City of Asylum will present "Bringing Chinese Literature to America with Editor Han Zhang (Riverhead Books) & Translator Jeremy Tiang" on October 19, part of LitFest 2025.
Publishers, book clubs, and bookstores alike are abuzz with rave reviews for one of the season’s hottest books: Yueran Zhang’s Women, Seated. The riveting story shines a spotlight on a powerful Chinese family’s fall from grace, detailing a world of luxury, wealth, and around-the-clock service, with secrets hidden in every shadow. Full of drama and intrigue most American audiences are chomping at the bit for, one could almost forget that this bestseller likely wouldn’t have made it to a front-of-store display without the work of editor Han Zhang and translator Jeremy Tiang.
Women, Seated gives readers a front row seat to the lives of an elite Chinese couple and their trusted nanny, Yu Ling. Slipping in and out of the shadows, meticulous in her care of their only son, Yu Ling has served the family for years and knows all their secrets—and guards a few of her own.
In the pressure-cooker political environment of China, the fates of even the most powerful families can reverse overnight. When the family becomes the subject of a government investigation, their fortunes crumble, and their nanny is left to make a series of life-changing choices. But how far will she go to claim her due?
In conversation with Anderson Tepper, City of Asylum’s curator for World Literature, this program will feature a discussion with Han Zhang and Jeremy Tiang on the translation process and the importance of Chinese literature’s presence—indeed, the presence of translated literature at large—in America. Audiences will also be able to hear directly from author Yueran Zhang, who will join the program virtually to share a portion of the book from her home in China.
You can purchase a copy of Women, Seated, at City of Asylum Bookstore.
The event runs from 2:30 to 3:30 pm, and is free as both an in-person and online event (though registration is required). The City of Asylum's Alphabet City is located at 40 W. North Ave. in the North Side (map).
