Yo dude. I saw that thing you weib'd the other day. What was that about 'let's shave the characters for "Justice" into our back hair and walk around naked down Nanjing Road'? Yeah, that wasn't a good idea, broseph. They're going to find you now - better move to Berlin! I hear they have great medical care and they're not that into non-Germans, but I think they'll make an exception if you have art/literary festival street cred. They're way chill dude, and everyone cool is moving there! more ›

The live music selection may be amazing this weekend, but it's not the only thing going on! Today also marks the beginning of two super special events and if you're a fan of sexy things or literary things (or sexy literary things), you've got great reason to be psyched. more ›

This evening will see the second week of the Shanghai International Literary Festival kicking off down at M on the Bund. Events will continue across the weekend and throughout the week, providing plenty of opportunities to see a whole host of great writers and performers. Ticket details can be found here as can the full line-up (which we suggest you check - there's far too much going on for us to cover it all in one post!). Below are just some of the highlights you can expect to see: more ›

Now into its fifth year, M on the Bund’s Shanghai International Literary Festival kicks off this weekend and once again has an impressive line up featuring a string of famous names and expert figures from across the book world. Running for the next three weekends, the festival offers Shanghai’s literati the chance to see some of the best Chinese and international writers. With so many great events to choose from (you can buy tickets and view the full line-up here) it’s hard to select highlights, but below are Shanghaiist’s picks from this weekend’s guests… more ›

On Sunday we spent the afternoon at Glamour Bar. No, not to drink cocktails, but for a much more noble purpose: to attend Dai Sijie's session at the Shanghai International Literary Festival (SILF). The session was in French only, and Dai talked about "la part personnelle d'implication dans l'écriture" (to what extend one can use one's personal experiences in one's writings). more ›

Celebrated American writer and critic Gore Vidal was interviewed by former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr on Sunday at Glamour Bar before a full audience as the opening speaker for the 2007 Shanghai International Literary Festival. Over his career which spans more than 60 years, Vidal has produced novels, plays, screenplays, and numerous essays and pamphlets, and most recently, he published his memoirs, Point-to-Point Navigation. more ›

There are a lot of tempting events coming up this weekend. But please don't invite us, we're saving up for Kenny G. more ›

The annual Shanghai International Literary Festival, taking place throughout March, is one of those gems that make Shanghai such a fantastic city. The festival consistently brings some of the biggest names of the contemporary literary scene to the city to discuss their craft in the unusually intimate surroundings — the Glamour Bar or the Crystal Room at M on the Bund. more ›

The Shanghai Literary Festival starts this weekend, and according to one of the authors participating in the two-week-long event -- he wrote this in an email to us -- Shanghaiist readers "need some intellectual fodder." And the festival is, indeed, full of it (fodder, we mean). Really, quite an impressive list of authors will be in attendance. The man who is getting most of the attention, rightfully so, is John Banville, who last year won the Man Booker prize for his novel The Sea. Other highlights include travel writer Pico Iyer (Video Night in Kathmandu) and Ma Jian, whose travel essay Red Dust likely occupies a spot on most of your bookshelves. Also speaking will be longtime Shanghai resident, and occasional Shanghaiist reader, Paul French, who you may even see at tonight's Shanghaiist Happy Hour. more ›