Wuzhen Reading & Literary Festival set to wrap up

The Wuzhen Reading & Literary Festival, a branch event of the Shanghai Book Fair, will wrap up on Tuesday.

It is the first time an element of the Shanghai Book Fair has been held in Wuzhen, a tourism city in Zhejiang province known for its ancient water town landscapes and rich cultural life, which includes the annual Wuzhen Theatre Festival, Muxin Art Museum and a series of contemporary art events

Authors and scholars from home and abroad, including Sun Ganlu, Ye Zhaoyan, Alec Ash from the UK and Jazmina Barrera from Mexico have taken part in panel discussions in Wuzhen on themes such as "how literature brings new vitality to a city", "women and fertility and the nourishment of Latin American culture" and "escape, migration and re-invention".

The sessions had the aim of placing reading and literature at the heart of everyday life, as well as exploring shared values and resonance in different cultures and literature in the global context.

"We will take advantage of the unique ancient town of Wuzhen to create an immersive reading experience and integrate reading into tourism," said Jin Linsheng,CEO of Wuzhen Tourism Co, ahead of the festival.

"We hope readers can step into bookstores and participate in reading events, while enjoying the water town landscape of Wuzhen."