SPOTLIGHT ON: XINRAN in Christchiurch

There are still plenty of tickets left for Helen Macdonald, Nick Davies, Xinran and David Mitchell, and don't forget the Autumn Season Pass! SPOTLIGHT ON:  XINRAN If you enjoyed hearing Jung Chang last year, and have an interest in Chinese history, politics and society, then don't miss Xinran's appearance in Christchurch next week. After her popular sessions at the 2008 Christchurch Writers' Festival, we are thrilled to welcome her back.       XINRAN: THE ONE-CHILD GENERATION Thursday 14 May, 8pm Charles Luney Auditorium, St Margaret's College Book here Xinran was born in Beijing in 1958 and was a successful journalist and radio presenter in China. In 1997 she moved to London, where she began work on her seminal book about Chinese women's lives, The Good Women of China. Since then she has written a regular column for the Guardian, appeared frequently on radio and TV and has published several acclaimed books about China. She lives in London but travels regularly to China. In Christchurch she will discuss her latest book, Buy Me the Sky, which tells the remarkable stories of men and women born in China after 1979 - the recent generations raised under China's single-child policy. At a time when the country continues to transform at the speed of light, these generations of precious 'one and onlies' are burdened with expectation, yet have often been brought up without any sense of responsibility. Within their families, they are revered as 'little emperors' and 'suns', although such cosseting can come at a high price: isolation, confusion and an inability to deal with life's challenges. READ: Xinran interview in The Press's Your Weekend LISTEN: Xinran on BBC Radio's Woman's Hour talking about Buy Me the Sky. WATCH: A short clip (more available) of Xinran talking about Buy Me the Sky. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS AND OTHER AUTHOR EVENTS IN THE WORD CHRISTCHURCH AUTUMN SEASON, VISIT THE WORD CHRISTCHURCH WEBSITE.