. Previous to this she was the Beijing correspondent for the BBC.
She currently lives in Ann Arbour, Michigan, where she is the Visiting Professor of Journalism as the University of Michigan.
Join Susan and Louisa as they delve into the China’s recent past. Hear of the harrowing personal accounts that Louisa uncovered in her research for this intensive investigation. Find out how this event has irrevocably changed the nature of Chinese society and how many have simply blocked out the events at Tiananmen in 1989.
Li Peng, the Chinese Premier who backed violent backlash to Tiananmen Square protests in 1989
Susan will also be chatting with Spanish writer Jose Ovejero.
Jose was born in Madrid in 1958 and lives there now, but he has spent much of his life outside of Spain. He studied in Bonn, Germany, before moving to Brussels where he worked as an interpreter for the European Union until 2001.
Throughout, he remained focussed on his literary career and worked within a number of genres, including drama, poetry, short stories and novels. He has also contributed to newspapers in Spain and Latin America, while he has taught creative writing in universities across Europe and the United States.
His most recent novel ‘La Invencion del Amor’ (‘The Invention of Love’) won the 2013 Premio Alfaguara. This is among the most prestigious Spanish language awards in literature and is one of the richest literary prizes in the world.
His work that has been translated into English includes the novel ‘Nothing Ever Happens’ and the short story ‘The Travelling Companions.’
Recently, he took part in the 2014 ISLA Literary Festival, organised by the Instituto Cervantes in Dublin. He was joined by John Banville and Diamela Eltit of Chile, as they discussed the characterisation and cultural heritage of Spanish, Latin American and Irish literature.
Do we all have the capacity to reinvent ourselves? And can love save us from a personal crisis? Listen in as Susan and Jose address these questions, which he tackles in his latest novel.
