Alice Poon's Blog - Posts Tagged "alice-poon"
Release Date for "The Green Phoenix" - September 1, 2017
Hong Kong-based publisher Earnshaw Books will be releasing my historical epic titled The Green Phoenix on September 1, 2017.
For a peek of the book cover image (which I absolutely love!), please go to my profile photo page:
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...
Here are the book description and blurbs by Paul French and Susan Blumberg-Kason that appear on the back cover of the book:
With the fate of East Asia hanging in the balance, one Mongolian woman manipulates her lovers, sons and grandsons through war and upheaval to create an empire that lasted for 250 years.
The Green Phoenix tells the story of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, born a Mongolian princess who became a consort in the Manchu court and then the Qing Dynasty’s first matriarch. She lived through harrowing threats, endless political crises, personal heartaches and painful losses to lead a shaky Empire out of a dead end. The story is set against a turbulent canvas as the Chinese Ming Dynasty is replaced by the Qing. Xiaozhuang guides her husband, her lover, her son and her grandson - all emperors and supreme leaders of the Qing Empire - to success against the odds.
“So much of imperial Chinese history is an enigma; a world we, as outsiders, are shut out off. Alice Poon’s novelised life of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang fictionally pulls back the curtain on Manchu court life and lets us step into a forbidden world.”
- Paul French, author of Midnight in Peking
“Alice Poon has written a masterpiece of Chinese history little known in the West. It's a story of love, betrayal and loyalty, and shows how one woman inspired the reunification of China. For so long the West has fixated on the end of the Qing dynasty, but as Poon beautifully recreates in her book, the real heroine of the Qing is the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. Never before has this story been told in English, and it's arguably the most important historical novel of early Qing Dynasty China.”
- Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Good Chinese Wife: A Love Affair with China Gone Wrong
For a peek of the book cover image (which I absolutely love!), please go to my profile photo page:
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...
Here are the book description and blurbs by Paul French and Susan Blumberg-Kason that appear on the back cover of the book:
With the fate of East Asia hanging in the balance, one Mongolian woman manipulates her lovers, sons and grandsons through war and upheaval to create an empire that lasted for 250 years.
The Green Phoenix tells the story of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, born a Mongolian princess who became a consort in the Manchu court and then the Qing Dynasty’s first matriarch. She lived through harrowing threats, endless political crises, personal heartaches and painful losses to lead a shaky Empire out of a dead end. The story is set against a turbulent canvas as the Chinese Ming Dynasty is replaced by the Qing. Xiaozhuang guides her husband, her lover, her son and her grandson - all emperors and supreme leaders of the Qing Empire - to success against the odds.
“So much of imperial Chinese history is an enigma; a world we, as outsiders, are shut out off. Alice Poon’s novelised life of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang fictionally pulls back the curtain on Manchu court life and lets us step into a forbidden world.”
- Paul French, author of Midnight in Peking
“Alice Poon has written a masterpiece of Chinese history little known in the West. It's a story of love, betrayal and loyalty, and shows how one woman inspired the reunification of China. For so long the West has fixated on the end of the Qing dynasty, but as Poon beautifully recreates in her book, the real heroine of the Qing is the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. Never before has this story been told in English, and it's arguably the most important historical novel of early Qing Dynasty China.”
- Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Good Chinese Wife: A Love Affair with China Gone Wrong
Interview with Ricepaper Magazine
With the imminent release of my new historical novel The Green Phoenix, I was delighted and honored to be invited for an interview with Ricepaper Magazine, a Vancouver-based Canadian literary magazine published by the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop.
Here’s the link to the entire interview posted on the magazine’s website:-
https://ricepapermagazine.ca/2017/08/...
Here’s the link to the entire interview posted on the magazine’s website:-
https://ricepapermagazine.ca/2017/08/...
Interview with Wayne Turmel, Historical Novelist
I had a delightful chat with Wayne Turmel, author of Acre's Bastard: Historical Fiction from the Crusades, on his blog about my new novel The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-Made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang.
Here's the link to the interview:-
http://wayneturmel.com/2017/08/ancien...
Here's the link to the interview:-
http://wayneturmel.com/2017/08/ancien...
Historical Novel Society's New Feature on "The Green Phoenix"
A few days ago I was interviewed by Cynthia Anderson, historical novelist and contributor to Historical Novel Society’s features section, about my new novel The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-Made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang. This morning, I was so happy to see the feature article live on HNS’s website!
Link to the article:-
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/th...
Link to the article:-
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/th...
Bookish Asia's Review of "The Green Phoenix"
I can’t imagine a better way to start the day than reading a heart-warming review of my book first thing in the morning. And the review is one from the renowned book review site Bookish Asia!
http://bookish.asia/green-phoenix-ali...
Author Alice Poon obviously loves her characters and Chinese history. She treats the historical story with great but not slavish respect, striking a reasonable balance between accuracy and narrative punch.
