ChinaTalk & Unbound Present: Monthly China Reads, #1

Before ChinaTalk was a Substack publication or a think tank, it was Jordan’s excuse to interview authors he liked about their books. What better way to celebrate the community we’ve built, then, than through reading together? We’re incredibly excited to kick off a series of book club events with Unbound Bookstore in San Francisco’s historic Chinatown. Unbound is the Bay's first independent Chinese bookstore, and we can think of no better space for gathering around books, culture, and current affairs. Our inaugural pick is by Xiao Hai, an iconic voice in China’s new generation of “workers’ literature” writers. When Xiao Hai turned fifteen, his family paid a vocational-school teacher 1,200 yuan to find him a factory job in Shenzhen. So began a decade spent moving between the garment mills and electronics factories of China's fast-growing southern cities. His memoir, Adrift in the South, was recently translated by Tony Hao. Copies are available at Unbound, in store or online. Finished it, halfway through, or haven't started? Come anyway. We'll spend the first hour discussing the book and the second hour mingling over drinks and snacks. Free; RSVP required, space is limited. Hope to see you there! — Irene:)