The Book of Secrets: A Family's Story of Love, Loyalty and Betrayal in Modern China

About

In this unforgettable talk, acclaimed writer and broadcaster Xinran opens a private archive of letters and diaries entrusted to her the hidden record of one family whose most closely guarded secrets mirror a century of upheaval in China.

At its heart is Jie, a young military intelligence officer who joins the Communist Party full of idealism, and his wife Moon, whose life is slowly consumed by the Party's demands. Drawing on an extraordinary cache of personal diaries, Xinran pieces together their story from the euphoria of revolution to the paranoia of political purges, from the Cultural Revolution to the aftermath of Tiananmen Square revealing how loyalty, love and truth can collide under a repressive regime.

Described by the Sunday Telegraph as an extraordinary firsthand account of Communist Party machinery at its most brutal and paranoid, The Book of Secrets illuminates the hidden human cost of Chinas political transformation and the courage it takes to finally tell the truth.

Expect moving readings, behind-the-scenes insights into how these testimonies were uncovered and verified, and a candid discussion on the ethics of storytelling under censorship and fear.

Xinran (Xue Xinran) is a British-Chinese journalist, former Nanjing radio host and bestselling author of The Good Women of China, Sky Burial and The Promise. A long-time Londoner, she founded the charity Mothers Bridge of Love, connecting children and families across cultures. Her work shines with compassion, courage and clarity (Jung Chang).

A Q&A session will follow.

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