The Green Phoenix is a moving account of a great woman’s life, one which will appeal to fans of epic family sagas and Chinese dynastic history. There are the familiar pleasures of forbidden desire, royal splendor, court intrigue, and epic battles amid turbulent times, but here with the fresh focus on a less-familiar protagonist.
Alice Poon says an early source of inspiration was Pearl S. Buck’s Imperial Woman about Cixi, the Qing’s last Empress. I think the Empress Xiaozhuang story is every bit as compelling.
Thank you, thank you, Bookish Asia!
http://bookish.asia/green-phoenix-ali...
Author Alice Poon obviously loves her characters and Chinese history. She treats the historical story with great but not slavish respect, striking a reasonable balance between accuracy and narrative punch.
The Green Phoenix is a moving account of a great woman’s life, one which will appeal to fans of epic family sagas and Chinese dynastic history. There are the familiar pleasures of forbidden desire, royal splendor, court intrigue, and epic battles amid turbulent times, but here with the fresh focus on a less-familiar protagonist.
Alice Poon says an early source of inspiration was Pearl S. Buck’s Imperial Woman about Cixi, the Qing’s last Empress. I think the Empress Xiaozhuang story is every bit as compelling.
Thank you, thank you, Bookish Asia!
Book Launch Date & Venue - "The Green Phoenix"
I am happy to announce that the book launch for my new historical novel The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang, will take place on Wednesday, November 15 , 2017 at 6:30 p.m. at Bookazine, One Exchange Square (Shop 305-07), in Hong Kong. All are welcome! I will be signing books, chatting with readers and distributing beautiful bookmarks!
Whether you are a fan of Chinese history or not, chances are you will enjoy reading the colorful story of one of the most influential women in China’s history. Her efforts and ultimate victory at promoting peace and cultural diversity and tolerance in an afflicted China are significant not only in a historic sense, but are also an inspiration in our empathy-deficient times.
For readers’ easy reference, there is a complete List of Characters and a Chronology at the back of the novel. A physical book is much easier for flipping back and forth (versus an e-book). Plus you can get it signed by me at the book launch!
Looking forward to seeing you on November 15!
Whether you are a fan of Chinese history or not, chances are you will enjoy reading the colorful story of one of the most influential women in China’s history. Her efforts and ultimate victory at promoting peace and cultural diversity and tolerance in an afflicted China are significant not only in a historic sense, but are also an inspiration in our empathy-deficient times.
For readers’ easy reference, there is a complete List of Characters and a Chronology at the back of the novel. A physical book is much easier for flipping back and forth (versus an e-book). Plus you can get it signed by me at the book launch!
Looking forward to seeing you on November 15!
Bryn Hammond's Interview with Me
I was really glad to be interviewed by Bryn Hammond about The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-Made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang, as she asked me all the thought-provoking questions! Bryn is a scholar of Mongolian steppe history and a writer of a series of novels about Genghis Khan. The interview was done at the end of September, but I somehow forgot to post it on my blog here.
Here's the link to the full interview on Bryn's blog:-
http://amgalant.com/interview-with-al...
In the interview I mentioned three of Jin Yong's martial arts and chivalry novels that had been translated into English. I've recently found out on Twitter that another newly translated novel, named "Legend of the Condor Heroes" (which is the first of three volumes), will soon be published by MacLehose Press. It's good to see Jin Yong's most popular novels finally getting the attention they deserve!
Here's the link to the full interview on Bryn's blog:-
http://amgalant.com/interview-with-al...
In the interview I mentioned three of Jin Yong's martial arts and chivalry novels that had been translated into English. I've recently found out on Twitter that another newly translated novel, named "Legend of the Condor Heroes" (which is the first of three volumes), will soon be published by MacLehose Press. It's good to see Jin Yong's most popular novels finally getting the attention they deserve!
Did You Know That Johann Adam Schall von Bell was a Key Adviser to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang?
It may be common knowledge for current and former students of The Chinese University of Hong Kong that the earliest student hostel ever built on campus is called the Adam Schall Residence. But perhaps the person Johann Adam Schall von Bell, in honor of whom the hostel was named, is not too familiar a figure for many, students or otherwise, in Hong Kong or elsewhere.
Johann Adam Schall von Bell was a German Jesuit missionary born in Cologne. In 1619, at the age of 28, he arrived Macau with a few other Jesuit missionaries, planning to enter China to spread Christianity, only to find themselves stranded in the Portuguese Settlement, as it was the Chinese policy then to curb foreigners’ entry. So Schall von Bell decided to settle down in Macau and learn Chinese and continue with his mathematics studies.
A few years later, in 1622, he unexpectedly got embroiled in Portuguese Macau’s military defense against an attack by the Dutch Calvinists, which attack was instigated by trade disputes. The Dutch (i.e. the Dutch East India Company) had for a long time been jealous of Macau’s lucrative intermediary position on the China-Japan trade route (silk in exchange for silver) and wanted to capture the Settlement. Schall von Bell and his fellow Jesuits went up to the citadel to man cannons that fired on the invading Dutch soldiers, and a shot accidentally hit an explosive dump near their camp. The defense was victorious and the Dutch were chased out.
