China on my mind

The cultural networks between China and the rest of the world are pulsating: Even German-speaking writers are discovering the People's Republic as a literary topic. Exploring it produces unexpected results. What images materialize in German and international contemporary literature? To what extent does an author’s own ascription overlap with that assigned by others? With a talk by cultural theorist Byung-Chul Han on “Zeit der Heimat” to create the right mood, the round table will be discussing contemporary images of China as seen from the inside and outside. The round table panel will discuss cultural concepts from an internal and external perspective.

Byung-Chul Han, Carlos Aguilera, Li Dawei, Ariel Magnus, and Christian Y. Schmidt converse about the imaginary and real geographies in the mode of writing and fantasizing about China.

Moderation: Sabine Peschel

Carlos Aguilera (*1970, Havanna) was awarded the UNEAC prize in 1955. In 1997, he founded the “Diaspora(s)” underground magazine. He has been living in Germany since 2003. He is not allowed to return to Cuba.

Li Dawei (*1963, Beijing), freelance author for Jintian, lives in Los Angeles. In his latest novel “Love, Revolution und wie Kater Hachaeo nach Hollywood kam” (Knaus 200), he interweaves comic images and texts.

Byung-Chul Han (*Seoul) cultural philosopher and literary theorist and private lecturer at the University of Basel. In “Hyperkulturalität. Kultur und Globalisierung” (Merve Verlag 2005), he reflects upon Asian intellectual spaces within the context of globalization.

Ariel Magnus (*1975, Buenos Aires). In addition to his novels “Sandra” (2005) and “La abuela“ (2006) he has published a detective story set in Chinatown, Buenos Aires: “Un chino en bicicleta” (2007). He received the Premio La otra Orilla literature prize

Christian Y. Schmidt (*1956), freelance author and journalist (1989-1996) and editor of the “Titanic” satirical magazine. He documents his everyday life in Beijing in his novel “Allein unter 1,3 Milliarden" (2006), the “taz” newspaper's China column, "Im Jahr des Ochsen", and the newspaper column collection "Bliefe von dlüben" (2009).

In co-operation with the Frankfurt Book Fair

This event is part of the Asia-Pacific Weeks 2009. The Asia-Pacific Weeks are made possible by the Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin.