Suzhou’s newest hot spot is undeniably The Bookworm. Part café, part library, part restaurant, part bar and part bookshop; it’s not hard to see why the place has quickly become a refuge for many a Suzhou expat.
On top of its boatload of English-language books, the cozy two-storey canal-side venue now has the distinction of bringing to Suzhou some wonderful international literary talent.
Running from March 2nd to March 19th, the Suzhou Bookworm International Literary Festival is showcasing an impressive list of authors giving readings, and talking about their various works.
Some of the author’s making the trip to our little garden town are Qiu Xiaolong, Patrick Gale, Hari Kunzru, John Man, Zhu Wen, Justin Hill, Nicholas Jose, Christopher Kremmer, Liz Niven, Ouyang Yu, Rob Gifford and Paul French.
And, get this, tickets are only 30 RMB – less than the price of a frigin’ pint of Carlsberg at most joints in town. What’s more, that 30 RMB gets you a glass of wine (or a soft drink, wuss).
Check out the Festival Schedule for who’s appearing when – and definitely don’t miss this excellent opportunity to take a break from the China-cized world we live in and remind yourself that not all culture happened 2,500 years ago.
And, for anyone that’s not sure where The Bookworm is, it’s right around the corner from The Shamrock on Shi Quan Jie. Walk west past the Shamrock and when you hit the corner (the C-Store shop), cross Shi Quan Jie and walk 20 feet. Can’t miss it. Well, some probably can – so check out this tiny map.
