Something magical happened when Reina (my six year-old) and I entered the Capital M lobby to attend a session of the Capital M Literary Festival. She marveled at the uncluttered décor before we entered the elevator and then, upon entering the carriage, she proclaimed, “Baba, it’s so beautiful.” There is no question that the management of Capital M pride themselves on their attention detail. Whether it is the tapestry that drapes the elevators, the hand-painted china cups, or the sensational deserts, nothing is left to chance and everything is planed to perfection. So it should come as no surprise that Michelle (the M in Capital M) and her team bring the same level of excellence to the M Literary Festival too.
I had the great fortune to attend several of the events in the first two weeks: a discussion with Kaz Cooke about her book Girl’s Stuff: Your Full-On Guide to the Teen Years, producer William Fay on Turning Comics into Film, the Women’s Day Literary Lunch, and Mark Moffett’s exceptional presentation on his Adventures Among the Ants. Honestly, if I lived closer to Capital M, I would attend every session my beloved wife would let me sneak out too. I’m still not sure how I managed to attend as much as I did.
Kaz Cooke’s discussion of Girl’s Stuff made it clear that we need a copy of her book for when Reina reaches 12 so that she has unfettered access to answers to questions about her body and her development that she may not even know she has. And it is served up with a great deal of humor. Kaz herself pointed out that she is not a parenting expert, but a reporter who wanted to understand what her own daughter was going through, so she surveyed over 4000 teens and interviewed a slew of experts in relevant fields to create a complete guide. And I do mean complete, as the book is massive.
William Fay’s talk on the process of transforming comics into film was truly eye opening for anyone who loves going to the movies or reading graphic novels and comics. He has produced such blockbusters as Independence Day, Superman Returns, and 300 to name just a fraction of the films he has worked on. During the 90 minute session where he fielded questions from the audience, he gave insight into the various roles a producer takes on from managing the day to day of a production to finding the financing of a film, and discussed how the industry is changing, and the future of 3D.
In honor of Women’s Day, the Festival held a Literary Lunch with authors Kaz Cooke, Linda Jaivin, and Deb Fallows who each discussed their perspective on the changing role of women in society and what women want/need. As one of the few men in the audience, I was humbled not only by the achievements of the authors, but by the caliber of the women in the audience and their own achievements abroad and in Beijing.
Finally, Reina and I attended Mark Moffett’s presentation on his research into the world of ants. He has written stories for National Geographic along with his own book, and his photos of his tiny subjects are unparalleled when it comes to documenting the life of these fascinating and often underappreciated insects. Attended by as many children as adults, at the end of his session, the kids eagerly asked questions (as did the adults) until there really was no time left. Mark’s unbridled enthusiasm for his subject was infectious, though no one seemed to want to join him on his next jungle adventure to carry out more research. Even the kids seemed content to simply read about his work and look at he pictures.
Although the Festival is already in it’s final days, there is still time to catch some great talks and learn about the work of some amazing authors before the festival closes on Sunday, 17 March. To find out more, see the schedule, or get directions to Capital M visit www.m-restaurantgroup.com. To order tickets visit www.mypiao.com or call 400-620-6006. Tickets can also be purchased at the restaurant in advance from 11am-7pm. All sessions are RMB75 and include a drink. Children/student tickets are RMB20.
