The Latest Agenda! Language Matters (Feb24-Mar9)
Love words? So do we!
Through the course of history, words have been used to win hearts, crush spirits, make money and find enlightenment. The past ten years have been the most exciting in the use of words since the invention of the printing press, and many privileges that were once reserved for the elite and intellectual have now fallen into the hands of the common man and woman, ushering in a hitherto unforeseen age of semantic freedom.
In this issue, Australian Ambassador Geoff Raby (page 18) and CSOFT’s Executive Vice President Carl Yao (page 20) told us why they believe in the power of words to make the world a smaller place, while Queer Comrades founder and anchor Wei Xiaogang (page 26) showed us how he uses words to open the closets that confine many members of China’s LGBT community. ImpactAsia’s social media expert Foniz Wong (page 24) explained how to “knit” the perfect Weibo feed, and user interface (UI) designer Kou Liqin (page 28) reminded us that it’s not just what you say, but what it looks like that counts. We also met with acclaimed author Brian Keith Jackson (page 22), Portuguese chefs Elisabete and Fernando Real of Tromba Rijo (page 12) and master baker Fernando Sousa Marques (page 13), and all of them reminded us how delightful and delectable traditional literature and culture really are.
Feeling literary? Check out our events calendar (pages 42-57) for the events taking place during the Bookworm’s annual literary festival, and be sure to read our list of the four most influential books in China (page 30) and the best game apps for when you want a break from the black and white (page 36). So go on! Turn off your phone and computer, bundle up at home with a good book, and remember the wise words of Victor Hugo: “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”