Life> Reading

With Cherie Blair

By Zhang Kun (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-22 13:37

Cherie Blair launched the Chinese edition of her new book, "Speaking for Myself: The Autobiography", at the Shanghai Book Fair last week. The wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair signed copies of her memoirs and met with local media to discuss her life as a top-ranking barrister, the wife of a leading politician and a mother of four.

The Shanghai Book Fair was held from August 13 to 19 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, showcasing more than 100,000 books from 470 publishing houses all over the country. More than 240,000 people visited the fair and participated in the hundreds of cultural events and book launches. The total sales volume for the seven-day fair mounted to 28 million yuan.

Q: What made you decide to come here for the book launch?

A: I am particularly excited about the publication of the Chinese edition, not only because it is launched in a country with the largest population, but because people who know the Chinese language all over the world can read my book. I also have my personal reasons. I am very close friends with my sister-in-law Katy, who is from Hong Kong. In our home we have always celebrated the Chinese New Year and other (Chinese) holidays. Also my friendship with Shanghai and China goes back a long time. I am from Liverpool, and Liverpool has been doing business with Shanghai for 100 years. My great grandfather was a merchant seaman who traveled to the harbor of Shanghai.

Q: As a Queen's Counsel, mother, and wife of the former British PM, which role have you found to be the most challenging?

A: Working as a lawyer. By the end of the day, you either win or lose the case. There is always a conclusion. But being a mother and wife is for a whole lifetime. You pass on your values to the young ones. Now there is such a great obsession for celebrities that I have to tell them that life is not about the people in the newspapers or on television. It's the people who you know and on whom you can make a real impact on that counts.

Q: As a role model for young Chinese, do you have any message to give?

A: I was a little rebellious and grew up with my mother and grandmother. Luckily I had a good education. My grandma always said that if a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well. I was not good at sports back in school, but I was good at public speaking, so I did the (sports) commentary. It's important to have an enquiring mind, and to be interested in why things happen, and to work hard.

Q: Some media outlets are calling you the next Hillary Clinton. Are you considering a career in politics, or running for office?

A: I think 25 years as the wife of a politician is sufficient for me in terms of party politics. But I am still concerned about politics, especially women's issues. That's why I have set up my own foundations, hoping to help women to get equal opportunities and achieve a better balance between their career and family life. The 21st century is for China to open up and take its rightful place in the world, and now China has a rival group - women. By telling my own story, I want to send the message that with hard work and a little bit of luck, all women can turn from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan, stand on an equal position with men, work together and complement each other.

Q: Is it true that you wrote this autobiography to pay your mortgage?

A: We have the same problem as other families. We have to make sure we have enough money to pay the bills, but the book was not written for money. Despite those long years of being wife to the leader of the Labor Party and then prime minister, I never had a chance to tell my side of the story. This is my opportunity to speak for myself. This is my story as I tell it. It's a woman's journey of 50 years. I want it to be read as a true story that I would tell to my daughter and friends. It's a candid book, and tells about my romance and life with my husband and children. To my daughter Catherine, who is here among the audiences, I want to give the warning from my own experience that having three boyfriends at the same time is not a good idea.