Linda Jaivin

Linda Jaivin is the author of five bestselling novels, including A Most Immoral Woman and the cult classic Eat Me. She’s also a renowned Chinese–English translator, and an essayist and journalist with unique insights into Chinese politics and culture.

The Empress Lover, Jaivin’s latest novel, intersperses the true story of Sir Edmund Backhouse – an eccentric baronet, sinologist, arms salesman and fantasist – with the fictional life of Linnie, an Australian translator living in contemporary Beijing. In a work that contrasts the breezy observations of an expatriate with the darker perspectives of a local, Jaivin interrogates her longstanding relationship with China and explores how the nation has evolved over the post-Tiananmen period.

With host Toni Jordan, Jaivin will discuss the book, her unique perspectives working as a translator, and her other recent project: Beijing, a portrait of the city’s unique personalities and fascinating history.

Arrive 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start.