Babel-On with R.F. Kuang

R.F. Kuang’s genre-bending fiction broaches ordinarily serious topics from a satirical and fantastical perspective. Academic yet approachable, her work combines history, magic, and classical literary tradition to render powerful critiques of academia, the publishing industry, and even contemporary popular culture. 

Her most recent novel, Katabasis, follows two graduate students as they descend into hell after the death of their professor. The screen rights options to the novel were sold to Amazon MGM Studios for an upcoming TV series before its publication. Her other bestselling titles include Yellowface, Babel, and The Poppy War trilogy, and she is the recipient of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction, and the American Book Award. 

Kelly Jensen, an anti-censorship advocate, a senior editor at Book Riot, and writer who has compiled such anthologies as Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World and (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, will be leading the conversation.

This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. 

ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility. To request accommodations, please email illinoislibrariespresent@ila.org. 

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