Ink & Quill

On July 28th, 1976, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the sleeping Tangshan, killing nearly a quarter of million people. Upon the 40th anniversary of this deadly quake, we delve into the meanings of life and death, resurrection and the human spirit through books.

When is the ideal time for women to tie the knot? In this program, we check out a bestseller titled Do Not Marry before Age 30 to find out the answer. Plus, there are more news and a bookchat on mash-up fictions.

Travelling around the globe sounds daunting and challenging, but could you

imagine doing it in a wheelchair?

Born in Barcelona in 1990, Albert Casals was diagnosed with leukaemia at the

tender age of five. Then, three years later, a complication caused by

chemotherapy left the boy in a wheelchair.

But nothing, neither the lack of mobility of his legs, nor the disapproval

and doubt from others, could stop this wanderlust-driven soul to pursue his

long-standing dream of travelling. In this edition of the program, we talk with this free-spirited young man about his life and book.

This week, our reporters discuss the popularity of online fiction and

whether it will become the new norm for the publishing industry.

In this small segment of Ink&Quill, our reporters talk about Chinese young adult writer Guo Jingming's latest fantasy movie and, is it safe for authors to intervene in the cinematic production of their works.

Comics has been commonly regarded as a lower form of art. In the eyes of the masses, this combination of images and texts is either a pastime reading for young children, or a gateway drug for hardcore nerds.  In today's program, we show how aChinese artist shifts comics into some serious business and talk about how young people in China embrace Comic-con . And of course, a book review on father-son relation.

In China, Gaokao, or known as the

annual National College Entrance Examination Test, is probably the most

important test. For many, this grueling two-day test is the most important

make-or-break moment in their youth, since their scores are the sole

determinants for their entry to higher education. Well, you may think attending

Gaokao of today is challenging. The book "Examinations Papers during the

Republican Era" will show you another story.

The eminent Chinese author, playwright and translator Yang Jiang passed away at the age of 105. Her death shocked the whole country. In this edition of Ink&Quill, our reporter Li Ningjing retraces the eventful life of Yang Jiang, to backtrack her long and winding journey as a woman, wife and mother.

Nowadays, you don't need to be a techno-geek to realize the buzz that the artificial intelligence has generated. As machines become more intelligent, the human species, well, at least some among us, start to worry about the potential usurpation of computers. But, should we be scared right now? To uncover myths and clear doubts on this matter, our reporter Shiyu talks with Professor Murray Shanahan from Imperial College London, an expert in cognitive robotics, as well as the author of the book, "Technological Singularity".

Alibaba may sound like an unfit name for a Chinese company. Yet its history has no question become a legend. Founded in a shabby, jam-packed flat in east China's Hangzhou city in 1999, this internet corporation has grown to be the largest retailer around the globe. Its founder Ma Yun, or widely known as Jack Ma in the West, is an admirably unusual man. Despite his modest beginning, this plain-looking, skinny fellow has gone from an English teacher to one of the world's most influential internet gurus. But what is the story behind Jack Ma's rags-to-riches success? And how does Alibaba, a company that starts from nowhere, rival Walmart and Amazon? To find out the answers, our reporter Shiyu talks with Duncan Clark, author of the new book, "Alibaba: The House that Jack Ma Built", to retrace this unlikely tale.