When news of this reached the Ming Emperor’s ears, he invited Schall von Bell to Court and asked him to produce cannons for use against the invading Manchus. But the Jesuit’s skill at weaponry was clearly eclipsed by his knowledge in astronomy and his work in the calendar reform.
After the Ming Empire transitioned to the Qing Dynasty, Schall von Bell rose to prominence as a key adviser in Shunzhi Emperor’s reign. His influence on Shunzhi and his mother the de facto regent, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, was nothing less than profound. Out of veneration for him, Shunzhi addressed him as “Mafa” in private, meaning “Grandfather” in Manchu. The Jesuit priest had first gained the Empress Dowager’s trust by healing a sickness that her niece had contracted, just prior to her becoming Empress to Shunzhi Emperor. It is said that Schall von Bell was overtly supportive of the Empress Dowager in her selection of Kangxi as the successor to Shunzhi. After Shunzhi died, Schall von Bell’s envious Chinese colleagues initiated a depraved false accusation against him, which led to a death sentence by slicing. He would have perished if not for an earthquake that shook the grounds of the execution square, which alerted the Empress Dowager to immediate intervention in the case. Although ultimately exonerated, his prison ordeal took a toll on his already frail health and he died shortly after regaining freedom.
His melodramatic story makes one of the major subplots in The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-Made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang.
Johann Adam Schall von Bell was a German Jesuit missionary born in Cologne. In 1619, at the age of 28, he arrived Macau with a few other Jesuit missionaries, planning to enter China to spread Christianity, only to find themselves stranded in the Portuguese Settlement, as it was the Chinese policy then to curb foreigners’ entry. So Schall von Bell decided to settle down in Macau and learn Chinese and continue with his mathematics studies.
A few years later, in 1622, he unexpectedly got embroiled in Portuguese Macau’s military defense against an attack by the Dutch Calvinists, which attack was instigated by trade disputes. The Dutch (i.e. the Dutch East India Company) had for a long time been jealous of Macau’s lucrative intermediary position on the China-Japan trade route (silk in exchange for silver) and wanted to capture the Settlement. Schall von Bell and his fellow Jesuits went up to the citadel to man cannons that fired on the invading Dutch soldiers, and a shot accidentally hit an explosive dump near their camp. The defense was victorious and the Dutch were chased out.
When news of this reached the Ming Emperor’s ears, he invited Schall von Bell to Court and asked him to produce cannons for use against the invading Manchus. But the Jesuit’s skill at weaponry was clearly eclipsed by his knowledge in astronomy and his work in the calendar reform.
After the Ming Empire transitioned to the Qing Dynasty, Schall von Bell rose to prominence as a key adviser in Shunzhi Emperor’s reign. His influence on Shunzhi and his mother the de facto regent, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, was nothing less than profound. Out of veneration for him, Shunzhi addressed him as “Mafa” in private, meaning “Grandfather” in Manchu. The Jesuit priest had first gained the Empress Dowager’s trust by healing a sickness that her niece had contracted, just prior to her becoming Empress to Shunzhi Emperor. It is said that Schall von Bell was overtly supportive of the Empress Dowager in her selection of Kangxi as the successor to Shunzhi. After Shunzhi died, Schall von Bell’s envious Chinese colleagues initiated a depraved false accusation against him, which led to a death sentence by slicing. He would have perished if not for an earthquake that shook the grounds of the execution square, which alerted the Empress Dowager to immediate intervention in the case. Although ultimately exonerated, his prison ordeal took a toll on his already frail health and he died shortly after regaining freedom.
His melodramatic story makes one of the major subplots in The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-Made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang.
2018 LiterASIAN Festival at Vancouver, September 21-23, 2018
If you're ever on the corner of Granville & Robson, look up! You may see some familiar faces on the advertisement screen. We've partnered with the City of Vancouver to promote our fast approaching LiterASIAN Festival through their Vancouver Live! Video Screen Advertising Program. pic.twitter.com/XL04Ey9qC0
— ACWW (@acww) August 13, 2018
Events Schedule:
https://literasian.com/events-schedule/
I'll be speaking at the September 23 (Sunday) Workshop: "Turning to History for Inspiration: Writing the Historical Novel":
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/literasia...
If you happen to be in Vancouver on September 21, 22 or 23, 2018, do come and join us at this great literary event!
Beijing Expatriates Have Picked The Green Phoenix for their September Group Read
Delighted to learn that the Beijing Book Reading Group of InterNations (an expatriate organization) has selected The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-Made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang as their September Group Read. Expatriates from six countries have registered to join the reading and discussion on September 9, 2018.
Delighted to learn that expatriates from 6 countries in Beijing (Beijing Book Reading Group of InterNations) will be reading and discussing The Green Phoenix on September 9! https://t.co/fT3ltqmZXR https://t.co/fT3ltqmZXR
— Alice Poon (@alicepoon1) September 3, 2018
